Pasadena City Council approves $186 million Central Library construction contract

Pasadena City Council Monday, March 2, unanimously approved a $186 million contract for the Central Library seismic retrofit project after the developer provided a plan about incorporating local hiring.

Last month, the City Council asked PCL Construction Services to bring back a more specific plan for how it would meet the local hiring goals set forth for the project. In July, the council approved the first part of the contract with PCL. The work in Phase 1 included preconstruction services and selective demolition.

Phase 2 of the project increases the contract from $8 million to $186 million. The goal is to complete construction work in 2028, according to the city. Phase 2 will include structural work, mechanical, electrical, plumbing interior finishes, site work, landscaping, commissioning and closeout.

PCL’s local workforce plan commits to a minimum of 10% of local economic impact; an aspirational 10-15% local workforce participation goal; creation of long-term career pathways; structured subcontractor accountability and transparent tracking and reporting.

For the library project, the primary local priority includes individuals living in Pasadena zip codes 91101-91107. The next tier of priority includes those in Altadena and Sierra Madre.

PCL representatives said that the size of the construction crew will vary month-to-month with a peak of about 160 workers. They estimated that 500 to 600 people will be on the job site during construction spending varying amounts of time on the project.