The Church of Scientology of Pasadena is underway on renovations of the historic Braley Building in the heart of Old Pasadena. The full renovation and restoration of the Braley Building by fall 2010 reflects significant expansion for the Pasadena Church. The 50,800-square-foot building at 35 South Raymond Avenue will serve 10,000 parishioners and provide a broad spectrum of community outreach programs in the greater Pasadena area, including Glendale, La Cañada, La Crescenta, Sunland/Tujunga, the San Gabriel Valley, the Inland Empire and San Bernardino.

The first floor of the new Pasadena Church will house an extensive Public Information Center with more than 20 multimedia displays, designed to answer nearly any question about Scientology and provide information regarding the Church’s community outreach and social betterment initiatives, including their anti-drug and human rights programs. The first floor will also hold a bookstore, café, chapel and a multipurpose room that will host community meetings and events. The upper floors are devoted to course rooms for religious studies and individual counseling rooms.

Scientology churches are well known in the field of adaptive reuse—an efficient and environmentally responsible trend in architecture, which retains the classic features of historic buildings while converting them for new uses—and have renovated, restored and opened 15 new Churches in major cities around the world in the past decade. Five new Churches were opened and dedicated by Mr. David Miscavige, the Church’s international ecclesiastical leader, in the last year alone: Dallas, Nashville, Washington, DC, Rome and Malmö, Sweden.

In its story announcing the Church of Scientology of Pasadena’s long-awaited renovations project, the Pasadena Star-News reported that Old Pasadena Management District President Steve Mulheim said everyone is “thrilled” to see progress on the building.

“Our beautiful new Church represents a new era of expansion for Scientologists in this area. and it is going to be a wonderful community asset,” said Eden Stein, President of the Pasadena Church. “We look forward to sharing it.” Ms. Stein said the new facilities will make it possible to provide an entirely new level of community outreach.

The Church will provide introductory and parishioner services at its new location seven days a week until 9:30 p.m. weekdays and until 6 p.m. weekends.