How one of the largest employers in Altadena plans to rebuild

Listen to Marketplace each weekday at 3 and 6:30 p.m. LAist 89.3 FM. This story originally aired on “Marketplace” on April 16.

Before fires ravaged Altadena, California, earlier this year, Altadena Town & Country Club was central to the local economy. It had about 120 employees, many of which were locals. Now, only six remain. One of those remaining employees is Craig Sloane, the general manager.

“We did our best to try and place as many of the employees as possible with other clubs and other locations,” said Sloane about the staff. “Many of them have said, ‘Let us know in three years when the clubhouse is rebuilt, we want to come back.’”

Craig Sloane, Altadena Town & Country Club's general manager, stands in front of what was the main clubhouse.

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Andie Corban

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Marketplace

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The clubhouse, which is the main building on premise, will take around three years and over $20 million to rebuild, according to best estimates from the club’s board. It is insured, but Sloane said they’ll likely have to dip into savings to cover the full costs of rebuilding.

“It's hard to tell what construction costs are going to be, what the cost of labor is going to be, the cost of materials,” said Sloane. “So it's hard to know if the insurance that we have is going to cover everything.”

Seventeen percent of the club’s members lost their homes in the fires, and many more have been displaced. Craig hopes members will return when the club is able to reopen. But for now, they’ve put a pause on dues.

Many Altadena residents, even those who were not members, will feel the impact of the club's temporary closure.

“We were a pretty integral part of the community,” said Sloane. “We had organizations that met here on a regular basis. For example, Rotary Club had been meeting here for well over 50 years. Every Thursday. Chamber of Commerce held numerous events here at the club. Many of the local nonprofits in the area, the churches, held fundraising events here. … It was a private club, but everybody was welcome here.”