Pasadena, LA County Unite for New Housing, Mental Health Services Project

City of Pasadena Mayor Victor M. Gordo and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger stood side by side Tuesday morning to announce a new partnership that will acquire a Kaiser Permanente building that has stood empty in north Pasadena and transform it into a housing and community services site. 

The purchase of the $12 million building and grounds at 450 N. Lake Ave. was approved by the Pasadena City Council Monday evening.

The property will be transformed into a community services site and housing that offers affordable housing, mental health care services, and primary outpatient services. The project was initiated in response to a motion introduced by Barger in March to bring the services to the north Pasadena region, which was identified as a high-priority area by the County Department of Health Services.

“This partnership is a mutual commitment to meet the diverse needs of Pasadena’s residents and businesses,” said Mayor Gordo as he shared his vision for the project. “By collaborating with the county, we will foster improved housing conditions, recreation opportunities, and a healthy population through this mixed-use project. Purchasing this property is a win-win on many fronts, including bringing more jobs to Pasadena and support to families.”

Barger agreed with Gordo’s assessment that the idea for the project had moved at “lightning speed.”

She noted that the initial discussion for the project began only two weeks ago, and agreed with Gordo that the project be should completed as soon as possible and not “become a five or six-year project.”

“This is a wonderful opportunity to jointly build housing, mental health, and health service capacity that is tailored and responsive to local residents’ needs,” said Supervisor Barger. “I am a proud partner in this effort that will harness Los Angeles County’s mental health and support services to bring the community the resources they deserve. Keeping this property in service to the community is the right thing to do.”

Barger added that her father lived near the building’s locations at Villa Gardens in Pasadena in his final years, and said that the neighborhood was “familiar and important”  to her.

The former medical building is owned by Kaiser Permanente, which has its Southern California regional headquarters inb Pasadena.

“We hope that through this real estate transaction, Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo and L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, are able to achieve their innovative visions for the property,” said John M. Yamamoto, Kaiser Permanente’s Vice President of Community Health and Government Relations for Southern and Hawaii Markets. “We applaud this collaboration between the City of Pasadena and the County of Los Angeles, for its bold approach to addressing mental health access and affordable housing needs in our community.” 

Next steps include the City of Pasadena and the County of Los Angeles developing agreements to formalize their partnership and the terms of the sale. 

Development efforts will follow all applicable regulations, including environmental impact reviews, public community input meetings, and public hearings required by law.

Assistant City Manager David Reyes said that Kaiser Permanente would not be involved in the development of the site and that the contractors, vendors and service providers have yet to be determined.

“We’ll be doing RFPs (Request for Proposals) for those, and it will be a very public process,” he said.