Commission Defers Voting on Concept Design for Senior Housing Facility to Be Built Across City Hall

The Design Commission did not vote on the concept design for the five-story, 111-unit affordable senior housing project proposed to be built at 280 Ramona Street across the city hall during its meeting on Tuesday.

Instead, it voted on a continuance to give the applicant, National Community Renaissance and its architect ONYX Architects, time needed to address some of the concerns raised by commissioners regarding the project’s design.

“We don’t want it to look like it’s an extension of city hall,” said Commissioner Julianna Delgado. “The jewel in the crown is city hall, but you don’t want [the project] to be so devoid of character or direct relationship that it becomes like a police department building.”

“We have to look at the balance of how it relates, how it is a gentle reminder that it’s next to a grand building yet stands on its own and is elegant,” Delgado added.

The building, similar in character to the existing YMCA building, reflects the “Beaux-Arts style.” The project involves the construction of on-site amenities, support offices, and one level subterranean parking garage.

Dale Brown, who represented the project’s applicant, earlier said the project is intended for seniors who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

During the preliminary consultation for the project held last December, some commissioners commented that the applicant should ensure that the building is compatible with neighboring structures but differentiated from the historical buildings within the Civic Center.

Pasadena Heritage’s Executive Director Susan Mossman and Preservation Director Andrew Salimian support the project but said the new building must be “high-quality.”

“Pasadena Heritage supports this project, and we believe it will make a fine addition to the Civic Center. Given the importance of the Civic Center and Centennial Plaza as an essential public space, the building must be high-quality and designed to complement the existing buildings.”

“We were also able to view some of the materials considered at this point and provided some feedback. There was some discussion at the last meeting about this project looking too institutional rather than residential. We believe that will be resolved through materiality and the casement windows in particular, which will read as residential,” Pasadena Heritage’s letter read.

Meanwhile, the applicant will return to the Design Commission to present revisions to the design on June 14, according to city principal planner Kevin Johnson.