California State Treasurer John Chiang and Arcadia leaders shower accolades at the groundbreaking of Le Meridien, One Gallop Way. It is a $300 million hotel and mixed-use development on seven acres, opposite Santa Anita Park race track. Developer Chateau Group USA held the ceremonal groundbreaking on June 27. Le Meridien is a Marriott brand. CEO Eric Chen spoke. Architects Orange, interior design firm Linda Snyder Associates and construction company Snyder Langston have been tapped to work this project. To open in 2020.
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.
Projected Marriott hotel development breaks ground in 2018; Seqoia trees already down (on site of Santa Anita Inn). The developer did try to save some redwood trees on the site.
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.
Goodbye 50-year-old sequoia trees. Hello Marriott development. Santa Anita Inn, including some 50-year-old healthy Seqoia trees, will be demolished for the development of a Marriott hotel with 220 rooms. The Sierra Club thinks minimal consideration was given to the ecology or preservation of the environment. Jason Kruckeberg, Assistant City Manager, addressed the environmental concern, stating the city followed a "compliance process (in 2014) with the California Environment Quality Act (CEQA)."
Major changes on tap for Arcadia in the new year. Delta Marriott Hotel slated for the old Santa Anita Inn; Arcadia's tallest building, currently housing Bank of America at 150 N. Santa Anita Avenue, has gone up for sale. The current Arcadia Self Storage at 35 W. Huntington Drive is proposed to become a modern food vendor location, reminiscent of the Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles or the Anaheim Packing House.
Thomas Seaman, investigator of alleged Gemcoin fraud, issues first report. It reveals mounting evidence of fraudulent activity by Arcadia businessman Steve Chen a.k.a. Li Chen or Chen Li, whose business was at 135 E. Live Oak Ave., currently in receivership.
Arcadia couple Edward Chen, aka Jianqiao Chen, Jian Qiao Chen, and Jian Chen aka Jing Jiang and Jean Jiang, accused of fraud involving defrauding investors through EB-5 visa schemes. The couple's companies raised more than $22.5 million from 45 Chinese investors, purportedly to build an interior design center in Ontario and a condominium building in Los Angeles. See also "Arcadia couple faces court hearing for stealing $12 million," Arcadia Weekly, p. 1,3 October 5, 2017.
Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is banned from Santa Anita Park after his fourth horse of the meet dies. The horse American Currency sustained an injury to his left front ankle and had to be euthanized. This is the 30th horse fatality since December 26, 2018.
Arcadia resident in the 700 block of Camino Grove Avenue finds the body of a stranger in his swimming pool. The dead man is 35-year old Greg Tser-Ming Chen of Arcadia. Foul play was not initially suspected in the death. Chen's dog, a golden retriever, which was not on a leash, was found in the backyard too. Chen leaves behind a wife Maggie, who is pregnant with the couple's second child, and a toddler-aged son. See also Pasadena Star News, p. A3, August 9, 2013.
Arcadia firm GemCoin proves it owns amber mines in Caribbean, backing E-currency (cryptocurrency), despite earlier claims those mines did not exist. Still, there is no evidence GemCoin's digital currency had any revenue backing it beyond the funds generated from investors, according to court-appointed company tasked with going through U.S. Fine Investment Art Inc.'s books. Investigators found 300 acres of land in Dominican Republic, with a working mine, purchased for $373,000 in the name of CEO Steve Chen's brother Yan Chen.
Jackie Weisheng Chen, 48, of Arcadia, was sentenced to 1 year in federal prison for the counterfeit DVD trafficking of more than 30,000 DVDs with fake Dolby Laboratory Licensing Corporation trademarks.
District Attorney Jackie Lacey finds no crime or wrongdoing in horse deaths. Prosecutor says there is no evidence owners, jockeys or trainers knowingly raced injured animals at Santa Anita Park over the past year. Since July 2018, 56 horses have died at Arcadia race track. Of those, 34 died while running on Santa Anita's main dirt track. Santa Anita Park averages about 2.04 deaths per 1000 racing starts, according to the Jockey Club. The national average in 2018 was 1.68 deaths per 1000 starts. The District Attorney's report includes 27 recommended changes to improve safety and reduce fatalities. See also same story at Arcadia Weekly, p. 2, December 26, 2019.