Late Irvine heir’s ‘Big Blue House’ in Newport Beach may give way to bigger house

The days may be numbered for an Irvine family member’s former Newport Beach estate known as the “Big Blue House,” with a replacement nearly five times its size potentially on the way.

City permits have been issued to demolish the gated 1930s-era house at 401 Avocado Ave., which was the home of Kathryn Irvine Wheeler until her death in 2003, then passed to her heirs. Wheeler was the eldest grandchild of Irvine Co. founder James Irvine II, who raised her after her mother died from complications of childbirth.

An application is pending to redevelop the plot with a substantially larger mansion with an attached guest house, totaling nearly 20,000 square feet.

The Big Blue House and a newer property next door sold together for a combined $55 million in 2017. The two homes sit on a combined 3½ acres at the western edge of Corona del Mar, facing the entrance to Newport Harbor. The current owner is CA Avocado 401415 LLC, which has a mailing address in Phoenix, according to city documents.

The Big Blue House is, by modern mansion standards, not especially large at 4,200 square feet. But it is iconic for its colonial architecture, prominent stepped roof feature and color scheme — a white roof with exterior walls painted a bold Bermuda blue.

The adjacent house, at 415 Avocado Ave., was built in 1987 and is not being redeveloped. It currently is listed for rent at $20,000 a month, according to Zillow and other real estate websites.

A past listing for the Big Blue House, archived at realtor.com, said it “exudes an enduring ambiance of relaxed privacy, as was originally created here nearly 80 years ago. … Steeped in history, the vintage residence was built in the Bermuda style and retains all of its original character.”

The Big Blue House has historically paired with the “Big Blue Pool House” at the water’s edge, which also is not part of the redevelopment plan.

The pool house, at 2137 Bayside Drive, has a large indoor swimming pool, an attached apartment and a dock. It has the same azure shade and wavy roof edges as the main house. It also is no longer in the Irvine family holdings, having last sold in 2012.

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