Saturday, May 16, 2026

PUSD to Conduct Full Environmental Review Before Deciding Fate of Fire-Damaged Eliot Tower

Pasadena Unified School District will conduct a full Environmental Impact Report and treat the fire-damaged Eliot tower as a historic resource under California law before deciding whether to demolish the Altadena landmark, Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco announced in an email to the district community on Friday, May 15.

The commitment left open the possibility that the tower, deemed unsafe by structural engineers after the Eaton Fire, could be preserved or adaptively reused rather than torn down.

In the letter to the PUSD community,  Blanco addressed the community directly, acknowledging the grief surrounding the tower’s uncertain future and describing the structure as a symbol of identity, belonging, and resilience for students, families, alumni, staff, and neighbors who have watched the tower rise above the neighborhood for generations

Blanco said the District will complete a full review under the California Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA, before any redevelopment planning occurs or decisions are made for the campus. She described the Environmental Impact Report, or EIR, as the most comprehensive level of environmental review available under California law and said it will take many months to complete.

“The EIR will identify environmental impacts, study whether or not the tower is viable for adaptive reuse, and recommend ways to reduce any environmental impacts,” Blanco wrote, adding that the study will create a transparent record to guide the District’s future decisions.

Blanco said that although the tower is not formally registered as a historic resource, the District acknowledges that the main building and tower constitute a potential historic resource in the PUSD Facilities Master Plan. PUSD will treat the tower as a historical resource under CEQA, she said.

The EIR process will include public review, public comment, and certification by the Board. Blanco said the District is committed to engaging with the Eliot and Altadena communities through the Altadena Town Council, community partners, and the District’s facilities master planning process.

“As the environmental process progresses, we want the Eliot and Altadena communities to walk with us,” Blanco wrote. “…Your contributions and perspectives matter.”

“Our entire community is still carrying the weight of the Eaton Fire,” Blanco wrote. “The discussion surrounding its future has added another layer of pain to an already difficult season, and I want you to know that we do not take that lightly.”

The commitment to a full environmental review comes after structural assessments raised significant concerns about the remaining fire-damaged structures on the campus. Blanco said the combined impact of fire, heat, and seismic damage has left the remaining structure, including the tower, in a condition deemed unsafe by experts.

Those assessments were completed in consultation with architects, structural engineers, and the Division of the State Architect (DSA). They followed emergency response work conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after the Eaton Fire, which included cleanup and partial emergency demolition of the main building complex.

Before any demolition decision is considered, Blanco said, the District must complete additional engineering and structural studies to fully understand what is feasible, including options that could preserve or reduce impacts to the historic resource.

The Pasadena Unified Board of Education previously committed to rebuilding Eliot in Resolution 2800, which also acknowledged the site’s beauty and history, Blanco said.

Controversy about the Eliot Tower was ignited on May 5, 2026, after PUSD Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco appeared before the Altadena Town Council’s Land Use Committee. Council Vice Chair Milissa Marona reported that Blanco informed the committee that the district had consulted insurance and engineering firms, and that those consultations had determined the tower could not safely remain.

Marona reported that Banco said future rebuilding plans forthe Eliot campus did not include the Eliot Tower, and that no timeline for demolition had been set — nor had any promise of a future replacement tower been given.

The news caught community members by complete surprise.

It drew swift backlash from Altadena residents, preservation advocates, and elected officials, some of whom gathered in protest outside the fire-damaged campus May 7 and launched an online petition that quickly surpassed 2,000 signatures.

Speakers called the tower “the heart and soul” of Altadena and accused PUSD of making a consequential decision without community input.

Altadena Town Council member Nic Arnzen put it bluntly: “It’s not Pasadena dirt. I think you need to involve this town.”

The petition demands PUSD pause demolition plans, release all engineering assessments, and explore preservation alternatives before taking any irreversible action.

Visible for miles northbound along Lake Avenue against the backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains, the tower has served for generations as Altadena’s most recognizable civic landmark.