The City of Arcadia has finalized a deal with the Church of Arcadia so the church can move forward with its expansion. The city will pay the church $3.6 million and give it a 1.2 acre property at 630 E. Live Oak Avenue, in exchange for the church property at 21 Morlan Place. The church plans to build a two-story, 23,000 square feet church and meeting hall on the Live Oak Avenue lot. The Morlan Place property is near Rusnak Mercedes Benz.
The Arcadia Redevelopment Agency is apparently making some progress in a project to improve the area around the Rusnak Mercedes-Benz dealership. The project, known as the Morlan Place Center, has been the topic of closed-door discussions with property owners around the Huntington Drive site. The city has extended offers to at least two property owners to move to 620 E. Live Oak, so that Morlan Place Center can be developed.
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 expansion of Rusnak Mercedes-Benz, Arcadia's largest sales tax generator, still faces hurdles. The Church of Arcadia has agreed to move from 21 Morlan Place, but it has encountered delays with the county's plan checks. The City of Arcadia still needs to acquire Rod's Grill at 41 W. Huntington Drive, but proprietor Manny Romero has not accepted any of the city's numerous offers. Tom Valasek, director of marketing at Rusnak Auto Group says the dealership will have to move if the city cannot deliver the land for the expansion plan.
Church in Arcadia will move to land formerly occupied by the city's mounted police at 630 E. Live Oak Avenue. Church in Arcadia is currently at 21 Morlan Place, the former site of Arc Bowl and Arcadia Bowling, which closed in the late 1970s. This deal was done to try to keep neighbor Rusnak Mercedes Benz, the city's largest sales tax generator, from moving to another city.
Arcadia Gold Line plaza design chosen. Concept is "Town Square" for the transit plaza adjacent to the Gold Line Arcadia station and parking lot, to be built on the northwest corner of First Avenue, across Santa Clara Avenue.
Last month's California Supreme Court decision that eliminates redevelopment agencies may jeopardize the Rusnak Mercedes-Benz dealership's expansion plans. Last year, Arcadia's redevelopment agency acquired the final piece of a two-acre site to sell to owner Paul Rusnak to expand his business to 6 acres. Rusnak is one of the city's top sales tax generators and wants to open a 40,000 square foot showroom on Santa Anita Avenue, just one block from the future Gold Line station downtown.
A proposed land deal will allow Rusnak Mercedes-Benz dealership to expand and Rod's Grill will not have to move. The Arcadia Redevelopment Agency has acquired the Dahlgren lot on Santa Clara Street, the last parcel of a 2-acre site it intends to sell to Rusnak. This sale would enable Rusnak to expand from 4 to 6 acres. A public hearing is scheduled for April 19. In addition to the recently acquired Dahlgren property, the current proposed site also includes the former Church of Arcadia on Morlan Place and a commercial strip along Santa Anita Avenue that contains 16 tenants. The proposed deal guarantees the city would receive at least $800,000 in sales tax a year for the next 10 years.
Foothill Gold Line Station dedication schedule is established. Arcadia Station August 22, 10 AM. Monrovia Station September 12, 10 AM. Duarte/City of Hope August 15. Irwindale August 28, 5 PM. Azusa Station September 19.
All aboard: Arcadia gets into training. The Metro Gold Line Station in Arcadia will have a grand opening on Saturday, March 5. The light rail Foothill Extension from Pasadena to Azusa will be offering free rides on March 5.
Gold Line stations planning parking charges. Metro official says parking fee pricing structure at Duarte and Arcadia stations will reduce crowds in lots. Starting June 3, Metro will charge $3 a day or $59 a month to park at Duarte and Arcadia station lots.
Metro responds to concerns over paid parking at Arcadia Gold Line Station. It costs $3 to park there but it had been free. Now that there is a cost to parking at Arcadia Station, there are more open spaces and this was Metro's anticipated and desired effect.
The Arcadia Redevelopment Agency adopted a resolution approving the land acquisition and development agreement to help Paul Rusnak buy five sites for his Mercedes Benz dealership expansion. The Arcadia Elks Lodge doesn't want to move.
FBI officials have new leads after viewing a videotape of two men vandalizing San Gabriel Valley auto dealerships, including Rusnak Mercedes-Benz in Arcadia. ELF has claimed responsibility for the vandalism on SUVs and Hummers vehicles.
Arcadia City Council approves Rusnak Mercedes-Benz land sale. The automobile dealership plans $10 million in new construction on its six acres. It will include a new 25,000 s.f. showroom on Santa Anita Avenue.
City officials resume talks with Rusnak Mercedes-Benz about its expansion now that Measure B has passed. The Church in Arcadia will move to Live Oak Street.
Arcadia wrestles with homeless issue. Metro Gold Line is seen as factor by some in the growing numbers camping nearby. In 2016, the Arcadia Station of Metro Gold Line opened and police began seeing a marked increase in calls for service regarding homelessness, said Sergeant Dan Crowther.
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.
Trainspotting in Arcadia. First tests of Gold Line light rail between Pasadena and Azusa start. Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension conducted the first of many clearance tests involving actual Metro Gold Line train from Sierra Madre Villa Station (in Pasadena) to Azusa. The train was a $4 million Ansaldo Breda P2250 with specialized gear to test clearances, wheel/rail interface, rail switches, and Overhead Catenary System.
The changing architecture of Arcadia. Rusnak Mercedes Benz--in town since 2000 and currently at 55 West Huntington Drive--broke ground last December on construction of a 22,500 s.f. 2-story structure around the corner from its current base of operations. The new location will be on the 100 block of Santa Anita Avenue and will also include 78,000 s.f. for vehicle service, repairs, storage, and parking. The dealership's annual sales for 2014 was $170.5 million.