Catholic Church interested in purchasing Eagle Rock mansion

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is exploring the purchase of one of the largest properties in Eagle Rock, the Chateau Emanuel, as a potential retreat and prayer center for priests.

The property, which has a 6,000-square-foot main house with four bedrooms and five baths, three guest homes and waterfalls, was previously listed for $5.99 million, according to a 2010 Curbed LA post.

It is unclear how much the archdiocese is willing to pay for the property at 1554 Hill Drive, but church officials are applying for the “necessary approvals that could lead to the acquisition of the property,” according to Adrian Marquez Alarcon, director of media relations for the archdiocese.

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It’s also unknown if the church would do any renovations on the buildings, which were originally built in 1925 as a retirement home by a moving company executive, according to a Huffington Post story from 2011, when the home was relisted for $4.45 million.

The property is currently owned by Robert Kvassay, according to property records.

The site could “provide a prayerful and peaceful environment in which priests can strengthen and renew their relationship with God,” Marquez Alarcon said in an email.

The Chateau Emanuel is not the only high-priced property the archdiocese has been interested in of late.

Church officials have been in a property dispute with a group of nuns who wanted to sell a Los Feliz convent to restaurateur Dana Hollister. Church officials favored selling the property to pop star Katy Perry for $14.5 million.

In April, a judge quashed the nuns’ effort to sell the convent to Hollister. But an attorney representing two nuns said he was considering an appeal.

jason.song@latimes.com

Twitter: @byjsong

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