Pasadena’s Permit Center Closes for Renovation, Shifts to Reduced Hours in Temporary Space

The front doors of Pasadena’s Permit Center are, temporarily, locked. Starting today, anyone who needs a building permit, a plan check, or a face-to-face conversation with city inspectors will find a different entrance, shorter hours, and a hearing room standing in for the lobby they knew.

The City of Pasadena closed the Permit Center lobby at 175 N. Garfield Ave. on Monday to make way for the Phase II renovation of the George Ellery Hale Building, a 1929 structure that has housed the city’s one-stop permitting operation since a 1994 rehabilitation.

All in-person services have moved to Hearing Room 120 in the same building, accessible only through the City Employee Entrance on Ramona Street. Temporary hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday, with service on alternating Fridays — down from the previous schedule of 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The city has not announced a reopening date. Budget documents approved by the City Council on April 13 indicate the renovation work will extend into the fiscal year ending June 2027.

The $2.5 million contract — awarded unanimously by the City Council in April 2025 to Swinerton Builders — covers a full remodel of the first floor: new plan check counters, a rebuilt reception area, a 70-person public hearing room, five private offices, 25 workstations, ADA-compliant restrooms, and energy-efficient fixtures. A separate $300,000 Phase III, approved April 13, 2026, will add further ADA upgrades to first-floor restrooms.

Construction was originally projected for completion by October 2025, according to the city staff report that accompanied the contract. It did not begin until April 13, 2026, per a city Instagram post. A March 2026 social media announcement from the city estimated completion by July 2026, but the most recent CIP budget amendment places the finish in fiscal year 2027.

City officials said the upgrades “are intended to improve service delivery once the main lobby reopens,” according to the city’s public notice, and thanked residents and businesses for their patience during the transition.

The closure arrives during a period of sustained pressure on Pasadena’s permitting infrastructure. The Building and Safety Division has issued 21 safety bulletins related to wildfire recovery since the January 2025 Eaton Fire, and the Permit Center in a recent reporting period issued 1,650 building and subtrade permits with a combined project valuation of $32.9 million, according to a Planning Department activity report published by Pasadena Now.

For many permit types, a trip to the temporary counter may not be necessary. The city’s ePermitting portal at mypermits.cityofpasadena.net allows applicants to submit plans, make payments, track progress, and schedule inspections electronically.

The Express Permit Portal can issue residential HVAC, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits within minutes. Commercial and residential new construction, commercial tenant improvements, and accessory dwelling unit applications can also be submitted online.

The Hale Building was constructed in 1929 for the Southern California Gas Company. The city acquired it in 1986 and named it for George Ellery Hale, the astrophysicist who helped found Caltech and the Mount Wilson Observatory and who served on Pasadena’s first Planning Commission. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Pasadena Civic Center district. Its last significant renovation was in 1994.

For in-person permit questions, the temporary Permit Center can be reached at (626) 744-4200 or permit_center_manager@cityofpasadena.net. For ePermitting questions, contact ePermitting@cityofpasadena.net.