Arcadia City Council may declare the Downtown 2000 construction project a potential health emergency in order to suspend it's contract with striking workers and hire another firm to do the work until the strike is over.
The Arcadia Redevelopment Agency voted unanimously to begin condemnation proceedings of a property at 156 Santa Clara Street. The agency wants to claim the land for retail stores and office buildings. Eminent domain proceedings were begun since the city and the owners of the property have not been able to agree on the value of the property.
The Arcadia Community Redevelopment Agency approved architectural and landscape site plans for the northwest corner of Santa Clara Street and Fifth Avenue.
To spur downtown business and help merchants fix up storefronts, the City Council has approved a $326,000 package of marketing programs, business incentives and no-interest loans.
Downtown 2000: is the CFRP making a difference? In 1993, Arcadia City Council and the Redevelopment agency implemented the Comprehensive Revitalization Strategy and Program, a project designed to bring a new economic vitality to the downtown district. One of the main components of the program is the Commercial Facade Rehabilitation Program (CFRP), which provides financial assistance to downtown merchants for store-front improvements. Garlan Roberson received $11,000 from the Arcadia Redevelopment Agency for improvements to his business, Sullivan's Paints. Since the facade improvements, Roberson says business has increased significantly.
Upland-based Lewis Homes is in escrow to buy the old Foulger Ford site on Huntington Drive. Preliminary plans include a supermarket and two smaller retail spaces.
Construction will start in October on two four-story hotels on North Second Avenue. The Hilton Garden Inn and Fairfield Suites were given final approval by City Council Tuesday.
Officials with the Santa Anita Companies, owners of the race track and Santa Anita Fashion Park, have filed a formal application with the City of Arcadia to build a new 100-acre entertainment center on its property.
The urban design team of Freedman, Tung, and Bottomley made its first recommendations to develop the city's Downtown Revitalization Plan. Ideas included removing parallel street parking along Huntington Drive and adding eight pedestrian crosswalks, as well as creating themes based on Santa Anita Park.
The Arcadia Redevelopment Agency has started a Commercial Facade Rehabilitation Program that reimburses merchants up to 50% for what they spend on such things as awnings and signage for their buildings.
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.
About 100 people, mostly members of the Arcadia Business Association, came to support the City Council's downtown design plan by displaying balloons and banners at a City Council meeting.
The City's Redevelopment Agency has launched a massive marketing plan for two sites located at the NW and SW corners of Second Avenue and Huntington Drive.