Advocacy Watch List

Pasadena Heritage continuously works, both proactively and in response to specific threats, to preserve and protect historic resources throughout the City of Pasadena. At any given point in time, we track between 25 and 50 projects of significance. The list below offers a small sample of the high-priority buildings, sites, and development projects that we are monitoring closely. To learn more about our Advocacy program or to see a complete list of current efforts, contact us at info@pasadenaheritage.org

SB 79 Update

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 79, the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act, into law. The legislation seeks to increase housing near major transit stops by establishing statewide zoning standards for density, height, and floor-area ratios.

While Pasadena Heritage supports the goal of addressing California’s housing crisis, we remain deeply concerned that SB 79 still lacks strong protections for historic resources. The law applies to counties with extensive transit networks—including Los Angeles County—and will take effect July 1, 2026.

SB 79 now moves into an implementation and amendment phase, during which technical edits and clarifications will be made. Pasadena Heritage will continue to advocate for revisions that protect historic properties, reinforce local preservation review, and promote responsible planning near transit areas.

We are actively working with city officials, statewide partners, and legislators to ensure that the law’s rollout balances growth with the preservation of California’s irreplaceable architectural and cultural heritage.

Pasadena School Consolidations and Closures

Facing a significant structural financial deficit, the Pasadena Unified School District has begun a new round of studies to determine whether and which campuses should be consolidated or closed. With a unique collection of architecturally and historically significant campuses across the District, Pasadena Heritage is urging the District to focus on solutions that do not result in the demolition of notable structures with deep ties to their neighborhoods and communities.

PUSD & DTSC Tree Removal

The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) is seeking to remove 193 healthy trees, claiming soil remediation is the reason. Soil remediation is necessary due to elevated levels of lead and other substances, but tree removal is not necessary. There has been a lack of public notice and oversight on this project. The Department of Toxic Substances (DTSC) and PUSD are relying on the emergency-based CEQA exemption related to the Eaton Fire. Pasadena Heritage is dedicated to the community's natural conservation and ensuring a transparent complete scientific review process before any tree removal.

710 Reconnecting Communities

From its inception in 1977, Pasadena Heritage was a fierce opponent of the once-proposed SR 710 freeway because of its impact on Pasadena neighborhoods, landmarks, and cultural resources. Now that the freeway project has ended, Pasadena Heritage continues as an active participant in securing conservation easements on existing houses; monitoring the sale and transfer of historic properties; and participating in the ongoing effort to restore the integrity of neighborhoods affected by the “trench.”

Draft Citywide Historic Context Statement Released

The Planning and Community Development Department has released the draft Citywide Historic Context Statement for public review and comment. This important milestone marks the completion of Phase 1 of the Historic Places Pasadena: Completing Our Story project. That project includes a comprehensive, citywide historic resources survey long advocated by Pasadena Heritage.

The Historic Context Statement is a carefully researched narrative that outlines the key patterns and themes that have shaped the physical and cultural development of Pasadena. It serves as a foundational planning tool to help identify properties and neighborhoods that may be historically significant and eligible for designation.

Pasadena Lawn Bowling Club

Established in 1921, The Pasadena Lawn Bowling Club was built during Pasadena's resort era as part of the Hotel Green (Castle Green today). The clubhouse is a historic structure designed in the 1920s by renowned architect Wallace Neff. In 2022, a hundred-year-old Eucalyptus tree fell on the clubhouse. It is the responsibility of Pasadena Parks to repair the historic structure. The City has taken positive steps, including conducting a building study approving funds, and producing plans. However, after three years, it has yet to be repaired. It is the oldest Lawn Bowling Club in the Western US, and still very active. It is the oldest Lawn Bowling Club in the western United States.

Former YWCA (78 N. Marengo Ave.) and Civic Center

The 1923 Julia Morgan-designed building is a contributor to the Pasadena Civic Center Historic District. It has been vacant for more than 15 years and is in dire need of rehabilitation. Now owned by the City, the building’s condition has seriously deteriorated, despite our constant urging to better secure it from vandalism and rain. After the City Council received more background on the Civic Center and its original Bennett Plan as well as economic analysis of various future uses for the former YWCA in 2019, a hotel proposal was selected. Litigation stalled the project, but it has since been resolved. Preliminary concepts were presented to the Design Commission months ago, but no updated design has yet come forward. We hope the project can move forward soon, because the building continues to be threatened when it sits vacant.

Paseo Hardscape Renovations

The new owner of the Paseo mall, Onni Group, has hired AO (formerly Architects Orange) to redesign the outdoor portions of the complex. The initial version of the project has some elements that are in conflict with the Reciprocal Easement Agreement (REA), which Pasadena Heritage helped to create, that reopened the visual axis of the Garfield Promenade. We are concerned about the effects on the view corridor and have urged the City to require a compatible design. Though some painting and other minor improvements have been done, there is no new information on the Garfield paseo.

Belmont Village Senior Living/First Church of Christ, Scientist

The applicants propose to build a new, multi-story assisted living facility on land adjoining (and leased from) the historic First Church of Christ, Scientist at Oakland Ave. and Green St. While acknowledging progress on the project’s site plan, the City’s Design Commission – responding to concerns raised by Pasadena Heritage – has asked the design team to reconsider the treatment of building exteriors to create a simpler, more elegant design that is more referential to the historic architecture of the landmark church and other nearby structures. Pasadena Heritage has offered its support to work with the design team on revisions to its plan.

Civic Center Senior Affordable Housing

Pasadena Heritage met with developer National Core and Onyx Architects on multiple occasions to make recommendations on the design of this senior affordable housing building just west of City Hall. We expressed concerns about previous versions of the project, which we found incompatible with the Civic Center, but found the final version acceptable. The approved project is still seeking the last of its funding.

Colorado Street Bridge

This iconic National Register-listed bridge, which appears on Pasadena Hetrtage’s logo, was constructed in 1912. But this engineering landmark has experienced an unfortunate number of safety incidents. While temporary fencing has been installed to deter suicides, several rounds of planning over seven years have yet to produce a plan that meets with approval from the community. Pasadena Heritage and the Institute for Classical Architecture & Art have provided some alternative approaches, and the City employed a new team of consultants, Apexx Architecture, Chattel, Inc. and PacRim Engineering, who have developed and refined two new concepts. Those designs have not met with strong public support, so Pasadena Heritage – with support of the City – is seeking alternative design proposals in the hopes of securing a more suitable outcome that meets safety objectives while preserving the character-defining features of the bridge.

Space Bank Site (3200 E. Foothill Blvd.)

The site of a formal Naval ordinance testing facility was to be redeveloped with housing, but that project stalled and is currently for sale. The property is an eligible historic district, but due to contamination, most of the site would have to be cleared. Working with Pasadena Heritage, the developer had agreed to retain some artifacts and the monumental torpedo-testing tank, and to place them on the site in the public spaces. The site is currently on the market, and we are waiting to see if that previous plan will move forward or if a new development plan will emerge.

PCC’s Original Library and Attached Harbeson Hall

Pasadena Heritage remains concerned about the inclusion of the original library and attached Harbeson Hall in PCC’s 2024 Facilities Master Plan, which proposes demolition of these historic campus buildings. We sent a letter to the PCC Board of Trustees in April 2024 urging them to reconsider demolition and explore renovation or adaptive reuse alternatives. No final decision has been made, and we continue to closely monitor this project and advocate for preservation.