A stretch of empty auto shops on East Colorado Boulevard could soon swap car lifts for couches. The proposed Colorado Grand Oaks project calls for a six-story affordable housing complex with 214 apartments and about 109 on-grade parking spaces at 2155 E. Colorado Blvd, with most units reserved for low-, very low- and extremely-low income households. Developer Meta Housing Corp. and architect Studio One Eleven are returning a revised design to the city’s Design Commission after staff and commissioners raised concerns about the building’s massing and its connection to the street.
What’s proposed
According to a City of Pasadena staff report, the plan would clear out the existing auto-service buildings and put up a new six-story, 100% affordable building with 214 units and 109 on-grade parking spaces at 2155 E. Colorado Boulevard. The ground floor would be largely devoted to parking and resident amenities, including a fitness room, mail room and storage, with housing on floors two through six. A larger setback on the east side is outlined for a community garden and open space.
Design and commissioner feedback
As noted in City of Pasadena Design Commission minutes, commissioners at the January consultation pushed the team to break up the long facades, clarify the base-middle-top composition and create stronger entries that engage Colorado Boulevard. The minutes also recommend studying additional facade breaks, enclosing an open stair on the north elevation and exploring options such as below-grade parking or car-share to cut down the number of cars dominating the ground floor. A subcommittee was formed to keep working with the project team.
Developer, design team and incentives
Los Angeles-based Meta Housing Corp. is listed as the applicant and Studio One Eleven as the architect on materials for the site, branded Colorado Grand Oaks, at the corner of Colorado Boulevard and Grand Oaks Avenue. As reported by Urbanize LA, the proposal would tap state density-bonus incentives to secure the additional height and unit count, reserving nearly all apartments for low, very low and extremely low income households, with two market-rate manager’s units on site.
Approvals and next steps
The project is still in design review. It has completed preliminary consultation and will need both Concept and Final Design Review before building permits can be issued. Pasadena Now reported that the commission continued a public hearing into May and was set to revisit the plans on Tuesday. The staff report notes that this preliminary review is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act.
Why it matters
If it gets the green light, Colorado Grand Oaks would convert underused commercial parcels into nearly 214 deeply affordable homes close to transit and neighborhood services, adding a sizable block of subsidized housing to the corridor. The project’s scale reflects a broader move by developers to lean on state incentives to speed up affordable housing production, with Meta Housing simultaneously pursuing large projects in Warner Center and Long Beach, Urbanize LA reports.
