Hundreds head to South Pasadena for a glimpse of ‘710 homes,’ which just hit the market

Hundreds of neighbors, prospective buyers and history enthusiasts walked through five vacant homes in South Pasadena’s 710 freeway corridor on Saturday, Oct. 12, after the properties opened to the public for the first time in decades.

Admiring built-in bookshelves, pointing out light fixtures and commenting on vintage wallpapers, the curious and hopeful first had to sign waivers to see the historic homes since all are being sold “as is” and have uneven surfaces or exposed hardware.

Stella Wu and Adam Arrigo live in Laurel Canyon but hope to settle in the area once they start a family. They brought their French bulldog Phoebe along to check out the neighborhood, stopping first at a 95-year-old blue-gray Craftsman on Fairview Avenue which drew a steady stream of visitors Saturday.

“We love this area, it’s quiet and has lots of (mixed) families, great schools, we love the San Gabriel Valley restaurants, and the Huntington Library,” Arrigo said.

Wu, founder of Eano.com, a platform and app to find contractors and renovation help, came in hopes of finding their next reno project.

“It’s got some potential, but I don’t think this will go to a first-time homebuyer,” she said of the 1929 Craftsman. “You can add a bathroom and maybe even a bedroom and the location is great. I see the interest.”

More than 400 people dropped by three of the properties on the first day open house tours opened, according to David Way, CEO of the Dave Knight Real Estate Team, a city-contracted Realtor managing the sales of the homes.

“We had a lot of neighbors come by, and one of the original owners of one of the homes dropped in (Thursday) just to see what it looked like now,” Way said. “The ideal buyer has to be someone with a vision.”

The best buyer would also be someone “who cares for the history of the house, because there are requirements to owning it, and someone who wants to be part of the South Pasadena community,” added Realtor David Knight.

These homes, located on tree-lined streets, once stood as silent witnesses to a lengthy battle over the controversial freeway extension project, which saw entire neighborhoods reshaped and thousands of residents displaced.

In the 1960s, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) used its power of eminent domain to acquire around 460 homes across South Pasadena, Pasadena and El Sereno, clearing the way for a project that would ultimately remain unfinished.

After the project’s official cancellation in 2022, a string of historic houses were left in the area, many of which remain occupied by tenants who pay rent to Caltrans, but when tenants died or were evicted, Caltrans often left the properties vacant rather than renting them to new occupants.

Thanks to the Roberti Act and Senate Bill 381, authored by Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-Burbank, and signed into law by the governor in September 2021, the city of South  Pasadena can now purchase the vacant homes from Caltrans at their original 1960s acquisition price.

“I was very pleased to help South Pasadena sell their historic homes to fund more affordable housing in the city,” Portantino said. “Preserving culturally important structures and serving a population in need is a win-win for everyone. I’m grateful for the leadership of the council and collaboration of my colleagues. It’s exciting and a long time coming to get these homes in private hands and off the states’ responsibility.”

Under the provisions of the bill, the city can sell the homes at market value, but the proceeds must be reinvested in affordable housing. For each historic home sold, the city is required to create three affordable housing units.

On Feb. 7, the city approved a purchase and sales agreement with Caltrans for these five vacant properties, with the intention to resell them at fair market value, South Pasadena city officials said in a press release this week.

This plan moved closer to reality on Aug. 16, when the sale received unanimous approval from the California Transportation Commission.

“This approval marked the final step before the City could obtain the properties. The City is pleased to announce that escrow has closed, and the historic properties are officially part of the City’s portfolio,” officials said in the release. “In alignment with state law, the City is committed to utilizing the proceeds from the sales to finance the development of much needed affordable housing in the city.”

“This is the tip of the iceberg” as sales of Caltrans-owned homes begin, Way said.

The five properties on the market were chosen because they were unoccupied, with some standing empty for 20 years, according to neighbor Jessica, who requested her last name not be used. She lives several blocks from the 1910 three-bedroom on South Fremont Avenue.

“We wanted to come see what it looks like inside, we pass by it all the time and we’re just happy these homes have been saved,” she said, listing what she likes about the place: “the front is lovely, I like the screened-in porch, lots of space in the back and I didn’t know it had a basement. Good bones, but a lot of work.”

The real estate team worked with the city in coming up with the fair market value of each property, analyzing sales of nearby homes of similar size and age and making adjustments for needed upgrades or improvements. The team will also vet offers and guide the city through closing.

The five properties now on the market include four single-family homes and a multi-family lot. The single-family homes are: the 1929 three-bedroom, one-bath Craftsman at 216 Fairview Ave., a three-bedroom, three-bath English Revival home at 217 Fremont Ave., and a 1950 four-bedroom, two-bath home California Ranch-style at 225 Fremont. A 1920 two-bedroom, one-bath, 1,989-square-foot California ranch at 1701 Meridian Avenue has the lowest price tag, at $949,000.

The fifth property, at 726 Meridian Ave., is a spacious multi-family lot situated just a few blocks from South Pasadena’s main retail area. It features three bungalows, built in 1920, two with one-bedroom, one bath, and one with two bedrooms and one bath.

The marketing of the homes kicked off during the week of Oct. 7. Interested buyers will have until Oct. 25 to submit their offers, with final sales estimated to close by mid-November, city officials said.