Freedman, Tung, and Bottomley, a highly regarded urban design team from San Francisco, has been hired to revitalize Arcadia's historic downtown and mom-and-pop shops.
Downtown 2000, the $4 million revitalization project, will primarily affect Huntington Drive and First Ave. Huntington Drive will have more landscaping and lighting, while First Ave. will have angled parking and landscaping to be more pedestrian oriented.
The $4.1 million Downtown 2000 plan will restore the area along Huntington Drive from Santa Clara to 5th Avenue, as well as on 1st Ave. The project should start in June and be completed by the fall racing season.
Arcadia Downtown Street Market now on Saturdays, 5-9 PM. It is run by Green Leaf Events on First Avenue between Santa Clara Street and Huntington Drive.
Wagon pulled by eight horses in parade on Huntington Drive to celebrate Peach Blossom Festival. Location of team is on Huntington Drive near Santa Anita parking lot near Club House.
The Arcadia City Council has signed agreements with Republic Development Company for the development of the area along Huntington Drive east of First Avenue.
After two weeks of delays, construction work has resumed along the downtown stretch of Huntington Drive and First Ave. City officials have hired a new contractor.
Arcadia city officials will consider changes to its General Plan, a 25-year blueprint for land-use decisions. The new plan aims to revitalize the city's downtown (First Avenue and Huntington Drive) as well as the Live Oak Corridor in the city's southern end. "We're making it easier to develop the downtown and the area around the (future) Gold Line station," said Council Bob Harbicht. If approved, it would allow for mixed-use commercial and residential complexes, commercial square footages could double and the height limit would increase from 40 to 45 feet.
The addition of a new hotel on the corner of Second Avenue and Santa Clara Street in Arcadia would bring an additional 159 rooms to an area which already boasts eight hotels along a one mile stretch of the Huntington Drive corridor.
Huntington Drive looking west from near intersection of First Avenue. On NW corner is vine-covered City Hall. Open roadster has just made a left turn and is going south on First. There is a moving picture theater mid-way along street on south side with large banner advertising Charles Laughton Film. This photo belongs to the Huntington Library. It is shown here for research only.
West side of the Double Drive of Santa Anita near intersection at Fano. Eucalyptus trees are along sides of street as well as down center divider area. The high fence on left is that of driving range at Arcadia County Park.
City Council accepted developer Sam Falzone's proposal for a $14 million, eight-story financial center at the northwest corner of First Avenue and Huntington Drive in Arcadia.
Arcadia imports Monrovia Street Fair patriotic kick-off event set for July 3. It will happen weekly on Friday nights in Arcadia's downtown area, on First Avenue between Huntington Drive and Santa Clara Street.
Construction crews began digging up streets and sidewalks along Huntington Drive in June for the City's Downtown 2000 Renovation Project. Traffic jams, frustrated customers and declining sales have been the result.
Between August 11 and September 30, the city will install brick sidewalks on Huntington Drive between 2nd Avenue and Santa Clara Street as the first major phase of Arcadia's downtown revitalization project.
City of Arcadia has been revising its General Plan and the first public draft was released last week. The General Plan, a 25-year blueprint for how the city could develop was last updated in 1996. The plan addresses the Gold Line station and allows for mixed-use residential and commercial development north of Huntington Drive in the downtown area, and on Live Oak Avenue. The plan must go before the Planning Commission, then the City Council for approval.
Arcadia launches the new Arcadia Downtown Business Association, with plans to revitalize the downtown district. Matt McSweeney is the association's chairperson and owner of Matt Denny's Ale House Restaurant on East Huntington Drive. City officials will spend about $90,000 on a parking study and about $18,000 in redevelopment funds to get Arcadia Downtown Business Association off the ground. The revitalization plans should work nicely with the slated opening of the Gold Line station at the northwest corner of North First Avenue and East Santa Clara Street by 2014.
Aerial view south on Colorado Street just over large turn to the west. The residential area known as Santa Anita Gardens shows along upper left section of photo. Note that the only commerical development along the north side of Colorado Street is the Westerner Motel just near intersection with Huntington Drive. Santa Fe Railroad tracks are seen in lower left corner of photo. Santa Anita Park Race Track is on right.
Arcadia City Council/Redevelopment Agency in special meeting is expected to consider a proposal by Falzone Development, Inc. to build a $14 million, eight-story retail/office complex at northwest corner of First Avenue and Huntington Drive.
