City Council vote advances affordable-housing plan at former Pasadena Kaiser site

Pasadena City Council approved an exclusive negotiation agreement between the city and Heritage Housing Partners to develop a mixed-use affordable housing project at the former Kaiser Permanente site on Lake Avenue.

The council approved the agreement 7-1 with Councilmember Steve Madison voting no. Madison voiced concerns about the process that arrived at selected the developer and the fact that Los Angeles County was no longer partnering to split the $12 million bill on the site purchase.

Pasadena purchased the 2.38-acre site, located at the corner of North Lake Avenue and Villa Street, from the healthcare provider in 2023. The site includes three one-story medical office buildings totaling more than 24,000 square feet. It has been vacant for more than a decade.

Initially, the project was proposed to be a partnership between the city and Los Angeles County. However, at this stage, the county is not part of the development of the project, but could end up being a tenant at the site providing mental health services.

“The county remains an interested partner in the project, including the potential provision of mental health services at the site once it is completed,” Helen Chavez, a spokesperson for Supervisor Kathryn Barger, said in a statement. “However, there is no specific role for the county at this juncture.”

Last March, the city held a town hall meeting to gather community input on the project. According to a city report, residents asked for a minimum of 200 residential units, 60-80% affordability, space for on-site health and mental health services and one or two community-serving amenities.

The city received 12 proposals from affordable housing developers and selected Holos Inc. and Heritage Housing Partners, which proposed 213 units, including 160 affordable rental and 53 affordable ownership units. In addition, its proposal included 14,200 square feet of commercial space.

According to the city, Heritage Housing Partners has experience with affordable housing projects in Pasadena including Lincoln at Orange Grove, Decker Court, Gill Court, and Walnut Crossing.