Pasadena moved a step closer to deciding how the long-vacant 710 stub property will be governed, as the City Council last week endorsed a set of guiding principles from the Urban Land Institute and directed an ad hoc committee to return with options for an oversight board.
The council adopted five key themes from the ULI Technical Advisory Panel report as guidelines for the roughly 50-acre site, including establishing a clear mission, phasing the work, reducing uncertainty to attract investment, and centering restorative justice throughout.
“This is a generational project we’re doing,” Councilmember Jason Lyon said, cautioning against rushing a decision on governance.
The ULI panel, made up of nine development professionals who held a two-day workshop in March, recommended a five-to-seven-member board modeled on Pasadena’s existing operating companies, with private-sector expertise and strong guardrails.
Richard Bruckner, who chaired the panel, said the board should operate with “a dialogue back and forth with the council” so elected officials retain ultimate authority.
Council members split on pace. Councilman Steve Madison said he was “becoming increasingly sort of uneasy about the the pace that this is taking,” noting the city marked its fourth year of ownership of the site without yet articulating a vision.
Mayor Victor Gordo countered that the priority is getting the project right, describing it as “restitching a city” rather than a development project.
The council also adopted four ordinances on second reading, including two that establish landmark overlay districts and one implementing the 2025 North Lake Specific Plan.
The North Lake ordinance passed with two members recused — Vice Mayor Jess Rivas, who owns property within 500 feet of the plan boundary, and Councilman Steve Madison, whose wife is an executive with a nonprofit that owns a building in the overlay district.
The council’s action on the 710 stub directs the ad hoc committee to work with staff and consultants to develop governance structure options, with a return to the full council expected in the coming weeks.
The Arboleda Drive landmark overlay ordinance passed with Councilman Jason Lyon recused because the area sits within 500 feet of his residence.
The Mesita Road landmark overlay ordinance and a solid waste collection franchise assignment ordinance each passed without opposition.
The AI platform Civilio assisted this report.