Pasadena : Marketplace Decision Due

After more than four years of bitter debate, the Board of Directors is to decide today on the future of the ambitious Pasadena Marketplace project.

The $60-million plan to build a modern 350,000-square-foot shopping mall inside a block of historic buildings in the heart of Old Pasadena has been attacked by preservationists who say the project is oversized, phony and economically dubious.

The developers of the project, Pasadena Marketplace Associates, say their project will create hundreds of jobs, raise millions in tax revenue and spark a business boom in Old Pasadena. The developers plan to save the facades of the turn-of-the-century buildings, located at the intersection of Colorado Boulevard and Fair Oaks Avenue.

Some opponents have threatened possible legal action against the city if the project is approved.

The board began hearings Monday.

Today’s special meeting of the board is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.