Altadena Main Library Will Close Temporarily January 31 for First Major Renovation in Nearly 60 Years

The building that survived the Eaton Fire when the senior center next door did not, the one that served as a community living room for residents who lost everything, will close its doors at the end of January temporarily for its first major renovation since 1967.

The Altadena Main Library will shut down Saturday, January 31, for an 18-month construction project aimed at improving accessibility, seismic safety, and aging infrastructure. The renovation comes 13 months after the January 7, 2025, fire destroyed more than 9,000 structures in Altadena while sparing the mid-century modern building at 600 E. Mariposa Street.

During the closure, the Bob Lucas Memorial Library at 2659 Lincoln Avenue will operate with expanded hours. The Altadena Library District said hours will be “greatly expanded to include weeknight and evening hours,” according to information posted on the district’s website. The Loma Alta Park satellite location at 3330 N. Lincoln Avenue, established in May 2025, will also continue serving the community.

The library district has contracted with Icon West, Inc. for construction. The Altadena Library District Board of Trustees approved the contract in December 2025, according to the district.

The Main Library was designed by local architect Boyd Georgi and opened in 1967. The renovation project, funded by Measure Z—which voters approved in November 2020—will preserve the historic building’s architectural character while addressing deferred maintenance and modernization needs.

Before closing, the library will hold a furniture, book, and craft supplies sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, February 18, through Saturday, February 21, according to the library district. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, February 28.

The Bob Lucas Memorial Library reopened in August 2025 after its own $4.5 million, 16-month renovation that expanded the facility by about 1,000 square feet. The project added a dedicated children’s area, a literacy center with classroom and tutoring rooms, and an outdoor reading garden.

For information about library services during the Main Library closure, contact the library district at (626) 798-0833 or visit www.altadenalibrary.org.

Nikki Winslow, who has led the library district since 2019, guided the system through the fire’s aftermath. The Main Library reopened March 4, 2025—less than two months after the disaster. More than 1,000 people attended a grand reopening celebration on March 22, 2025, featuring actor and author LeVar Burton.

Now the building that weathered the fire will undergo its transformation, with plans to reopen in mid-2027 to a community that, by then, may look considerably different from the one it served before the flames came.