The City will pay $25,000 of city money toward putting a 10-foot tall bronze peacock at Peacock Corner, in front of Arcadia County Park, on the corner of Huntington Drive and Santa Anita Avenue. The sculpture will emerge from the center of the fountain at the corner. The actual cost of the sculpture and base is $36,500. The fountain was originally donated by Rotary Club 35 years ago.
The fountain near the southwest corner of Santa Anita Avenue and Huntington Drive at Arcadia County Park. This was before peacock sculpture was added to the fountain. Photograph by Terry Miller.
Trouble at Santa Anita Park. According to figures taken from Equibase, Santa Anita Park's total handle was down $77.1 million, or 17.7% from a year ago. If the current trend continues, the track's all-sources handle could show a decline of more than $100 million for the 2010-2011 meet. George Haines, the president of Santa Anita Park, has other troubles, including some wet weather, a players' boycott, and the inconsistencies of a new dirt racing surface.
Sign at the fountain near the southwest corner of Santa Anita Avenue and Huntington Drive reads: Arcadia County Park, County of Los Angeles. Fountain is visible in background. This was before peacock sculpture was added to the fountain, later known as Peacock Fountain. Photograph by Terry Miller.
First phase of Le Meridien Hotel taking shape across from Santa Anita Park. Ground broke more than two years ago. The five-story building, on the site formerly occupied by the Santa Anita Inn (its address was 130 West Huntington Drive), was set to open first quarter of 2020, but it has been delayed. It will have a combination of Art Deco elements, inspired by nearby Santa Anita Park, with Modernist features. Architecture firm Architects Orange, interior design firm Linda Snyder Associates, and Snyder Langston is the construction team building the Le Meridien development that spans 6.5 acres.
Plans are underway for "Peacock Corner" at the fountain and entrance at Arcadia County Park at Santa Anita Avenue and Huntington Drive. The bronze peacock will be 8 feet tall.
Slightly skewed view of the sign at the fountain near the southwest corner of Santa Anita Avenue and Huntington Drive reads: Arcadia County Park, County of Los Angeles. This was before peacock sculpture was added to the fountain. Later known as Peacock Fountain. Photograph by Terry Miller.
Lava Man, with exercise rider Tony Romero, takes a jog on the Santa Anita Park race track's new surface, a Cushion Track that cost more than $10 million.
Horses at Santa Anita Park suffered fatal racing injuries at more than twice the rate of horses competing at California's other 3 major thoroughbred tracks over the last fiscal year, according to statistics. The fatality rate spiked at Santa Anita Park after the switch from a synthetic running surface back to a dirt track in 2010. There were 12 fatalities, or 3.7 per 1,000 starts, at Santa Anita Park in the last fiscal year.
Santa Anita Derby Day 5K started three years ago with less than 2000 participants but is expected to attract between 4000-5000 runners and walkers in the 5K's fourth year.
Meditrust will be selling Santa Anita Park race track at a lower price than the $400 million purchase price about a year ago. Due to laws changing in July, tax advantages are no longer available.
Arcadia Recreation Commission members recently decided they were in favor of a project at Bonita Park at Huntington Drive and Second Avenue but felt the $78,000 estimated cost was too high.
Santa Anita Park race track will unveil a 1000-pound bronze statue of popular race horse John Henry and a historical marker covering 75 years of the race track's history, as part of its 75th anniversary this Saturday. The bronze statue cost more than $100,000. The marker was done by the Arcadia Historical Society.
An 8-foot tall bronze tribute to Arcadia's official bird, the peacock, will be unveiled August 5, as part of the city's centennial celebration. The statue will be located in the fountain at Peacock Corner, in the front of Arcadia County Park, at the southwest corner of Huntington Drive and Santa Anita Avenue. The sculptor of the peacock is Dave Chapple and the sculpture cost $30,000.