Pasadena Office Building to Become 133-Unit Apartment Hub

The ZK Plaza site will provide new housing for families and wildfire-impacted residents through an adaptive reuse project.

Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Commercial

Screen-print poster illustration featuring a mid-century building facade merging into a modern apartment structure, reflecting Pasadena urban housing development. — Elysian Housing has purchased Pasadena's ZK Plaza for $13.4 million, beginning a project to convert the 1966 office building into 133 residential apartments. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you support converting underused office buildings into residential apartments in your community?

Elysian Housing has purchased the ZK Plaza office building at 600 North Rosemead Boulevard for $13.4 million to begin a major residential redevelopment project. The site will be transformed into 133 residential units designed to support low- and moderate-income families, special-needs residents, and locals displaced by the 2025 wildfires.

Why it matters

This project helps address the City of Pasadena housing mandate, which requires the planning of 9,429 new residential units by 2029. By converting a 1966 office building into housing, developers are repurposing underutilized commercial assets to meet pressing regional needs.

The 2-acre development at 600 North Rosemead Boulevard will include 51 units from the existing 41,600-square-foot office conversion and 82 units in a new structure. The site must contribute to the city's state-mandated goal of planning 9,429 new residential units by 2029.

The players

Elysian Housing

A residential developer focused on repurposing commercial sites for low- and moderate-income housing.

Pasadena Design Commission

The local regulatory body responsible for reviewing and approving architectural and development applications.

Star Horizon

The previous owner and seller of the ZK Plaza property.

The details

Elysian Housing plans to revitalize the 2-acre ZK Plaza site by splitting the residential development into two distinct phases. The project involves a adaptive reuse approach, where the existing 1966-era office building will be converted into 51 individual residential units. To reach the 133-unit total, the developer will demolish the current parking garage to make space for a new five-story building containing the remaining 82 units.

1966: Original construction of the existing office building occurred.
2025: Wildfires impacted local residents.
Earlier in 2026: Elysian Housing first proposed the redevelopment plan.
2029: The deadline arrives for Pasadena's state-mandated residential unit planning.

The Home Front

This conversion reflects the growing regional trend of repurposing aging suburban office parks to address severe housing shortages. It aligns directly with the City of Pasadena mandate to plan for 9,429 new units by 2029, a goal increasingly met through the adaptive reuse of commercial structures.

Local residents looking for new housing opportunities should track public announcements regarding the application process for the future 133-unit complex. Those interested in potential eligibility should verify income requirements, noting that current thresholds for the region include $93,300 for single-person and $133,250 for four-person households.

The takeaway

The ZK Plaza purchase highlights how municipalities are prioritizing the conversion of older commercial office space to solve local housing inventory gaps. Prospective tenants should monitor the city's development portals for updates on when these new low- and moderate-income units will open for applications.