Historic California Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields
Naval Undersea Research and Development Center, Pasadena
 
 
US Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District History (1994)
 
Locations
 
 
History: The Naval Undersea Research and Development Center was located in Pasadena, California. The Center had occupied two disjointed parcels of property which were about three miles apart. Parcel No. 2 has two story building and is located at 1030 East Green Street. Parcel No. 1, with most of the original buildings still in existence, is located at 3202 E. Foothill
Boulevard.
 
The Navy acquired Parcel No. 2 with a two story building in fee title in 1946. It was put to use for the administrating and managing staff of the center. Later the Detachment of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) occupied the building. By 1987, the building was damaged in a series of earthquakes and the detachment was moved to Boston. After that, the Navy declared the building an excess and transferred the property to General Services Administration (GSA) for sale. Since January, 1993, the Bantam Associates is in the process of purchasing the property from GSA, but the sale has not been materialized as of April 27, 1994. According to the owner of Bantam Associates, the sale will probably not take place, because they are unable to come up with the required down payment.
 
Parcel No. 1 was acquired by the office of Scientific Research and Development, one portion through a condemnation proceeding and another portion by direct purchase from California Institute of Technology in 1945. The, total acreage acquired at that time was 8.09 acres. The Department of the Navy acquired custody of the property in 1946. On this property, the. Navy built the Foothill Plant (Under Sea Center) for testing classified materials and torpedoes. The Plant consisted of approximately 60 buildings which included testing laboratories, machine shops, a foundry, storage buildings, including one for classified materials, transportation building, utility centers, etc.
 
In 1970, an additional triangular shaped parcel of land was acquired in exchange for a grant of easement for the California State Highway 210, which cut through a portion of the original parcel on the southwest. Anew large building (Bldgs. 3100) was constructed and replaced the similarly sized building (Bldg. 4007) which was torn down to construct the highway. The original size of Parcel No. 1 was 8.09 acres. After the swap with the' State for the grant of easement for the construction of State Highway 210, the area increased overall size to 9.33 acres.
 
In 1978, 9.15 acres was sold to Space Bank and 0.18 acres was returned to the State for Public street right of way. Currently, Space Bank rents most of the original buildings for storage space
and for other commercial business (woodwork slop, light assembly, parking area for recreational van rental outfit, etc.). The large building (Bldg. 3100) in the northwest corner is up for rent. It was one time rented to Exxon Corp. and to Xerox Corp. The owner plans to develop the site .into a large parking lot when the planned light rail termination station has been constructed either on. site
or in the proximity. When the termination station moves on to the east, the plan is to down size the parking area and add some commercial property.
 
 
US Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District History (1999)
 
Two parcels of land, Parcel No. 1 (8.09 acres) and Parcel No. 2 (0.44 acres) are located about 3 miles apart in Pasadena, California, and were acquired by the Office of Scientific Research and Development and transferred to the Navy Department in March 1946. The original 8.09 acres was increased to 9.33 acres because of an area addition for exchange for a grant of easement for construction of the California State Freeway 210 in the early seventies.
 
The transfer of the two parcels to the Navy was for the purpose of constructing the Naval Undersea Research and Development Center. The Center was a research and testing facility for testing classified materials, including torpedoes.
 
The smaller parcel (Parcel No. 2) has a two story building, which was damaged by earthquakes prior to the Navy declaring it an excess. In 1987, the site was transferred to GSA. The status of the sale of Parcel No. 2, which had been pending since January 1993, is unchanged as of April 27, 1994. Parcel No. 1 was declared an excess by the Navy and transferred to GSA for sale in 1974. The property was sold to Space Bank Limited in 1978. The acreage sold was approximately 9.15 acres. The remaining 0.18 acres was returned to the State for a public street right of way. Currently, the same company rents most of the original buildings for storage space and for other commercial business.

 
 
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Updated 8 February 2016