Public Housing near the Rose Bowl?

Traffic. Noise. Parking gridlock. If you live near the Rose Bowl, you know the drill. Between football games, the Aquatics Center, Kidspace Children’s Museum, and constant recreation overflow, the Linda Vista neighborhood is already maxed out.

So here’s the question:
 Does the neighborhood really need a public housing construction project at the site of the now-shuttered Linda Vista Elementary School?

That’s what residents could debate at a public forum this Thursday, as the community comes together to weigh in on the future of the long-vacant school site.

Community Forum Details

📍 Mediterranean Room at Brookside Golf Club
🕕 6:00 p.m. – Thursday, July 31
 🎤 District 6 Councilmember Steve Madison will open the discussion
📣 Open mic for residents: 2–3 minutes each to share ideas, concerns, and alternatives

Why Now?

Linda Vista Elementary was closed in 2006, one of several schools shut down by Pasadena Unified due to plummeting enrollment and shrinking budgets. 

In the nearly two decades since, the Linda Vista campus has deteriorated.
🔒 Boarded windows.
🚧 Vandalized portables.
⚠️ Safety hazards and overgrown landscaping.

In early 2023, frustrated neighbors flagged the blight to the city. Since then, talks have surfaced about maintenance, leasing, or even redevelopment but no solid plan has been adopted.

Will Public Housing Enter the Chat?

So far, Linda Vista has not been formally included in the Pasadena Unified School District’s current workforce housing initiative, which centers on the Roosevelt Elementary site.

That project, greenlit by the PUSD board, aims to turn the shuttered Roosevelt campus into 110–115 rental units for teachers and school staff, rents starting at $600/month for a one bedroom apartment (average one‑bedrooms are around $2,700 in Pasadena). It’s part of a broader strategy to address both the teacher shortage and housing crisis, particularly after over 120 PUSD employees lost homes in the Eaton wildfire.

But with the precedent set, some wonder:  Is Linda Vista next?

Your Voice, Your Neighborhood

This week’s forum is the first opportunity in years for neighbors to speak directly about the future of Linda Vista Elementary. Whether you support turning the space into housing, parkland, a community center, or just want it cleaned up, now is the time to show up.