Council Could Approve Sale of Armory Center for the Arts Property

As part of Monday’s consent calendar, the City Council will consider adopting a resolution of the Successor Agency of the Pasadena Community Development Commission approving the sale of the property housing the Armory Center for the Arts.

The resolution would authorize the sale of the property at 145 N. Raymond Ave., which has been home to the Armory since it signed a lease with the former Pasadena Community Development Commission in 1987. The lease was renewed in 2001 and is set to continue until 2031. The Armory operates an art center and provides various arts-related programs to Pasadena residents.

The decision follows the dissolution of the Pasadena Community Development Commission on February 1, 2012, due to statewide redevelopment eliminations.

The City then became the Successor Agency, inheriting the properties owned by the former commission, including the Armory site.

In December 2015, the California Department of Finance approved the Successor Agency’s Long Range Property Management Plan (LRPMP), which listed the property as available for sale. On June 10, 2024, the property was declared Surplus Land under the Surplus Land Act, initiating a 60-day period for interested parties to submit offers. No offers were received by the August 13 deadline.

The Successor Agency engaged Norris Realty Advisors, which appraised the property at a fair market value of $2.6 million as of May 21, 2024.

On August 19, the Armory submitted a letter of interest to purchase the property.

The next steps include obtaining a letter of conformance from the State’s Housing and Community Development Department and securing approval from the Fifth Supervisorial District Los Angeles County Consolidated Oversight Board. The Successor Agency plans to seek the Board’s approval at a future meeting.

Adopting the resolution aligns with the City Council’s goals of fiscal responsibility, stability, and support for the local economy and quality of life.