The city manager for Monrovia, Calif., said the historic Aztec Hotel will undergo a “challenging” renovation in the coming months by its new owners.
The report from City Manager Laurie Lile was posted by the Monrovia Patch. The most pertinent part:
By all accounts, the future of the Aztec Hotel will be challenging. There are both preservation and land use issues that the Historic Preservation Commission and Planning Commission will review and discuss and will ultimately make recommendations to the City Council on changes requiring approval. The City has identified three guiding principles that will help to focus the development of the plan for the property.
- Emphasis on the preservation and restoration of the Aztec Hotel.
- Promote long-term economic viability of the property.
- Identify and permit uses that will be compatible and respectful of the neighborhood.
In May, the Historic Preservation Commission reviewed all of the components of Phase I of the plan and at that time determined which projects were classified as general repair and that would not negatively impact the historic character of the property such as the repair of the roof and which specific items require additional detailed information be submitted to them for further review and approval. The meeting on July 25 focused on those tasks which are detailed in the staff report.
The staff report listed these items on the repair agenda:
- Install more lighting in the lobby, vestibule, and entrada.
- Reconfigure existing ladies lounge and restroom to offer new ADA-compliant men’s and women’s restrooms.
- Relocate door to existing men’s restroom next to the lobby.
- Install more lighting for the banquet room/dining room.
- Replace exterior door to restaurant.
- Demolish storage sheds along north side of the parking lot.
- Install new egress exterior door on north elevation to provide secondary emergency access for first floor apartments.
The Aztec Hotel — known for its distinctive, Mayan-style exterior — opened in 1925 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
The new owner is a group from China, according to a May report in the Pasadena Star-News. City documents indicate the applicant, Qin Han Chen, works for Jiaming USA.