The City of Arcadia has acquired half of the land originally promised for Rusnak's Mercedes Benz expansion. Arcadia Self-Storage and Church in Arcadia are selling to the city but the Elks Lodge and Rod's Grill refused to sell. The city expects Rusnak to produce a minimum of $700,000 each year in sales tax for 10 years, or until the loan is repaid.
Arcadia city officials adopt a 5-year redevelopment plan. The major goals are the expansion of the Rusnak Mercedes Benz auto dealership, development around the future Gold Line station and several affordable housing programs. The city demolished the Church of Arcadia's old building at 21 Morlan Place in September to make room for a parking lot that could be used by Rusnak.
Arcadia slowly steers Rusnak Mercedes Benz dealership expansion back on track. Because of a December 2011 California Supreme Court decision to eliminate redevelopment agencies, the expansion has been stalled. Arcadia is now working on a long-range property management plan for the expansion--a plan that is now required for state approval before former redevelopment agency property may be sold. The plan includes properties at 121-159 North Santa Anita Avenue.
Arcadia wants to declare a section of Live oak Avenue and Las Tunas Drive in south Arcadia a redevelopment zone to qualify for county funding. The County says area is not blighted and does not meet qualifications for funding.
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.
The City of Arcadia wants to assist in the redevelopment of South Arcadia businesses around Live Oak and Las Tunas. The city will hold a hearing July 3 for the environmental impact report on a plan that has been proposed. The area in question covers 75 acres.
The Community Redevelopment Agency is still considering an 11-acre project around the former Foulger Ford property, now owned by car dealer Paul Rusnak.
Local transit authorities are preparing to move forward with the Gold Line Foothill Extension to the Azusa-Glendora border and local cities are planning to place residential and commercial developments along the line. Those developments are intended to prepare for future population growth. The first phase of the extension is slated to be completed by 2014, adding new stops in Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa. Some plans near those stops could be scaled back due to the down economy. Arcadia officials are looking to build commercial developments centered on a planned station just east of Santa Anita Avenue. Arcadia's challenge will be land acquisition. Because Arcadia has ordinances limiting the use of eminent domain, Arcadia officials have to rely on negotiating land deals, a difficult process with limited redevelopment funds.
An upscale senior citizens' residential community has been proposed on the site of Santa Anita Inn. The project is called Huntington Pointe and will include 260 units. It would be owned by Huntington Partnership and E.D.I., which owns and operates Santa Anita Inn.
Another exterior view of 99 Ranch Market, a Chinese market at Duarte Road and Golden West Avenue, showing shoppers going in and out of entrance. Address is 1300 South Golden West Avenue in Arcadia. Photograph by Terry Miller.
In a joint venture, the Monrovia and Arcadia redevelopment agencies have created a new logo which reads "Huntington Crossing" and it will top the sign where the 210 Freeway crosses Fifth Avenue.
Three women were violently robbed in a span of a week in the 99 Ranch Market parking lot at 1300 S. Golden West Avenue. In two of the incidents, a passenger leaned out of a car to grab purses, and in the other incident, two men pushed a woman to the ground, kicked her in the face and stole her purse.
A 30-year old man was shot in an apparent robbery in the parking lot of 99 Ranch Market on Wednesday, April 13, 2005. He was pronounced dead at Huntington Memorial Hospital. The suspect got away.
Arcadia loses a redevelopment battle with Los Angeles County. The ruling stated that the Las Tunas Drive - Live Oak Avenue area in South Arcadia did not meet the criteria to be declared blighted in order to receive redevelopment funds.
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.
Mark Holland took the top prize in the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) "roadeo" (yes, roadeo) driving competition at the Santa Anita Park Park race track parking lot.