There are a lot of historic homes in South Pasadena that were going to be demolished to make way for the 710 Freeway extension, but that plan was scrapped a few years ago.
Now, five of those historic bungalows in South Pasadena will soon be going up for sale, ready for someone to purchase and restore.
“The city is buying back those houses because they have been vacant for many years, and it’s been left in a dilapidated state, which isn’t good for the community, isn’t good for the neighborhood,” explained Eva Lin, a realtor in Pasadena. “So, this is a really good thing that they’re doing.”
This year, the city purchased the homes from Caltrans, which had acquired them in the 1960s for the 710 Freeway extension project through South Pasadena, Pasadena and El Sereno.
More than 400 homes were slated for demolition, which would have displaced thousands of residents. The plan was canceled in 2019.
“The fact that this neighborhood can stay alive and the fact that there’s not going to be a 710 Freeway coming through, it helps with the overall value of the community, with the homeowner who may have been stressed out over the fact that they may have been homeless,” Lin said.