Thursday, May 7, 2026

Protest at Eliot Arts Campus Draws Calls for Preservation of Iconic Tower After Fire Damage

By EDDIE RIVERA

Residents, historians and former students urge Pasadena Unified School District to reconsider demolition plans for Altadena landmark

Dozens of residents, preservation advocates and former students gathered Wednesday afternoon outside the fire-damaged campus of Eliot Arts Magnet Academy in Altadena, calling on the Pasadena Unified School District to slow plans that could lead to demolition of the school’s iconic tower.

The campus, heavily damaged in the devastating Eaton Fire, has remained shuttered for months as district officials assess the future of the historic property.

“It’s unsurprising to everyone that’s here, especially if you lost your home, how you can cry over a building,” said former Altadena Town Council President Victoria Knapp. “But this building, this particular tower, is the heart and iconic representation of Altadena. Anyone who comes here northbound knows that they’ve arrived in Altadena because of this tower.”

The protest followed remarks Tuesday evening by Pasadena Unified School District Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco at an Altadena Town Council Land Use Committee meeting, where the district said the existing Eliot Arts Magnet tower was not part of current rebuilding plans, according to the Pasadena Star-News.

The Altadena Town Council website listed a May 5 Land Use Committee meeting, and the committee is described as a public forum for reviewing and deliberating discretionary projects in unincorporated Altadena.

According to the Pasadena Star-News, Altadena Town Council Vice Chair Milissa Marona said Blanco told the committee the district had consulted insurance and engineering firms and believed the tower could not safely remain. Marona told the Star-News that future plans did not include Building A or the tower, and that no timeline or promise of a future replacement tower had been given.

The announcement touched off an immediate backlash in a community still rebuilding after the Eaton Fire, with residents saying the tower has become both a landmark and a symbol of continuity after widespread loss.

Standing before the soot-stained tower along Lake Avenue, Knapp said the announcement had deeply shaken residents still recovering from the fire.

According to Knapp, Altadena residents have not yet received enough information about engineering reports, insurance considerations or preservation alternatives.

“I think it’s very important that the Pasadena Unified School Board hears from you and why this is important to you,” she said.

The fire, which ignited on Jan. 7, 2025 killed 19 people, scorched more than 14,000 acres and destroyed 9,000 structures, including the homes of many Pasadena Unified School District students and teachers.

According to the District, after the blaze, in an effort to ensure the health and safety of the Altadena community, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted emergency response activities, including cleanup and partial emergency demolition of the Eliot Arts Magnet main building complex.

“[Pasadena Unified School District] completed structural assessments of the remaining fire-damaged structures in consultation with architects, structural engineers, and the Division of the State Architect (DSA),” the statement said.

“Significant structural concerns have been identified, including fire, heat, and seismic-related impacts, and current assessments and the opinions of these experts indicate that the remaining structure, including the tower, is not safe.”

Local historian and author Michele Zack described the campus as one of Altadena’s defining civic spaces since the early 1930s, when the growing town began establishing many of its public institutions.

“This was called the most beautiful campus in all of California, if not the country,” Zack said, noting the school’s architecture by noted Southern California architects Marston and Mayberry.

Zack said the school auditorium seats nearly 1,000 people and has served for decades as Altadena’s gathering place for community meetings, performances and civic events.

“Everyone coming, driving up Lake Avenue sees this majestic rising tower with the mountains in the background,” Zack said. “It is like the essence of Altadena.”

Zack criticized what she called a lack of outreach before discussions about demolition emerged.

“We just feel that the decision was made without any input from Altadena,” she said. “This is much more than a campus to us. It’s the heart and soul of our town.”

Veronica Jones, president of the Altadena Historical Society and a former Elliot student, said preserving the tower would provide hope to residents rebuilding after the wildfire.

“When we see this tower, we know we’re home,” Jones said. “Without that tower, definitely just a part of our community is gone.”

Anton Anderson, a member of the Altadena Town Council and lifelong resident, acknowledged there may be legitimate engineering concerns following the fire, but said residents deserve more transparency.

“I completely understand that there may be engineering reasons why the tower may need to come down,” Anderson said. “I also believe that Altadena needs transparency and communication on what the plan is to restore it and bring it back.”

Community activist Mark Mariscal said residents are not demanding immediate answers, but are seeking more public discussion before any irreversible decisions are made.

“The question is, have they been explored yet?” Mariscal said of preservation options. “And if they haven’t, that’s what needs to get done.”