SKYLINE AWARD 1998

Old Town Pasadena
Renovation, Preservation, and Renewal

In 1998, Steve Hammer of the L.J. Melody Company led our Board to a new candidate for the Skyline Award. After numerous site visits and a lengthy decision process, Steve's committee recommended that the award be presented to Old Town Pasadena, the City of Pasadena and its merchants' association, for their efforts in renewing what had become a down-at-the-heels portion of the city adjacent to the railroad tracks.

The 1998 Skyline Award was presented to Mayor Holden of the City of Pasadena at a ceremony in the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. The theme of that year's award was that renewal of a dilapidated portion of the city produced economic benefits for the merchants and also extended those benefits far beyond the boundaries of the refurbishment area. In Pasadena, renewal of Old Town has meant hundreds of new jobs for local residents and has provided a major entertainment retail complex in an area of the city that had been foundering.

Bordered by Marengo Ave. on the east and Pasadena Avenue on the west, Old Pasadena stretches from Holly Street on the north to Green Street on the south. Old Pasadena is a noteworthy example of architectural and historic preservation accomplished through cooperative public and private efforts, resulting in commercial success and community enhancement. It serves as a compelling model for "hometown downtown" revitalization.