Skylight darkens Raymond redo

At a sometimes contentious meeting Monday night, the Pasadena Design Commission approved much of a plan for conversion of the old Raymond Theatre building into stores and lofts but balked at a skylight that developer Gene Buchanan would place over what is now the building’s auditorium.

Buchanan said Tuesday that he would try to get the skylight approved by the City Council, because “otherwise we can’t do the project” -- an outcome that would please many of the preservationists who made up most of the audience at the meeting.