In a major retreat from its campaign to develop land south of the Santa Anita Park race track, Santa Anita Realty Enterprises has withdrawn its application to build a $300 million entertainment complex.
More than 500 residents packed the Community Center last week regarding a proposed entertainment complex at Santa Anita Park. Opponents of the project have become increasingly vocal in recent weeks.
Santa Anita Companies have submitted a down-scaled entertainment complex with the new proposal for developing the South parking lot of the Santa Anita Park race track property.
Dick Closson and Gail Jensen, co-chairs of Arcadia Tomorrow, addressed a recent City Council Meeting to express their support of the proposed Santa Anita Arts and Entertainment Center.
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.
"Neighbors for Arcadia," a group in opposition to the proposed Santa Anita Entertainment Center, has elected officers and is preparing a petition for a ballot.
The citizens group Neighbors for Arcadia said Wednesday it will take the fight against Santa Anita Entertainment Center to voters with a ballot initiative.
The Arcadia City Council voted to request an analysis of the initiative petition submitted by the citizens group Neighbors for Arcadia. The measure would keep the Santa Anita Park race track property zoned for horse racing unless Arcadia residents voted for a change.
At the Arcadia City Planning Commission meeting of June 13, City Manager Bill Kelly gave a brief overview of the Santa Anita Entertainment Center Project (SAEC).
Magna Entertainment Corp., owner of Santa Anita Park race track, which is in bankruptcy reorganization hearings, filed a plan that would cancel its 2005 agreement with Rick Caruso to develop the 830,000 square feet Shops at Santa Anita on the race track's south parking lot. Caruso filed an objection to the move in bankruptcy court, citing "substantial economic harm" to Santa Anita Associates, LLC, the legal entity that was going to develop the project. Santa Anita LLC has so far invested over $25 million to the project's development. Caruso is committed to developing the project in Arcadia. If the contract is indeed terminated between the parties, Magna would have to start from scratch with new plans, new environmental impact reports, and new hearings to propose another development.
At the City Planning Commission's General Plan Update meeting on April 29, 1996, an announcement was made that Santa Anita Realty had withdrawn its application for development of an entertainment center.