Story by Rafa Estolano-Sridharan
Staff Writer
Photo by Madeline Madrigal
Staff Photographer
The South Pasadena City Council voted to approve a contract with Monet Construction Inc. for the construction of two “pocket parks,” small green spaces that occupy less than an acre of land, during its Nov. 6 meeting.
The project was first advertised to firms this August, but there were numerous issues with the bids received. All of the bids exceeded the project’s budget, and there was poor communication between the city and contractors. The City Council decided to reject all of the bids. In October, the city re-advertised the project to contractors.
The two parks will be located at 1107 Grevelia St. and 2006 Berkshire Ave., and construction will begin in the 2024–2025 fiscal year. Monet plans to complete construction in 120 working days, which will take place over the course of a six-month period.
The Council, in their capacity as the Board of Directors of the South Pasadena Housing Authority, also voted to enter into an exclusive negotiating agreement with Related/SoCal Development for the development of affordable housing projects.
The projects will be located on Housing Authority owned property at 1503 and 1507 El Centro St. The project aims to develop 52 units for seniors earning at or below 80 percent of the Los Angeles area median income.
