Arcadia Seabiscuit Pacifica Project-Phase 2 calls for revised mixed-use project. Arcadia City Council decided on July 3 they want to see more artists' renderings of what Phase 2 will ultimately look like, before going ahead with the $300 million hotel project on the former Santa Anita inn site. The applicant Chateau Group is also requesting to merge the two abutting properties a 100 and 180 West Huntington Drive into the Specific Plan area and change the General Plan Land use Designation from "Commercial with Downtown Overlay" to "Downtown Mixed Use," to revise the General Plan Land Use Map to reflect the changes, rezone the properties from "General Commercial with Downtown Overlay" to "Seabiscuit Pacifica Specific Plan," and include a Height Overlay of H8 on 180 West Huntington Drive to allow a portion of the mixed-use building on that property. The Santa Anita Inn was a 2-story hotel comprised of 6 buildings, 110 rooms, 34,775 s.f., that was originally constructed in 1955 and remodeled in 1985.
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.
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.
Arcadia Denny's at northeast corner of Huntington Drive and Santa Anita Avenue to restore collapsed windmill. The building's original occupant was Van de Kamp's Holland Dutch Bakery. The windmill had been previously restored and reactivated on June 29, 2016. About $100,000 was spent refurbishing it at that time.
Arcadia city is widening and improving three major downtown intersections, a $1 million project that has caused significant congestion in recent weeks. The work is taking place on Huntington Drive at intersections of Santa Anita Avenue, Santa Clara Avenue and Colorado Place. Sixty percent of the funding is by the City and forty percent by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The city is also replacing an older sewer with a new larger one on Baldwin Avenue, northbound between Huntington Drive and Duarte Road, and will repave the road. Cost about $413,000.
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.
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.
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.
House of Representatives appropriations bill to offer money for shuttle system to forest area. Nearly
$1 million will provide for project to local areas. US Forest Service planning a shuttle to Chantry Flat, a
forest site north of Arcadia and Sierra Madre, that links to trails and Sturtevant Falls.
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.
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.
Downtown Arcadia hosts Patriotic Festival in honor of America's 243rd birthday. It takes place June 29, 5:00-9:30 PM on First Avenue, south of Huntington Drive, with live music, food, entertainment, and fireworks.
Arcadia's first Lunar New Year Festival (Year of the Monkey) is set for Sunday in downtown Arcadia, will feature traditional Chinese lion and dragon dances at Huntington Drive and Santa Anita Avenue.
Fourth horse dies, from training injury during Santa Anita Park's fall season. The horse was a 4 year-old filly named Star of Africa. She was owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trained by Patrick Gallagher.
Downtown Arcadia businesses create "Community Benefit District." Each business owner would pay extra in property taxes to go into a fund to better market the area to customers and visitors. With the Gold Line Station at North First Avenue and East Santa Clara Street scheduled to open in 2015, efforts to help brand the area have been fast-tracked.
Arcadia City Council voted 4-to-0 to pass a new food hall plan for Downtown Arcadia at 33 West Huntington Drive. The food hall will contain seven to eight different food vendors of a pre-existing building, while the upper floors will continue to operate as self-storage units. One of the project goals is to preserve the existing building and keep the midcentury look of it, according to City of Arcadia Senior Economic Development Analyst Tim Schwehr.
Local school districts provide more detailed plans for in-person learning. Arcadia Unified School District will start in-person classes for Transitional Kindergarten through 5th grades.
Marriott seeks two hotels in Arcadia. Andrew Chang, of Continental Assets Management, and owner of Santa Anita Inn, is proposing to build two Marriott hotels on the property. His proposal seeks to add 110 rooms to the West Huntington Drive property and would include a six-story Residence Inn and a four-story Fairfield Inn and Suites (Marriott brands). The Santa Anita Inn was built in 1955. The project will require approval from the Planning Commission and City Council.