Development Team
Owner
City of Pasadena
Pasadena, California
www.ci.pasadena.ca.us
Sponsor
Pasadena Heritage
Pasadena, California
www.pasadenaheritage.org
Management
Old Pasadena Management BID
Pasadena, California
www.oldpasadena.org
Project Data
Web Site
www.oldpasadena.org
Project Size
20 blocks
Total Area
1.6 million square feet (148,640 square meters)
Residential
1,100 new units
Project Start
1978
Project Cost
Private Investment
$500 million
Public Investment
$25 million |
Old Pasadena Historic District
Pasadena, California
The revitalization of the Old Pasadena Historic District—a National Register—listed historic district in central Pasadena—is the result of a 25-year grass-roots effort by historic preservation, business, and property ownership interests, in cooperation with the city of Pasadena and its redevelopment agency, to save the district from demolition. Begun in 1978 with “A Plan for Old Pasadena” and substantially completed in 2000, it represents one of the earliest efforts to transform a blighted downtown area into a vital “Main Street” mixed-use district.
In collaboration with Pasadena Heritage—a community-supported historic preservation organization—property owners and the city took enormous risks in preserving and developing Old Pasadena. Parking lots, noncontributing historic buildings, and vacant land were recycled into residential, commercial, mixed-use, and parking structures that allow the area to meet market demand while maintaining the integrity of the district. Today, Old Pasadena includes 1.6 million square feet (148,645 square meters) of retail, restaurant, office, entertainment, cultural, residential, and park uses in a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly environment. The district also contains five public parking structures and is linked to the rest of the city and region by light rail.
The city of Pasadena, in partnership with community stakeholders, had the foresight, long-term political will, and strength of vision to protect its unique historic resources and make them key to its future prosperity. With total private investment in the district estimated at over $500 million and a public investment of about $25 million, Old Pasadena has become a significant contributor to the economic health of the city. Its development has resulted in a staggering rise in property values, sales volumes, and rents. Old Pasadena’s development approach, which incorporates key principles of smart growth, is fast becoming the model for creating livable, walkable, enjoyable, transit-linked downtowns in 21st-century America.
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