Arcadia may soon have a new Japanese restaurant at the Hughes Market Shopping Center on Huntington Drive. The Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit to operate a restaurant at 1121 and 1123 East Huntington Drive.
Drive-In Liquor closed its doors to make way for a mini-mall. When the mall opens next year, the liquor store will be among the 7 new shops at the corner of Huntington Drive and Santa Anita Avenue.
The City Council unanimously approved a zone change that would prohibit future lot splits in the Lower Rancho Area. The revision increased the minimum lot size from 15,000 to 20,000 square feet.
Plans to build a new Arcadia Senior Center are moving forward, with studies of the center's possible role, funding for the center and scouting for a site under way.
British retail giant Tesco considers selling its struggling U.S. grocery market Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market. The El Segundo-based chain is losing money and Tesco has hired investment bank Greenhill to review options. Fresh & Easy has 200 stores in California, Nevada, and Arizona. There is a store in Arcadia (on Foothill Boulevard).
Arcadia's Mini-Mall contains several shops and services all housed in what residents still call the old Market Basket building at 30 S. First Ave. Past and present occupants are mentioned.
Proposed logistics center in Arcadia could impact traffic and El Monte residents. A former gravel mine (quarry) may soon become a 1.6 million square foot logistics center and industrial park on an 81-acre site on the southeastern end of Arcadia. Property owner is John Edwards, Jr. El Monte City Manager Jesus Gomez is working with Arcadia and the developer to protect El Monte residents. With enough mitigation measures, if approved by Arcadia City Council, construction could begin after the reclamation is complete, as early as 2017.
The changing face of Arcadia: from Super Chief to Gold Line. Major construction for the Gold Line and demolition of one block of old shops on Santa Anita Avenue to make way for Rusnak Mercedes Benz's expansion and showroom are the projects changing the appearance of Arcadia. Businessman George Fasching says in the late 1930s to the 1950s, Hollywood industry people used the "Super Chief," a Santa Fe Railway train, as their main mode of travel between New York and Los Angeles, and it used to pass through Arcadia.
The Arcadia City Council approved a zoning plan to squeeze sex shops into a little corner of the city, but it was over objections of several El Monte residents.
Residents of the neighborhood near the Golden West Village Shopping Center are upset that the abandoned stores are being used as a dumping ground. The mall was vacated by the Pantry market and Clark Drug Store almost two years ago.
The 626 Night Market is the brainchild of 3 Taiwanese-Americans who were heavily inspired by their experiences at night markets in Taiwan. The 626 Night Market will continue at Santa Anita Park next summer.
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.
Organizers of the 626 Night Market at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, estimate as many as 50,000 people attended the recent 3 night run of the event. The event featured Asian street food booths and other vendors and entertainment.