Azusa will become the home of the National Boxing Hall of Fame after the City Council approved a lease Monday for a historic building on Route 66, while separately rejecting lease terms proposed by the Azusa Unified School District for a school baseball field.
The council voted 5-0 to approve a five-year lease for 250 E. Foothill Blvd., directly across the street from City Hall, to house the National Boxing Hall of Fame museum, the city’s boxing program and a youth center.
Rent is $1 per month for the first three years, rising to $1,000 per month in year four and $2,000 per month in year five, with the city responsible for operating and property costs.
Unspecified costs to the city for the five-year lease agreement total just over $36,000, according to a city staff report.
Miki Carpenter, the city’s director of community resources, described the vision for the space as a headquarters for the boxing hall of fame and its museum, alongside the city’s boxing program and flexible space for youth and family programming.
Councilman Andrew N. Mendez called the arrangement “absolutely iconic,” noting the building’s location across from City Hall.
“Not that Azusa is not on the map, but I certainly believe that this will help add Azusa to the map, especially right here on Route 66,” Mendez said.
Carpenter said the city would begin work on a concept design for the facility within the next month and launch a community and corporate campaign to raise funds to address the building’s immediate needs.
Earlier in the evening, the council rejected lease terms proposed by the Azusa Unified School District for the Charles H. Lee Elementary School baseball field at 550 North Cerritos Avenue. City Attorney Rachel Richman reported that the council, by a unanimous vote, rejected the district’s terms and directed staff to provide another counter response in hopes of reaching an agreement.
The property negotiations were conducted in closed session under state law governing real property discussions.
The council also renewed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for law enforcement services at federal water infrastructure sites along the San Gabriel Riverbed. Chief of Police Rocky Wenrick said the department has held a similar agreement with the Corps for the last six years, and that the updated contract will now financially compensate the city for enforcement work in the riverbed.
The expanded patrol area includes the riverbed south of Foothill Boulevard, the Santa Fe Dam Basin, and spreading grounds west of the 605 Freeway.
Wenrick said the contract is focused on homelessness, cleanups and trespassing, not general crime enforcement. The base-year contract amount will not exceed roughly $1.85 million with total potential compensation of up to nearly $10.9 million if all five option periods are exercised.