Best Merging of Past and Future in a Historic Property

PASADENA, CA – Upon reviewing countless adaptive reuse projects throughout the country for GlobeSt.com’s ADAPT awards, we have declared Evanston Court in Pasadena, CA, the winner for the best merging of past and future in a historic property. We will be honoring the project at our awards ceremony in Baltimore on September 16^th.

The Evanston Inn previously served as a quiet retreat for many prominent visitors to Pasadena, CA. Originally built in 1897, it was the city’s only remaining wood-frame hotel from the 19th century. With few additions made to the property to accommodate budding tourism in 1898 and 1905, the inn grew over time to 32,494 square feet. Use of the property altered from hotel to multifamily residence in 1917, and it was then inducted into the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historical Resources in 1984. With a prime location centrally-situated within a quarter-mile of transit, shopping and entertainment offerings, the owners set out to restore and transform the abandoned structure.

In 2015, RAAM Construction Inc. was selected to renovate the Evanston Inn as a historic preservation and adaptive re-use project, with the intention of bringing the 120-year-old local landmark back to life. Tasked with transforming the property into a modern, livable units to meet the city’s affordable, market-rate needs, RAAM worked closely with the developer, architect, and city officials to develop a plan and convert the iconic property into 18 condominiums and six townhomes, with a centralized courtyard, while maintaining the inn’s physical integrity and character-defining features.

Commencing construction in July 2015, RAAM set out to add three new, two-story buildings surrounding the historical structure. The team began with the challenge of securing new foundation and underground storage at the property, temporarily moving and supporting the 32,494-square-foot inn in order to excavate and create underground storage. The team also constructed a 21,068-square-foot dual-purpose, parking garage, which would serve as a base for several new residences.

Working endlessly to salvage the inn and correct underlying issues during the redesign process, the team restored original features and installed structural support throughout. They drafted cohesive designs to match existing conditions with modern, desirable style, ensuring an effortless, indistinguishable blend of old and new elements.

The newly established Evanston Court now offers high-quality housing in a historically preserved setting. RAAM executed flawless work, simultaneously merging the past and the future while completing the project on time and on budget. Evanston Court was able to quickly obtain full-capacity for significant ROI. The project earned recognition and praise from the city, locals, residents and several industry organizations, receiving the California Preservation Awards’ 2018 Preservation Design Award and the Historical Preservation Award from the City of Pasadena in 2017.

➤➤ Join your colleagues at the GlobeSt.com ADAPT: Opportunity Zones awards September 16th in Baltimore, MD, where we put a spotlight on the achievements of those who have had a hand in locating adaptive reuse solutions across the country. At the same time it is also focusing on Opportunity Zones and the potential they offer – for both adaptive reuse and new construction. Click here to register and view the agenda.