Wednesday, February 14, 2007

CARUSO AFFILIATED PROPOSAL GETS ARCADIA SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPPORT
Board votes to support The Shops at Santa Anita, including $22 million in office space donated to the school district

Arcadia – The Arcadia Unified School District adopted a resolution in support of Caruso Affiliated’s proposed center, The Shops at Santa Anita. The new upscale, outdoor center would be constructed on the parking lot south of the grandstand at Santa Anita Park and would include approximately 22,000 square feet of office space for the Arcadia Unified School District.

“The Shops at Santa Anita will be good for our students and our community,” said Arcadia School Board President James C. Romo. “Mr. Caruso’s generosity will allow us to relocate our district office and free up space that is needed by the high school. This is a win-win situation for all.”

To help improve Arcadia’s outstanding public schools, Caruso Affiliated has proposed including as part of The Shops at Santa Anita office space that will be leased to the school district rent free for 40 years. This lease is valued at more than $22 million as retail space.

The new office space will help alleviate the shortage of land at Arcadia High School because it will allow school district administrative employees to move out of their current office building that is adjacent to the high school campus. If the school district moves to a new building, the current office space will be used to build new facilities to enhance the quality of education for Arcadia High students. Constructed in 1952, today Arcadia High School has more than 3,800 students.

“Caruso Affiliated is proud to support Arcadia schools as part of our project The Shops at Santa Anita. We are looking forward to becoming part of the Arcadia community and are committed to ensuring its future success by helping to maintain the high quality of Arcadia’s public schools,” said Rick Caruso, Founder and CEO of Caruso Affiliated, who with his wife Tina has long supported local schools throughout Southern California.

The Shops at Santa Anita is supported by Arcadia organizations including the Arcadia Firefighters Association, the Acadia Police Officers Association, the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce and the Rancho Santa Anita Residents Association.

The Shops at Santa Anita will provide new upscale shops, unique outdoor restaurants, lushly landscaped park-like settings and promenades where Arcadians can come to walk around, relax, and enjoy each other’s company. At the request of Arcadia residents, the project will include a community performing arts center where school and community organizations can hold performances. The center would be built and maintained at no cost to taxpayers. Also at the request of Arcadians, The Shops at Santa Anita no longer includes housing of any kind.

hiza!

Civic Auditorium ready to reclaim its rightful position
By Janette Williams Staff Writer
Article Launched: 02/12/2007 12:00:00 AM PST

PASADENA - At 75 years old, the Pasadena Civic Auditorium is getting ready for its close-up as the focus of the new $121.6 million Convention Center expansion.

Newly visible after being blocked from view and easy access since the 1970s by the late, unlamented Plaza Pasadena, the historic auditorium has already reclaimed its original place in the Civic Center.

Now demolition has started for construction of a new convention center, almost double in size.

In place of the low-key, mostly underground space surrounding it since the early 1970s, the Civic will be framed on either side by curving two-story building facades and a sprawling plaza in front.

Mayor Bill Bogaard called it the lead structure in the expansion, welcoming visitors to the Pasadena experience.

"It's the primary icon; everything else is designed to supplement, not outdistance it," Bogaard said.

Jim Stivers, president of the Pasadena Center Operating Company from 1973 to 1991, said the 1932 auditorium was the obvious centerpiece for the city's original venture into the conference/convention business, and it's still a key element.

"The city of Pasadena had already determined they were going to expand the auditorium into the convention center, and that's when we put it together, wrote the ordinance and bylaws and everything else to establish the first operating company," said Stivers, who now sits on the Rose Bowl Operating Company board.

The PCOC, which includes the auditorium, Pasadena Convention Center and the Convention & Visitors Bureau, was the first such city-owned set-up in California, he said.

The whole complex, Stivers said, is "well located, pays its own bills, and the capital investment going on now should continue to justify the operation." The Civic and the Convention Center, he said, "are each dependent on the other."

Richard Barr, 15-year general manager of the auditorium, said being part of the PCOC's "umbrella organization" has helped secure its next 75 years.

"If we were a stand-alone facility we'd have our own overhead," Barr said. "Right now, one staff covers all the buildings, and there's great economy there."

He estimates the Civic contributes "easily $1 million" in annual earned revenue, and said it creates a "huge economic impact on the community."

Since the Paseo Colorado open-air shopping center and apartments replaced Plaza Pasadena and opened central access from Green Street to Colorado Boulevard, auditorium and convention center visitors shop and dine there, he said.

"The big strength of our expansion is going to be an incredible opening-up of the city to the convention and meeting business, and the Civic is a big part of that," Barr said. "The synergy is incredible ... \ when we get the ice rink back to the historical ballroom and we'll have tons of space to accommodate larger groups."

The 17,000-square-foot ice rink behind the auditorium - which always kept the original chandeliers - will move to East Pasadena.

A second 25,000-square-foot ballroom and 85,000 square feet of exhibit space also are planned, along with renovation of the present underground conference space and administrative offices.

The Civic Auditorium exterior has stood up well over the years, Barr has said. But, courtesy of a 1970s makeover, the interior was updated with bright red carpeting and 3,000 red velvet seats with white backs.

A $1.4 million restoration in 1997 redid the auditorium in original earth tones, including teal carpeting and upholstery, that brought new life to the spectacular wall and ceiling murals. Now, as Bogaard said, "It's elegantly appointed."

And it looks spectacular on television, Barr says, which has been a big selling point.

"We're always under consideration when a promoter needs a venue of 3,000 seats," Barr said. "The Emmys, the People's Choice Awards, when they have to move to bigger facilities, they always leave here with great regret."

hiza!



... oh my Botox, keep it in your pants!!!!

Speaking of the SGV wasn't there a proposed project for El Monti Bus Station?

The Atlantic Times Square offers over 200,000 square feet of retail entertainment space adjacent to the I-10 San Bernardino Freeway featuring a 14-screen AMC Theater Cineplex, Chili's, Cold Stones Creamery, Quizno's and many more top notch tenants. Integrated into the mixed-use development are 210 high quality condominiums. The Atlantic Times Square promises to be a gem for the San Gabriel Valley.
http://ci.monterey-park.ca.us/home/index.asp?page=1403

render
http://ci.monterey-park.ca.us/images/n-atl-rend-3.jpg

site plan
http://209.247.187.57/images/atl-x-sqr-aerial.gif

first floor
http://209.247.187.57/images/siteplan1.jpg
second floor
http://209.247.187.57/images/upper_siteplan.jpg

---------------------------------------------------------

current state

lot
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a22/godblessbotox/lot-1.jpg

some equipment
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a22/godblessbotox/setting-foundation-pilons.jpg

dont have any idea what its going to be yet, but JWDA is constructing somthing on san gabriel and agostino

if there other projects are anything to go by, this might be interesting
http://www.jwdainc.com/projects/project01/project01_1.shtml

frame
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a22/godblessbotox/frame.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a22/godblessbotox/neraing-completion.jpg
mixed use development on 288 South San Gabriel is nearing completion. All the commercial area is already rented out. Top two levels of condo space are almost complete and half already have down payments.

opens officially at the end of february

http://www.danielchenrealty.com/Nav.aspx/Page=/ListNow/Default.aspx

Project will let Pasadena venue shine
The city's convention center expansion includes a restored ballroom and designs that showcase the 1932 Civic Auditorium.
By Nancy Wride, Times Staff Writer
February 21, 2007

The $121-million expansion of the Pasadena Convention Center will include new buildings but will also showcase one of the city's treasured landmarks: the 1932 Civic Auditorium.

The ornate Italian Renaissance building, which opened 75 years ago this month, is the centerpiece of the current expansion project. It is expected to be completed in the spring of 2009.

The expansion will add 55,000 square feet of exhibit space and include new entrances on each side of the auditorium that will better frame the building.

"These new … flanking buildings will lead the eye and draw your attention toward the Civic Auditorium," said Sue Mossman, executive director of Pasadena Heritage, which promotes historic preservation. "The current buildings are these bunker-like, very low-scale odd buildings. So getting rid of those is definitely a plus."

Some see another bonus in the plan.

The project calls for relocating the city's ice rink from the rear of the auditorium so the original ballroom that graced "the Civic" until 1976 can be restored, said Michael W. Ross, chief executive officer of the city organization that operates the site. During the big band era, dancers glided across the ballroom's wood floors.

"Saving it was a high priority for us and a low priority" for others at the start, Mossman said of the old ballroom, "but it has ended up being a high priority for everybody now, so that's cause for celebration."

Over the years, the Civic has served as the city's cultural anchor.

The 3,000-seat theater, whose walls and ceiling are adorned with hand-painted murals of mythological Greek figures, has played host to concerts, Broadway musicals and numerous Hollywood awards shows. Live radio broadcasts of ballroom dances in the 1940s made Pasadena a household name across the country.

On Tuesday, TV host Don Cornelius met with Richard Barr, general manager of the auditorium, about the March 10 taping of the "Soul Train" awards show.

From the beginning, the building has been a source of great pride.

On its grand opening on Feb. 15, 1932, The Times noted the devastating economic period in which the Civic was dedicated.

"This city scored a hit on old man depression's jaw tonight when more than 3,000 residents celebrated the formal opening of Pasadena's new $1.3 million Civic Auditorium," the newspaper story stated.

The article goes on to say that "the completion of the auditorium culminates a twenty-year fight on the part of local organizations to obtain an adequate convention headquarters."

The city's need for more convention space is what drove the current expansion project, Ross said.

As Pasadena competes with cities such as San Jose, Sacramento and Long Beach for more lucrative conventions, he said, it must have larger and more modern exhibition and meeting spaces. A Sheraton hotel is on the site.

In addition to two new exhibit halls, the expansion project will include a new 25,000-square-foot ballroom and the restored 17,000-square-foot ballroom. A new parking garage also is planned.

The city hopes the project will generate an additional $24 million annually for local merchants.

"It will allow Pasadena to grow stronger as a destination both for work and for tourism," Mayor Bill Bogaard said.

Preservationists are pleased with how things turned out. Early expansion plans were far too modern, Mossman said, and Pasadena Heritage strongly objected.

The current project will better spotlight the Civic, she said.

"There is very little Italian Renaissance architecture in Pasadena from that time, which is one of the reasons [the auditorium] is so exceptional," Mossman noted. "So keeping that a showcase is what makes sense for the whole project, makes it worthwhile."

Pumpkin patch sold
Monterey Park site cleared for housing/retail complex
By Jennifer McLain Staff Writer

MONTEREY PARK - A former pumpkin patch and Christmas tree lot that is central to a major development plan has closed escrow, bringing the city within a year of breaking ground on three mixed-use projects.

Charles Co., a Los Angeles-based developer, bought the 2.5-acre parcel at the southwest corner of Garvey Avenue and Atlantic Boulevard in late January, Monterey Park officials said Wednesday.

The site is slated to be developed into 102 apartments along with 18,000 square feet of retail space. The project is known as the Garvey Villas.

Monterey Park Mayor David Lau said he was gratified to hear escrow had closed on the property.

"It has been an eyesore for many, many years," Lau said. "It is highly under-utilized, and it is in a prime location in the city."

The purchase of the pumpkin patch property, which was privately owned, is significant, said Margarita Cruz, director of economic development.

"Now this is very much a real project," Cruz said. "Selling this property is what has been holding up the project for several years."

City officials would not release the sale price. Representatives for Charles Co. did not return calls for comment.

Chris Jeffers said the developer is awaiting escrow on only one other parcel before proceeding with the project. He estimates that ground-breaking could be within a year.

The project is a key component in the city's pedestrian linkage plan, which is intended to revitalize the downtown and encourage residents to get out of their cars and shop locally. The plan was formed in 2004, and the construction and building plans are just starting to come to fruition, officials said.

"These projects will bring prosperity to the city," Lau said. "There will be more quality housing, more quality retailers, and we are removing blight from the city."

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site205/2007/0207/20070207_113609_SV08-PROPERTY.jpg

about fucking time... that corner has needed somthing for a long, long time

garvey rapid line
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a22/godblessbotox/sgv-rapid.jpg

close... but not yet, guess i have to await december

How does the Metro "Rail" map look if it includes Rapid Lines (it includes busways, so why not these)?

you should look at the mta maps

^^Do you mean the one map that shows even the local lines?

yah the system map, rail to city buses.
http://www.metro.net/images/System_Map.pdf

but to answer your original question. i believe it has to do with the fact the orange line and harbor transit dont stop very often and have right of way. rapid buses, though they have red light sensors, do not have rights of way

So this is the bus route right?

as it stands today, yes

Commission Gives Westfield Go Ahead

By Traci Kratzer

Glazer said because the EIR previously completed by Westfield is seven years old they should be required to complete a new EIR.

“We all know what this is about,” Glazer said. “Westfield doesn’t want to spend the money or the time to provide details on how much they want to build.”

Stephanie Eyestone-Jones, a principle with PCR Corporation, said she completed the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review for the addendum of the expansion and assured the commissioners that the report was “reviewed twice under CEQA guidelines.”

One of the biggest concerns for residents with both the Westfield expansion and the Caruso/Santa Anita racetrack project is traffic. Pat Gibson, a traffic and parking analyst, said that the traffic mitigation measures related to the proposed expansion have been studied and no significant impacts were found.

The city staff report did include a list of mitigation measures that remain outstanding and stated that each of the measures are under the jurisdiction of either Caltrans or Los Angeles County.

Resident Mary Doughtery said she had hoped to be supportive of the project but urged the commission to reject the addendum until “Westfield makes a cooperative and collaborative effort to control traffic impacts.”

“Westfield has good traffic, everyone else has bad traffic,” Doughtery said. “I can’t subscribe to that.”

Discussion on the expansion will go before the city council for a public hearing on April 3.

The architectural design review for the 100,800 square foot second expansion of the Westfield Santa Anita Mall received unanimous approval from the Planning Commission Tuesday night.

The commissioners also accepted the addendum to Westfield’s certified Environmental Impact Report (EIR) from 2000.

“We are consistently improving and investing in the community,” said Ken Wong, President of U.S. Operations for Westfield. “Our plan for the future is to approach that in a phased and logical manner.”

Wong said the expansion, which has been named “The Promenade,” will consist of five blocks of retail buildings in the southwest quadrant of the property south of Nordstrom and west of Macy’s. Wong said “The Promenade” will generate $540,000 annually to the city.

In a ten page letter to the members of the planning commission, Patricia Glazer, lawyer for both The Turf Club and Santa Anita Companies Inc., said that the addendum to the project is “flawed” and “inconsistent” with the City’s General Plan for several reasons. Included in those reasons was what she called the “shifting and understated size of the project.” She said the project appears to have grown in scope by approximately 200,000 to 400,000 sq. ft. She added that the certified 2000 EIR looked at a project with a floor area ratio (FAR) of .44, and the expansion as it is today looks to be over the allowed .50 FAR.

However, according to city staff reports, Westfield’s original request for an additional 600,000 sq. ft. of Gross Leasable Area (GLA) as analyzed in the 2000 EIR, shows that the expansion is below the allowable FAR of .50.

Mall wars take aim at Arcadia City Hall
By Kenneth Todd Ruiz Staff Writer

ARCADIA - The latest salvo in this city's mall wars is aimed directly at City Hall.

Opponents of the proposed Caruso Affiliated development near the Santa Anita Park race track have filed a complaint accusing the City Council of breaking open-meeting laws.

An attorney for Arcadia First! asked the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office to investigate whether negotiations between the city and Caruso violated the Brown Act because they were held outside of public view.

Arcadia First! receives funding from Westfield, which aggressively opposes construction of the 800,000-square-foot shopping complex adjacent to the mall it owns.

City Attorney Stephen Deitsch said Wednesday the discussions were "lawful and appropriate."

The Brown Act provides limited reasons for public bodies to meet in private, so the public is privy to their decision-making process.

The specific matters discussed - which Deitsch said he could not elaborate upon - likely related to a long-negotiated development agreement between Caruso and the city.

Hypothetically, Deitsch said, if such deliberations included the purchase, lease or exchange of real estate, "then it would be lawful and appropriate to
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AOT 2007
discuss the price and terms of payment in closed session."

Sung Tse, spokeswoman for Arcadia First!, challenged the council at a recent meeting to conduct its business in the open.

According to published agendas, City Council members met privately with city staff, track owner Magna Entertainment Corp. and Caruso Affiliated to discuss "price and terms of payment" for the "southerly parking area" of the track.

"I understand they are allowed closed sessions," she said of the council, but questioned why the Caruso firm was allowed to participate when it doesn't own that land. "What does he have to do with these closed sessions?"

Councilman Bob Harbicht said Wednesday he could not go into the specifics of negotiations, but added that the reason for holding a closed session would be clear once a draft of the development agreement is made public.

"It's one of those things that's hard to defend yourself because the only way to defend yourself is to disclose what was said in closed session," he said. "And then it's no longer a closed session."

A draft of the agreement could be made public as early as next week, according to Assistant City Manager Don Penman.

Two weeks later, on March 19, Caruso's proposal goes before the Planning Commission. If the City Council subsequently approves the plan, Westfield is expected to initiate a ballot initiative to let voters second-guess the council's decision.

Meanwhile, the next phase of Westfield's expansion plans were approved by the Planning Commission on Tuesday night, despite urging by Caruso that a new environmental impact report be prepared.

City staff concluded that the Promenade expansion, which would add 100,000 square feet of open-air commercial space and a two-level parking structure, was covered by a previous impact study.

But a Tuesday report to the Planning Commission refuted the mall owner's published claims last fall that its ballot measure to limit signs would "apply to all of Arcadia's businesses - including Westfield Santa Anita."

"Despite what this campaign literature stated, the measure clearly applied only to the Racetrack property and not other properties," the report said.

Voters narrowly passed Measure N in November.

City Council denies meeting allegations
By Kenneth Todd Ruiz Staff Writer

ARCADIA - Members of the City Council never met in private with a developer and property owner, city officials said Thursday.

Refuting allegations made by opponents of Caruso Affiliated's The Shops at Santa Anita, Councilman Bob Harbicht said the council did meet in closed sessions, but only with city staff to discuss land located in the parking lot of Santa Anita Park.

"The council has never met privately with Magna or Caruso," Harbicht said. "The only people in the closed sessions were council, city staff and the city attorney."

Council agendas published by the city list Caruso and racetrack owner Magna Entertainment Corp. among "Negotiating Parties" in regard to what is described as the "southerly parking area of Santa Anita Race Track."

The meetings, held in December and January, are believed to relate to a development agreement under negotiation between Caruso and the city in tandem with the

developer's proposal to build an 800,000-square-foot outdoor mall on property owned by Magna Entertainment Corp.

Westfield has been highly critical of - and has organized community resistance to - the project, which is proposed for a site adjacent to the Westfield mall on Baldwin Avenue.

The closed-session meetings prompted the spokeswoman of Arcadia First!, a Westfield- funded community group, to ask why Caruso and Magna representatives were involved.

Julie Wong, Caruso spokeswoman, said there's a simple explanation - they weren't.

"We never had anybody participate in these closed-session meetings," she said. "This is another example of Westfield misleading Arcadia residents with false accusations."

The council acted within the law by not including outsiders in the meetings, said Terry Francke, counsel for Californians Aware, an open-government advocacy group.

But the discussion could not have strayed from the specific price and terms of the land deal in question, Francke added, or extend to any other terms of the development agreement.

"When it says price or terms of payment, that's exactly what it means," he said, referring to the description published on the council agenda.

Douglas Carstens, a lawyer representing Arcadia First!, filed a complaint with the District Attorney's Office. The complaint is under review.

The Shops at Santa Anita
http://www.shopsatsantaanita.com/

Tuesday, February 20, 2007
CALIFORNIA’S THREE MAJOR HORSE RACING ORGANIZATIONS ANNOUNCE SUPPORT FOR THE SHOPS AT SANTA ANITA
California Horse Racing Board Chair also announces endorsement for outdoor retail center at Santa Anita Park

Arcadia – California’s three major horse racing organizations today announced their support for The Shops at Santa Anita, the outdoor, upscale shopping and dining center proposed by Caruso Affiliated. The Shops at Santa Anita is being proposed in partnership with the owners of Santa Anita Park and would be constructed on the parking lot south of the grandstand.

The Thoroughbred Owners of California, California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, and the California Thoroughbred Trainers say they are supporting The Shops at Santa Anita because they believe it will help ensure the long-term viability of Santa Anita Park and the sport of horse racing in California.

“In our view, this plan is precisely the type of project that can bring new energy to Santa Anita Park, and that can improve its long-term viability as one of California’s – if not the nation’s – premier racetracks,” wrote Thoroughbred Owners of California President Drew J. Couto, whose organization is certified by the California Horse Racing Board to represent Thoroughbred horse owners. “This is critical both to the industry and, we understand, to the City of Arcadia, which has always been very supportive of our industry.”

“We believe that this project, to be built adjacent to Santa Anita Park, would greatly enhance the race track as well as provide further economic benefit to the industry. We commend both you and the ownership of Santa Anita Park for undertaking such an important development, which would help ensure the long-term viability of live racing at the historic venue,” wrote California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Burge, whose organization has represented California breeders and thoroughbred farms for more than 60 years.

“Ensuring the long-term viability of Santa Anita Park is critical, and we believe your project will do that,” wrote California Thoroughbred Trainers Executive Director and General Counsel Edward I. Halpern, whose organization represents hundreds of thoroughbred trainers throughout the state. “The project, in our view, will architecturally complement the racetrack and has taken into account to the greatest extent possible the operational needs of the horsemen.”

California Horse Racing Board Chair Richard Shapiro also joined the organizations in supporting the project saying that he looks forward to its “swift approval and development.”

“I believe strongly that [The Shops at Santa Anita’s] development would be a great benefit to the long-term viability of Santa Anita Park and to California’s horse racing industry. I appreciate the steps you have taken to address all parties’ concerns including the design of the project, which will be a complement to the beauty and tradition of Santa Anita Park,” wrote Shapiro.

“Caruso Affiliated has been working closely with our partners at Santa Anita Park to ensure that The Shops at Santa Anita will enhance the viability of the track and horse racing by introducing new generations of families to the sport of kings,” said Rick Caruso, Founder and CEO of Caruso Affiliated. “We are proud that California’s leaders in horse racing are supporting The Shops at Santa Anita.”

“Santa Anita Park is proud to be part of California’s horse racing heritage and we are grateful for the support we have received from horse racing organizations. We want to ensure that the racetrack is a strong business for many years. Our partnership with Caruso Affiliated is an important part of our long-term plans,” said George Haines, Vice President and General Manager of Santa Anita Park.

The Shops at Santa Anita is supported by Arcadia organizations including the Arcadia Firefighters Association, the Acadia Police Officers Association, the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce, the Rancho Santa Anita Residents’ Association, and the Arcadia Unified School District.

The Shops at Santa Anita will provide new upscale shops, unique outdoor restaurants, lushly landscaped park-like settings and promenades where Arcadians can come to walk around, relax, and enjoy each other’s company. At the request of Arcadia residents, the project will include a community performing arts center where school and community organizations can hold performances. The center would be built and maintained at no cost to taxpayers. Also at the request of Arcadians, The Shops at Santa Anita no longer includes housing of any kind.

Silver Streak transit service set to launch
By Nisha Gutierrez Staff Writer

. Video: 3/8: Silver Streak buses

EL MONTE - Foothill Transit is launching what officials are touting as a cutting-edge bus service expected to give commuters a quicker and smoother ride into downtown Los Angeles and other major station stops.

Transit officials unveiled the new Silver Streak Thursday at the El Monte Bus Station and said it will hit the streets March 18.

"This is a commuter's dream," said Wilfred Briesemeister, Foothill Transit executive board president. "These are not the buses of yesteryear."

The 60-foot tandem buses will be equipped with free Wi-Fi service to allow riders to do work, surf the Internet or check e-mails. The agency's Smart Bus Equipment, which includes an automatic vehicle location system, will provide automatic stop announcements, automatic passenger counters, on-board security cameras and station stop bus arrival displays.

Briesemeister said the 30-bus fleet also features comfortable seating, capacity for up to 58 riders and provides people with an opportunity be more productive and relaxed on their commute.

Felicia Friesema, Foothill Transit spokeswoman, said the new service will cost $6.5 million per year to maintain operation and will be paid for through state and local funding sources.

"The idea was to create a high-capacity people mover to alleviate some of the crowding we were seeing on Line 480, which is our most popular line, and meet the greatest needs, which is why it is stopping at major station stops," Friesema said.

Friesema said the Silver Streak will give riders a quicker commute time by eliminating some local stops that Line 480 makes and by spending only about 5 percent of its total trip on surface streets. Instead, it will travel primarily on the San Bernardino (10) Freeway and HOV lanes.

In addition to Los Angeles, the Silver Streak also will take customers to major station stops in Montclair, Pomona, West Covina and El Monte.

When the Silver Streak begins service, Friesema said Line 480, which stretches from Montclair to Los Angeles, will no longer travel into downtown Los Angeles.

John Fasana, a board member and Duarte City Councilman, said the Silver Streak will help improve transportation in the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys.

"This is important for our valleys because it's going to get people out of their cars and onto public transit and give them a quick ride to work, which will help ease congestion on the freeways," Fasana said. "If you think about the cost of parking downtown and sitting in traffic, this is really a great savings."

Officials said the Silver Streak will provide daily service running every 10-12 minutes, 24 hours a day.

The Silver Streak bus fare will cost riders $2 each way and 31-day passes will be $80. Seniors, people with disabilities and Medicare cardholders can ride for $1.

To help promote the new service Foothill Transit is offering free rides on the Silver Streak from March 18 to April 1.

Foothill Transit now operates 35 fixed-route local, express and rail-feeder lines, covers 327 square miles, and serves 15 million customers each year.

Pasadena artist goes out on a limb
A tree in the Rose Bowl parking lot has become the project and passion of artist Joel Tauber.

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2007-03/28328534.jpg

By Sharon Mizota, Special to The Times

Artist Joel Tauber was captivated the first time he laid eyes on the little sycamore in the middle of the Rose Bowl parking lot. "It struck me on a metaphorical level," he says. "It just seemed like this forgotten figure in this sea of asphalt, and that seemed indicative of where we are environmentally."

Since that day two years ago, Tauber has devoted his life and art to the tree. He began watering it and installed metal railings to protect it from cars. Now he is helping it reproduce. With the assistance of the Theodore Payne Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of native California plants, he has collected its seeds and grown "tree babies."

Tauber has documented his efforts with similar dedication. Titled "Sick-Amour," the project includes a documentary film, a video installation and, most ambitiously, a permanent "tree museum." The plan for the latter calls for replacing the asphalt in a roughly 1,900-square-foot rectangle around the tree with mulch and river stones, to increase oxygen and water flow. A "necklace" of boulders will protect the tree and display educational plaques. To top it off, Tauber has sculpted a whimsical pair of "earrings" to hang from the branches.

"When he told me that he had fallen in love with a tree, I wasn't surprised," says Susanne Vielmetter, whose Culver City gallery represents Tauber. In previous projects the L.A.-based artist has transposed underwater diving into music and flown over the desert suspended from helium balloons while playing a bagpipe. "You think it's funny and a little nutty, and sweet," Vielmetter continued, but "Sick-Amour" really addresses a much larger issue, "in this case, fundamentally, what our relationship to nature is."

The video installation, which will have its debut at Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects on March 17, consists of 12 segments. Arranged in the shape of a tree, each is a personal meditation on some aspect of the sycamore. In one, Tauber lauds the tree as an "invisible worker" thanklessly cleaning the air and Earth; in another he laments the pests that attack it, comparing their exploits to the abuses of capitalism. Backed by scientific research and narrated in a passionate, though often humorous, voice, Tauber's videos urge viewers to consider the environ-mental toll of urban development and to better care for the natural features that survive within it.

"I think of it as a modern, video 'Walden,' " he ventures, referring to Henry David Thoreau's treatise on nature and society, "but not out in the wilderness, out in a parking lot."

Accordingly, "Sick-Amour" has far-reaching ethical and philosophical goals. The tree is "something that I'm striving to understand in as full a way as possible, and that process brings me very close to it," Tauber says. "If you understand the other — whether it's the divine or someone else — that allows empathy to occur, and it allows a place for some kind of spiritual connection and love." In asking people to empathize with the struggles of a single tree, he hopes to instill in them a heartfelt sense of responsibility, not only to theenvironment but also to one another.

For Tauber, Rose Bowl Parking Lot K is an example of what happens when people shirk this responsibility. Traversed on a Tuesday afternoon by the occasional jogger and a fire engine practicing maneuvers, the lot is an asphalt peninsula between the hills and the concrete-lined Arroyo Seco river. The "Sick-Amour" tree stands not far from the entrance, at Seco Street and West Drive, and the Rose Bowl has already replaced a 400-square-foot area of pavement around it with mulch.

Tauber, compact and energetic, strides enthusiastically around a wider perimeter that he hopes will contain the tree museum.

Getting this far has been a daunting bureaucratic undertaking, involving coordination with the Rose Bowl, the city of Pasadena and LAXART, a nonprofit arts organization that is helping with fundraising. But Tauber says he has met with surprisingly little resistance.

Vice Mayor Steve Madison, an early supporter, sees the project as emblematic of Pasadena's movement toward becoming a "green" city. "I thought it was a neat idea that this one tree could be symbolic of trees in Pasadena and open space," he says. Rose Bowl General Manager Darryl Dunn is open-minded but cautious: "We still have to function as a stadium, but we're trying to integrate his vision with our need to have a parking lot." The plan requires approval from the Rose Bowl's board of directors, which is scheduled to review it later this spring.

Still, fundraising for the project, which Tauber estimates will cost $22,000, has been challenging. "We've been coming up against perceptions of what constitutes art, what is public art," says Lauri Firstenberg, LAXART's director and curator. "We've been diversifying our approach."

Tauber has solicited donations and says he plans to use proceeds from the sale of the tree babies and an edition of earrings — for humans, made of gold-plated leaves and fruit from the tree — to help fund the museum.

In the meantime, his beloved sycamore has sprouted new leaves and fruit. Tauber says, "It's a beautiful tree, and people are drawn to it. It's casting its spell."

Biked around Pasadena today because I had to go get a check-up w/my doc. WoW!!! I knew that Pasadena was changing but this city has def made use of the term mixed use! Everywhere I used to see parking lots(10 years ago my initial visit to SoCal)is mostly eaten up by housing, retail or event centers. This is an area in the next 10 years ala SM that by then you could fully say, 'you don't need a car to live their'. WoW!! I was really impressed. Next time I will bring my camera. It's really a blueprint for Downtown LA, sans the skyscrapers.

thats what ive been saying! lol

Check all these gold line stations.
http://www.tndwest.com/memorialpark.html

Silver Streak buses start Montclair-L.A. run
Foothill Transit wants Caltrans to restrict access to carpool lanes during peak hours so its new freeway flyers can make good time.
By Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writer
March 19, 2007

As traffic congestion through the Pomona and San Gabriel valleys worsens, the promise of a quicker commute — and amenities such as free wireless Internet service — should lure some solo motorists onto the new Silver Streak rapid buses.

But the success of the new service from Montclair to downtown Los Angeles, which started Sunday, rests on whether the 60-foot buses will be able to bypass traffic by racing down the San Bernardino Freeway carpool lanes.

Like the rest of the freeway, the high-occupancy vehicle lanes are getting crowded, whether from more carpools or solo drivers in hybrid vehicles using the dedicated lanes.

"There are just too many cars," said Doran Barnes, executive director of Foothill Transit, the public agency that runs the Silver Streak bus service.

So Barnes and other local transit officials are asking the California Department of Transportation to restrict access to the carpool lanes for at least two more hours each workday.

Vehicles — except hybrids — with fewer than three people are already banned during peak traffic hours, weekdays from 5 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m.

Even with those restrictions, it now takes a bus two hours at rush hour to travel the same Montclair-to-downtown route that took 94 minutes a decade ago. Travel times have increased seven to 10 minutes in the last 18 months, transit officials said.

The Silver Streak is expected to reduce travel times to as little as about 90 minutes by stopping only at major transit hubs.

Buses have barreled past cars on the 10 Freeway east of downtown Los Angeles in their own dedicated lanes, known as the El Monte Busway, for most of three decades. But although the lanes were built for buses only, political pressures soon converted them into carpool lanes as well. That change came with a hitch, however: Vehicles had to carry at least three people, rather than the two that is standard for other such lanes.

After a failed experiment to open the lanes to vehicles with two or more people, a compromise was struck a few years ago, allowing such vehicles back in but only during off-peak hours. The busway is still one of the state's few sets of carpool lanes requiring three or more people per vehicle, if only during peak hours.

But transit officials say that compromise is no longer working. Like the buildup of residential developments along the bus route, rush-hour traffic on the San Bernardino Freeway is sprawling.

"Even with three in the carpool lane, we are seeing challenges," said Barnes, whose agency moves 15,000 commuters a day along the busway.

To keep its buses running on time, Foothill Transit wants to extend the morning restrictions to 10 a.m. and begin the afternoon peak period an hour earlier at 3 p.m.

"We need to get aggressive about trying to protect the integrity of the busway," said John Fasana, a Duarte city councilman who sits on the boards of Foothill Transit and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Caltrans officials say they are studying the idea. They are also working to secure funds to complete the stretch of carpool lanes between the 605 Freeway and the San Bernardino County line.

Fasana knows that plush new buses and free Internet service won't persuade motorists to give up their car keys unless they can get to work a little faster and on time. And that's where the Silver Streak comes in: It should take as little as 91 minutes to travel the 40 miles from the Montclair TransCenter to its last stop at Grand Avenue and Olympic Boulevard in downtown L.A.

Buses will operate around the clock and are scheduled to run every 12 minutes in peak time. The other stops are in Pomona, West Covina and El Monte, and at Cal State L.A., County-USC Medical Center and Union Station.

Besides providing Internet connections, the new buses are equipped with GPS and security cameras. An automated system will announce station stops and display bus arrival times.

The fare is $2, with discounts for eligible seniors, people with disabilities and Medicare cardholders. But until April 1, passengers can ride free.

I wish that they would do this with other HOV lanes on other freeways.

They should just approve this, it doesn't hurt to take some more traffic off of the busway (although I think my plan would really help it).

nooooo!!! damnit its bad enough i can get in there befor 9!

nooooo!!! damnit its bad enough i cant get in there befor 9!

Is that what you meant?

...fuck

Proposed Mall Near Santa Anita Racetrack Draws Fire
Created: Monday, 19 Mar 2007, 1:10 AM PDT

ARCADIA -- Those for and against a proposed high-end shopping center at a mostly unused parking lot at the Santa Anita racetrack in the San Gabriel Valley will be able to express their opinions at public hearings that begin Monday.

Developer Rick Caruso, who turned the parking lot at Farmers Market into The Grove, has set his sights on the unsightly asphalt next to the historic park. The planning commission in Arcadia will let residents comment on the plans tomorrow night at a public hearing that is expected to draw hundreds of people.

The adjacent cities of Pasadena and San Marino have weighed in with concerns about traffic, housing and other worries.

"Air pollution from additional traffic, the congestion from traffic, and blocking the view of our mountains and of the historical landmark (racetrack) would change forever the way of life in suburban Arcadia," said Jeff Schenkel, a spokesman for Arcadia First, a group opposing the plan.

As envisioned by Caruso, and his firm, Caruso Affiliated, The Shops at Santa Anita would be built next to the historic horse track, which was a major location for the hit movie "Seabiscuit." A letter from the firm to Arcadia residents promises to "build on the rich heritage of the track and provide upscale shops, unique outdoor restaurants, and lushly landscaped park-like settings and promenades."

The firm has sweetened the pot for Arcadia residents with promises of a community performing arts center and 25,000 square feet of office space for the Arcadia School District headquarters.

But opponents said they worry about a 98,000-square-foot off-track betting parlor that would be built in the mall, using the track's racing license. In addition, Schenkel said the center would snarl traffic at 20 nearby intersections, as the project would be 61 percent larger than The Grove in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles.

The Westfield Group, owner of a large shopping center next to the racetrack, has already said it opposes the project. Caruso spent millions in Glendale battling a different company over a Caruso project called The Americana that eventually was approved by Glendale voters.

San Marino city planners have told Arcadia they worry about mall-related traffic on already-congested Huntington Drive, and Pasadena officials said they are worried about snarls at Colorado Boulevard and Michillinda Avenue during peak hours.

Pasadena officials have also asked Arcadia to include affordable housing in the plan. The housing was part of the mall's original plans, but dropped after Arcadia residents objected.

Is that what you meant?

:ohno: what in the world!!! you need to be hanged

^^ oops..sorry I meant this guy:

nooooo!!! damnit its bad enough i can get in there befor 9!

:ohno: :ohno: Godblessbotox needs to be hanged

...any particular reason?

Because he disagrees :).

ah, well i guess were back in 16th century hu.

excellent, i saw ferny walking on water and flying over downtown!!!

^ Hey leave me out of your argument.... I myself don't like to step on other peoples toes. (Respect) please!

Arcadia planning panel approves proposed mall
The action is a setback for the Westfield Santa Anita shopping center, whose owner opposes the project by developer Rick Caruso.
By Tony Barboza, Times Staff Writer
March 23, 2007

Arcadia this week came one step closer to approving an 830,000-square-foot outdoor shopping center near the Santa Anita racetrack, the latest round in a bitter fight between two prominent mall companies.

For more than two years the normally sleepy San Gabriel Valley city has been embroiled in a battle between developer Rick Caruso, who is known for his signature open-air shopping villages such as The Grove, and the existing Westfield Santa Anita Mall, a traditional indoor mall that opposes a new neighbor.

The Arcadia Planning Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to recommend approval of The Shops at Santa Anita, the new mall, to the City Council.

The proposal is expected to be approved by the council next month, city staff said.

But the proposal probably will hit some bumps after that: Opponents plan a ballot referendum against the mall later this year.

They say that not enough demand exists for new commercial space and cite concerns about traffic, pollution and crime.

"It just doesn't make sense to have another mall next to an existing mall in a community of 25,000 homes," said Sung Tse, a member of the executive board of Arcadia First!, a group funded by Westfield that opposes the development.

The 4,000-member nonprofit has inundated residents with full-page ads in local newspapers and has mailed letters, postcards and DVDs to residents several times a week as the City Council moves closer to reaching a decision, Tse said.

Caruso Affiliated has countered with its own newspaper ads.

Rick Caruso said the new development would boost business at the existing mall and racetrack.

He said Westfield's opposition to his development was anti-competitive, based on fear of lower leases.

"Westfield is scared of it because they're living in a past world where all these indoor malls had these little fiefdoms," he said.

Westfield officials could not be reached for comment late Thursday.

Wednesday's Planning Commission meeting was the second of the week on the issue.

After 750 residents showed up to raise impassioned pleas on both sides at a city Planning Commission meeting Monday — prompting supervision by police and the fire marshal, Assistant City Manager Don Penman said — a second meeting was convened Wednesday.

The conflict echoes Caruso's fight to build the Americana at Brand project in Glendale.

That project is under construction next to the Glendale Galleria.

History, density are uneasy neighbors in Pasadena
Residents say a pair of developments planned near Old Town threaten the district's character. City officials say they favor smart growth.
By Tony Barboza, Times Staff Writer
March 23, 2007

Before Disney Hall and Segerstrom Hall, Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena was renowned as one of the premier concert halls in Southern California.

Now it is at the center of tensions over the development of one of Old Town Pasadena's last relatively open spaces.

The 1,262-seat glass-and-concrete structure, surrounded by an elegant reflecting pool, opened in 1974 and is now owned by Harvest Rock Church, a nondenominational Christian congregation that draws about 1,000 worshipers each Sunday.

The auditorium is the cultural heart of the former Ambassador College campus, a 48-acre parcel that was owned by the Worldwide Church of God until 2004, when it began selling off the land in chunks to Harvest Rock, a school and two developers.

One of those developers, Pasadena-based Dorn Platz, plans to build more than 300 condos and apartments on 20 acres of the property. The bulk of Ambassador West, as the project is called, would be a six-story senior housing complex next to the auditorium. The plan has church officials feeling boxed in. Although they do not oppose the project, they say it will dwarf their worship space, which doubles as a concert venue for the California Philharmonic and other area orchestras.

"Why does it have to be so big?" asked Doug Huse, director of operations for the church. "It's too huge. It's too massive. It overpowers the neighborhood."

The project is one of two major housing complexes slated for the campus, where lush gardens with fountains and manicured lawns are dotted with well-kept period-revival mansions that used to be part of "Millionaires' Row" along Orange Grove Boulevard. Together, they will bring more than 1,000 new dwellings to Pasadena, a city of 141,000 that for decades has been described as built out.

"There are certainly no other 20-acre parcels sitting around," Mayor Bill Bogaard said.

The Pasadena City Council is expected to approve the new project, which has the support of historic preservationists and the West Pasadena Residents' Assn., on April 2.

In September, the City Council approved the development of an "urban village" of 820 residences and 22,000 square feet of commercial space, called Westgate, at the eastern end of the campus. It will be the largest housing development in the city's history and is expected to break ground this fall.

Those projects will complement Old Town's commercial space, placing consumers within walking distance of Colorado Boulevard's shops and restaurants, and giving them less reason to drive, said Mike Winter, a senior vice president of Sares-Regis, the developer of Westgate.

But some are concerned that the housing will further increase the density of the already traffic-congested downtown and change the character of a historic area. Pasadena has in recent years embraced smart growth — building high-density condos and apartments near commercial areas and transit lines. The city's downtown development boom has taken place alongside criticism that its growth model is unrealistic and that the new condos and lofts detract from the city's stately past.

Chris Sutton, a land-use attorney who grew up in the neighborhood and has represented anti-development residents, called the promises of high-density growth "inconsistent" and "hypocritical."

"Wealthier people see their city becoming more congested and overbuilt, and poorer people see the city becoming too expensive to live in," he said.

Sutton also doubts that new residents will abandon their cars in favor of the nearby Gold Line. "The people who can afford that level of payment and rent are going to buy two Mercedes-Benz and drive to downtown L.A.," he said.

"The community has known for years that the property was going to be developed," said Greg Galletly, president of Dorn Platz. "The plan that we've brought forward fit within the community's expectations."

A General Plan allowing higher-density, mixed-use development, adopted in the mid-1990s, was the harbinger of the move toward smart growth in Pasadena, Bogaard said. The intention, he said, was "to reduce dependence on the automobile. The hope is that our downtown will be vital and exciting."

Since then, there has been a surge of mixed-use, high-density development centered around the city's Old Town district along Colorado Boulevard. Among the projects is Del Mar Transit Village, a now-completed housing complex built around a Gold Line station a few blocks east of Ambassador West.

Critics say the city has gone overboard.

Sue Mossman, executive director of Pasadena Heritage, a historical preservation group, said she supports the Ambassador West plan because no historic buildings will be demolished but remains concerned about the effect it will have on the city's character.

"The lesson is that we are victims of our own success," she said. "Forty years ago, you couldn't get people to build new housing in Pasadena. Now that the community is recognized as a beautiful, economically vibrant and historic place to live, suddenly its popularity has risen astronomically. The development pressure here is tremendous."

Galletly defended Ambassador West as a modest development. Seniors, who will occupy most of the new condos, drive less and have less of an impact on traffic and noise, he said.

He also said the plan leaves 72% of the open space on the former campus intact and preserves historic mansions built near the turn of the 20th century that sit on the property.

Preservationists and neighborhood groups were satisfied with the latest development plans, which are far less ambitious than previous proposals that called for as many as 2,000 units.

Fred Zepeda, president of the West Pasadena Residents' Assn., said the effect will be minimal. "I don't know how it gets much better than this while still having development."

City seeks parking report before approving mall
By Kenneth Todd Ruiz Staff Writer

ARCADIA - City Council members want Westfield to show them the parking.

After strongly criticizing the mall owner, council members late Tuesday night attached one more condition before it would approve construction of a proposed expansion dubbed The Promenade.

"When they opened the first phase of their expansion, the biggest complaint we heard was about their parking," Councilman Bob Harbicht said Wednesday, referring to the mall's first phase of expansion, which opened in 2004.

By the end of the meeting, Westfield agreed to submit specific plans for accommodating the loss of parking during the project's construction, which based on its estimate for the city is between 600 and 800 spaces.

Although city staff recommended approval of the project, which the council will likely confer after approving the parking plan, traffic anxiety and pent-up frustrations over Westfield's battle with developer Caruso Affiliated made for a tense exchange at Tuesday's meeting.

Westfield spokeswoman Katey Dickey said the company would comply with the request and was looking forward to coming back before the council.

Westfield America President Ken Wong was traveling and couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday, one day after taking his lumps from the council with a smile.

"After we finally got done with all the questions, I scolded Westfield Corp. for the fact they've been a terrible corporate citizen and are trying everything they can to tear this community apart," Harbicht said.

Notwithstanding that, Harbicht said he told Wong, "I love your proposal and I think it will be great for the city."

The 100,000-square-foot expansion will add premium retailers in an outdoor setting above two levels of parking.

Arcadia City Council OKs Plan For Shopping Center
Council Objects To Plan For Off-Track Betting Facility

POSTED: 6:36 pm PDT April 17, 2007

ARCADIA, Calif. -- After a marathon debate that spanned two meetings and included comments from dozens of residents, the Arcadia City Council unanimously approved plans Tuesday for a high-end shopping center at a mostly unused parking lot at Santa Anita racetrack.

The council objected to plans for a 98,000-square-foot off-track betting facility in the development, and deleted it from the project.

That deletion was a minor victory for opponents of the development, who descended on the Arcadia City Council during two meetings to voice their distaste for the project. Many members of the opposition group Arcadia First! spoke to the council during a marathon meeting last Wednesday that stretched into the early hours of Thursday morning.

Jeff Schenkel, spokesman for Arcadia First!, said the group's executive committee would meet as soon as possible to discuss options -- including a possible referendum or litigation.

"It's still unknown, but it's up to them," Schenkel said.

The Shops at Santa Anita will be built by developer Rick Caruso, best known for turning the parking lot at Farmers Market into The Grove. This time his development would fill a rarely used parking lot next to the race track that served as a major location for the hit movie "Seabiscuit."

Caruso has repeatedly denied opponents' allegations that the project would generate more traffic than the area can handle or turn into a full-blown casino center.

"Nobody can come up here and say that Santa Anita intends to or has the right to expand gaming," Caruso told the council. "They don't intend to. We're not going to. And I've been on record saying -- and I will not support it. And I will come out against it because that's not what we're intending to do."

A letter from Caruso's firm to Arcadia residents promised to "build on the rich heritage of the track and provide upscale shops, unique outdoor restaurants, and lushly landscaped park-like settings and promenades."

The firm sweetened the pot for Arcadia residents with promises of a community performing arts center and 25,000 square feet of office space for the Arcadia School District headquarters.

The adjacent cities of Pasadena and San Marino have weighed in on the issue with concerns about traffic, housing and other worries.

Opponents argued that the center will snarl traffic at 20 nearby intersections, as the project would be 61 percent larger than The Grove in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles.

The Westfield Group, owner of a large shopping center next to the racetrack, has already said it opposes the project.

San Marino city planners have told Arcadia they worry about mall-related traffic on already-congested Huntington Drive, and Pasadena officials said they are worried about snarls at Colorado Boulevard and Michillinda Avenue during peak hours.

slow goins on the atlantic times square. 2 cranes. one truck... and a realy big empty lot. looks as if they were driving piles... or somthing
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/176/471499171_b449916b82_b.jpg

A Pasadena jewel gets a polishing
The distinctive, 80-year-old City Hall gradually reopens after a three-year, $117-million renovation.
By Cecilia Rasmussen, Times Staff Writer
May 6, 2007

Pasadena City Hall can be characterized as a beaux-arts rendition of a Renaissance-style palace, topped like a wedding cake with a Spanish Baroque dome. And it's back in the limelight after a $117-million renovation and seismic retrofit.

The landmark has appeared in movies and TV shows, portrayed as a mental institution, a police station and even the Supreme Court building. Now City Hall is receiving star billing around town as city officials reopen it in phases after three years of restoration.

Refurbished inside and out, including new plumbing, the 80-year-old edifice contains 235 rooms and passageways covering 170,000 square feet. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building is surrounded by giant oak and magnolia trees and a Spanish Colonial courtyard that boasts a Baroque stone fountain.

It was first envisioned by civic leaders in 1922 during the City Beautiful movement as the "Athens of the West," rising at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, the centerpiece of the Pasadena Civic Center. The next year, voters approved a $3.5-million bond issue to build the City Hall, a library and a civic auditorium, all linked by grand boulevards. The library was first to open, in February 1927.

San Francisco architects John R. Bakewell Jr. and Arthur Brown Jr., who had designed San Francisco's lavish domed City Hall a decade earlier, won Pasadena's architectural design contest. Influenced by the style of Andrea Palladio, a 16th century Italian architect who favored Renaissance classicism, the team designed a rectangular building with a six-story circular tower.

The dome is tiled in a fish-scale pattern and topped by a lantern, a 41-foot-high cupola resting on columns, paying homage to domes gracing edifices such as St. Paul's Cathedral in London, the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, where Napoleon is entombed, and the church of Santa Maria della Salute in Venice.

Construction of the $1.34-million City Hall on Garfield Avenue began in January 1926 and required more than 1 million board feet of lumber, 20,000 cubic yards of concrete and more than 35,000 tons of rock and gravel from the San Gabriel River. Its interior speaks to custom craftsmanship, using materials such as Alaskan marble, cast stone, wrought iron, copper, vertical-grained white oak and Cordova clay tiles.

When it opened Dec. 27, 1927, it was considered to be among the strongest buildings in Southern California. It was also the tallest in Pasadena, its dome topping out at 206 feet.

"There's an old joke that City Hall opened for business five days before the 1928 Rose Parade so they could put the entry fees into the shiny new cash registers," said Ann Erdman, public information officer for the city.

Over the years, City Hall's attractions have proved irresistible to moviemakers. Its courtyard stood in for a Napa Valley town square in the 1995 movie "A Walk in the Clouds," starring Keanu Reeves and Anthony Quinn. Quinn rode through the rotunda on a white horse.

"The location managers searched that region for the perfect Napa-style courtyard for the big fiesta scene, and they finally found it — at Pasadena City Hall," Erdman said.

The imposing landmark also posed as an embassy in the "Mission: Impossible" television series, the Beverly Hills police station in all the "Beverly Hills Cop" movies — despite the fact that the real Beverly Hills police station is itself glamorous — and as a villa in Charlie Chaplin's Oscar-nominated 1940 film "The Great Dictator."

In a city where historic preservation is much like a civic obsession, City Hall has long been among the crown jewels of Pasadena, along with the Colorado Street Bridge, the Rose Bowl and the Gamble House. Although the renovation has been among the costliest public works projects in Pasadena, city officials decided that they couldn't risk losing the landmark in another quake.

The work was funded by local tax revenue, the sale of bonds and an increase in the percentage of electricity revenue that is annually transferred from the city's light and power fund to the general fund. It also received grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state, as well as contributions from individuals and foundations.

The entire civic center area has undergone a major face-lift in the last seven years, beginning with the demolition of an enclosed mall called Pasadena Plaza in 2000, which had become an eyesore. Residents will long remember how a bulldozer smashed through the mall as onlookers listened to the strains of classical music and the crowd cheered.

Now, City Hall, the Civic Auditorium and the library are back in an unobstructed "view corridor," and the old mall has been transformed into the fashionable Paseo Colorado.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1043/745298497_bb392be1f1_b.jpg
from flickr by ME!

render [best i could find]
http://www.cityofalhambra.org/photos/government/LibDesign.jpg

Sinanian Development, Inc. of Tarzana, CA, was selected by the City of Alhambra to complete the construction of the new Alhambra Civic Center Library, currently being built at 101 South First Street, adjacent to City Hall.

The company received a construction award of $27,960,000, financed through the sale of the existing library and tax increment bonds issued by the Redevelopment Agency and other revenues. The new library will be comprised of a total floor area of 45,000 sq. ft. and a two-level underground parking garage with approximately 240 spaces.

Charles Walton Associates AIA, Inc., (CWA AIA) of Glendale, was contracted to design the new facility. The exterior of the building will compliment the Moorish design elements common to Alhambra's other Civic Center facilities, while the interior will be bright, colorful and comfortable. Service areas will feature unique design elements to clearly identify where you are with specially-designed portals for each section. These will include areas for young children, teens, and adults, as well as a Literacy center and space devoted to the International Language collection. Each area will include its own seating, shelving, computers and study rooms, as well as reference and other collections. A spacious multi-purpose room, designed for library programs, public activities and meetings will be available; with its attached kitchen and independent, outside access doors, the room can be used "after hours." Another exciting element described by the architect is an outdoor patio reading area off the second floor service area. Following a trend more typically found in bookstore than in libraries, readers may be able to purchase a cup of coffee at an onsite beverage kiosk.

Due to the city's growing population, the Main Street library has been hampered by a lack of adequate space, mechanical and electrical systems, and suffers from insufficient parking for patrons and staff. There is no space in the existing facility to add new materials to its collections, computers have to be rebooted frequently due to power issues, children often have to sit on the floor to read, and it has been necessary to reconfigure the community room to serve other purposes, thereby leaving the library without a meeting area. Due to the nature of the building and property site, the current facility is not opportune for expansion or rehabilitation to meet future needs.

The new library will balance the use of land throughout the Project Area by creating a comprehensive Civic Center, while the sale of the existing site to a leading development firm will create a higher and better economic use of the existing library site, and upgrade the aesthetic characteristic of the site and overall character of the Downtown, as well as provide for the expansion of the community's housing in the Downtown area.

From a redevelopment viewpoint, "the construction of a new library adjacent to City Hall and a new downtown mixed-use facility is a win-win situation," noted Julio Fuentes, Alhambra City Manager. "And it's being achieved without placing any new taxes or fees on our property owners."

The existing library, located at 410 West Main Street, has been sold to a private developer, the J.H. Synder Company, and will be torn down and replaced by a five-story multi-use complex. The company's proposal consists of building 136 residential units (with two and three bedrooms per unit); 6,650 square feet of retail/office space front Main Street; and 381 at grade and subterranean parking spaces. Estimated project value is $75,000,000.

i just ran into a guy on the Flyaway bus who used live in Altandena/Pasadena 10 years ago but now lives in Texas. He said that he couldn't believe how much Pasadena had changed over the last 10 years w/ so many sfh's gone and now where condos/apts stand. He also was super excited about the Gold Line running through the city. Though he was unnerved by how much Old Town had changed, seeing that when he left many of those buildings were boarded up w/ just the beginnings of things starting to change. Lastly, he was completely floored to find a Tiffany's on Colorado Boulevard.

sfh's ?

single family homes

garvey rapid line
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a22/godblessbotox/sgv-rapid.jpg

close... but not yet, guess i have to await december



what metro line is that?

I wonder if there going to have the new Slinky Rapid buses on this route to catch people's attention. Definitely to gain more ridership on this corridor?

what metro line is that?

hmm... it appears to be the garvey chavez metro rapid line

atlantic time square / monterey park
Mass Excavation Reaches Grade 8-24-2007
http://www.ci.monterey-park.ca.us/images/sta_8-24-07__cc_-.jpg
http://www.ci.monterey-park.ca.us/images/sta_9-7-07_-_a_.jpg
project site:
http://www.ci.monterey-park.ca.us/home/index.asp?page=1403
navigate on the left menu. the hyperlinks in the main page are more or less usless

west main street corridor / alhambra

Site 5 - South Side of Main (Existing Library Site)
between Fourth & Fifth Streets
Proposed Developer: J. H. Snyder Co.

- Site Area: 2.1 acres
- Site Purchase Price: $9.14 million by the J. H. Snyder Company
- Approved for a five-story mixed-use development
- Up to 144 residential condominiums: (max. 2 bedrooms/unit upper four levels)
- Approximately 11,000 SF commercial space: (retail/office units for lease)
- Parking: at grade and subterranean to serve both uses
- Building permits are expected to be pulled around Oct. 2007 with
construction beginning Nov. 2007. Completion estimated to be Fall 2009.
- Estimated Assessed Value on Buildout: $75,000,000
http://www.cityofalhambra.org/photos/about/Site5_300.jpg
http://cityofalhambra.org/photos/about/Site5b.jpg

Site 6 - NE corner of Main & Third

- Site Area: approx. 1.2 acres
- ARA currently owns 231, 239 and 249
W. Main and is in the process of
acquiring the second and final
property to complete the Site
- Proposed: 4-story mixed use
- 94 residential condominiums
(81 1-bedroom, 13 2-bedrooms)
- 5,000 SF commercial space
- 253 parking spaces
(2 levels of subterranean)
- Estimated Project Value: $48,500,000
http://www.cityofalhambra.org/photos/about/Site6_300.jpg

Site 7 - South Side of Main
between Second & Fourth Streets

- Site Area: 2.3 acres
- Proposed: 5-story mixed-use
- 140 residential condominiums
- 21,500 SF commercial space
- 713 parking spaces
(at grade & subterranean)
- Estimated Project Value:
$76,459,000
http://www.cityofalhambra.org/photos/about/Site7_12-05.jpg

Site 4 - North Side of Main
between Fourth & Fifth Streets

- Site Area: 1.6 acres
- Proposed: 5-story mixed-use
- 90 residential condominiums
(max. 2 bedrooms/unit)
- 22,679 SF Commercial Space
- Parking: 398 at grade & subterranean
- Estimated Project Value: $51,803,700
http://www.cityofalhambra.org/photos/government/Site4_12-05.jpg

map:http://www.cityofalhambra.org/government/development_services/economic/downloads/Map_WMain.pdf

is that a TOD?

ha, hell no. but i think there claiming them to be due to the 78[?] bus running down main

... is the SGV ever planning to be their own county anytime soon?

^^ their own county? why would they do that?

... is the SGV ever planning to be their own county anytime soon?

yah. theres a meeting on the 29th. why dont you drive on down and tell us what you think. that way los angeles county can loose some tax revenue :)

http://www.ci.monterey-park.ca.us/images/stitch_10-4-07__1_-.jpg

http://www.ci.monterey-park.ca.us/images/stitch_10-4-07__2a_.jpg

http://www.ci.monterey-park.ca.us/images/stitch_10-4-07__2d_.jpg

http://www.ci.monterey-park.ca.us/home/index.asp?page=1527

they are actually much further along in this project then the website indicates. i stopped by the site last night and they already had the concrete foundation mostly poured along with rebar and concrete support columns all over the place.

i could not take a photo because the damn green construction fence is taller then my tripod. but the site is WAY bigger and deeper then i would have ever thought it was going to be. also has a proper crane.

also, looks like they have a website now. though there is not much on it:
http://atlantictimesquare.com/

ill try to stop by sometime this weekend and grab some images, this thing is going to be a monster


ha, looks like they dont want to see the likes of me there

"Residents are also encouraged to
report problems or concerns such
as seeing people on the site at
night or weekends or hear noises
when the construction crews are
not on site during the week by
using either the non-emergency
Police number (626) 573 1311 or
if in an emergency 911."

page 4:
http://www.ci.monterey-park.ca.us/docs/december_pages_1-8.pdf

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2147/2058041161_e80f29cf62_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2315/2058042049_27570c8901_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2210/2058825914_8435628dd0_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2043/2058827878_36ef3237a1_b.jpg

so yah. lots happened since the cities update

^^ I'm surprised that those residents in the stucco homes did not try to stop this development. Since they are literally right behind the soon to be complex and it would block off their sun and views*

^^ I'm surprised that those residents in the stucco homes did not try to stop this development. Since they are literally right behind the soon to be complex and it would block off their sun and views*

nah, the city wanted this. there are no complexes of this kind within the city limits so... as far as i know it was a-okay by the residents.

god knows its going to make traffic on atlantic about a billion times worse when its completed... but at least it will have ample parking?

hey look at that...
curbed noticed :)

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2007/11/construction_wa_20.php

Baby, what is this?

Baby, what is this?
...?

...?


WOAH!!!! WAIT A MINUTE HERE!!!!!

Do I see cyber love between two forumers???:naughty:

Botox:lovethem:(K)... Nice!

:lol::nuts:

Oh god "Ferney" you are always ready for a show. I was lost on the project.

Lots of construction going on in the SGV. Off the top of my head of projects planned or under construction:

Alhambra
U/C - 2 story library
Planned 5 story mix-use off of Main, and 2nd & 4th
Planned 4 story mix-use off of Main, and 3rd
Planned 5 story mix-use off of Main, and 4th & 5th north
Planned 5 story mix-use off of Main, and 4th & 5th south

Arcadia
U/C - 2 story fire department off of Santa Anita
Planned 800,000sq ft shopping center off of Huntington, east of Baldwin

Monterey Park
U/C - 6 story mix-use off of Atlantic, north of Emerson
U/C - 4 story mix-use off of Garfield, south of Garvey
U/C - 1 story shopping center off of Atlantic, south of Garvey
Planned 5 story mix-use off of Atlantic, south of Garvey
Planned 5 story mix-use off of Garfield, south of Garvey
Planned 500,000sq ft shopping center off of 60fwy, between Garfield & Paramont exits

Rosemead
U/C - 8 story bank off of 10fwy, east of Rosemead
Planned - 4 story mix-use off of Del Mar, north of Emerson (picture on site)
Planned - 4 story mix-use off of Del Mar, and Garvey (picture on site)

San Gabriel
U/C - 2 story shopping center off of Valley, east of Del Mar
U/C - 2 story bank off of Valley, next to the Hilton Plaza
U/C - 2 story shopping center off of San Gabriel, south of Mission
U/C - 1 story library off of Del Mar, near Broadway
Planned - 5 story mix-use off of San Gabriel, south of Las Tunas (picture on site)

Temple City
U/C - 5 story mix-use off of Las Tunas, east of Rosemead (picture on site, www.piazzalastunas.com)
U/C - 2 story shopping center of off Baldwin, north of Lower Asuza

Temple City
U/C - 5 story mix-use off of Las Tunas, east of Rosemead (picture on site, www.piazzalastunas.com)

Anybody knows what happened to this project? They tore down the movie theater but nothing is moving. It's been a hole in the ground for months. I drive by it every a.m.

website dont work. but is this the lot on the north east corner?

website dont work. but is this the lot on the north east corner?

That's the one, also the website used to work.

too lazy to type it all out again.

old
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2187/2153393909_1ef73fdb2b.jpg

new
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2016/2157418590_32c0cd948f_b.jpg
larger (http://www.flickr.com/photos/godblessbotox/2157418590/)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2163/2156616919_ae64ddfa62_b.jpg
larger (http://www.flickr.com/photos/godblessbotox/2156616919/)

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/01/san_gabriel_rub.php

I remember bowling at San Gabriel Lanes when I was younger.

San Gabriel's streets undergoing repairs
By Robert S. Hong, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 02/22/2008 11:33:23 PM PST

San Gabriel's byways are getting a $20 million face-lift, and today residents are invited to get a sneak peek at the new look.

After years of hearing complaints about pothole-marred streets in pockets around the city, City Council members decided in October to take a holistic approach to tackling the problem and directed staff to come up with a plan.

Titled "Great Streets: 2008 and Beyond," the makeover begins this morning with a ceremony along Fairview Avenue at New Circle Drive, one of the more degraded streets in the city, officials said.

"We're showing the community which streets will be addressed as part of the Great Streets program," said city Planning Manager Carol Barrett. "We will also be having a conversation with property owners and residents on larger issues of commercial revitalization."

The projects will span more than seven miles of road, and eight streets have been slated for improvements so far.

Fairview is next on the list, Barrett said.

Improvements will be funded in part by state and federal grants, she said.

Following Fairview will be Live Oak Street, from Junipero Serra Drive to California Street, then Roses Road, from Mission Road to Del Mar Avenue, and in late summer officials hope to begin work along San Gabriel Boulevard.

Work on San Gabriel will go from Mission Road to Las Tunas Drive and will take up the lions' share of the $4 million funding for the project.

the council, this issue has been at the heart of a lot of discussion and community outcry in recent years, and they are eager to get started on repairs.

"It means a lot because this has been a No. 1 priority for us," Mayor Kevin Sawkins said. "Probably the No. 1 issue we hear about is the condition of our streets."

The council will be at today's kickoff party to meet with residents and other concerned citizens to go over the Great Streets program and discuss revitalization of the Fairview shopping area.

Dondi Adkins, president of the San Gabriel Chamber of Commerce, said she expects street improvements to have a positive effect on local business.

"I think the businesses are really looking forward to the streets being repaired," she said. "If it is done in a timely manner it's going to help them tremendously."

ok.. so far all that has been posted has been about western San Gabriel Valley.. well in eastern San Gabriel Valley there is some possible new developments, I will list a few.

Dynasty Plaza, Rowland Heights, CA

http://www.dynastyplaza.com/

Site: 18800 East Railroad Street Rowland Heights, CA 91748 (http://lalife.com/address/18800_Railroad_St_City_of_Industry_CA_91748)
Size: 14.86 acres
Developer: Angelus Real Estate Development
Ground-breaking: 2009
Completion: 2010+

A large outdoor shopping an entertainment center which is called a "lifestyle center", will be like San Gabriel Valley's version of Hollywood & Highland Center, Westfield Century City, or The Promenade at Howard Hughes Center, the SGV actually has other centers like this planned, but this is one of the largest.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/dynastyplaza/dynastyplaza1024.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/dynastyplaza/dynastyplaza_southelev.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/dynastyplaza/dynastyplaza_eastelev.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/dynastyplaza/dynastyplaza_overview.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/dynastyplaza/dynastyplaza_levels1024.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/dynastyplaza/dynastyplaza_diagram.jpg

El Monte Transit Village, El Monte, CA

http://www.elmontetransitvillage.com/

Size: 60 acres
Cost: $1.2 billion
Developer: Titan Group
Ground-breaking: 2008
Completion: 2013-2015

Built around the local bus hub and believed to be the largest transit-oriented development in California, this mixed-use, smart-growth project will contain 1,850 residential units, 560,000 sq. ft. of retail, 500,000 sq. ft. of office space, a 200-room hotel and 11 acres of public parks. The developers estimate that when completed, El Monte Transit Village will bring the city of El Monte $3.5 million in annual revenues.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/elmonte_transitvillage/ElMonteViewclr_big.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/elmonte_transitvillage/El_Monte_Transit_Village2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/elmonte_transitvillage/El_Monte_Transit_Village1b.jpg

The Parks, Monrovia, CA (Monrovia Station Square)

http://theparksmonrovia.com/ (http://theparksmonrovia.com/test.swf) / http://www.samuelsonandfetter.com/monroviastationsquare.html

Part of Monrovia's Transit-Oriented Development planned for when the Metro Gold Line extends further east (which hopefully will be soon)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/msslong.jpg

The Shops at Santa Anita, Arcadia, CA

http://www.shopsatsantaanita.com/

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/shopsatsantaanita/shopsatsantaanita-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/shopsatsantaanita/shopsatsantaanita-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/shopsatsantaanita/shopsatsantaanita-3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/shopsatsantaanita/shopsatsantaanita-4.jpg

La Puente, CA

PDF: http://www.louielujan.com/files/la.puente.almanac.pdf

The Village at La Puente
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/lapuentethevillage.jpg

Puente Plaza
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/lapuentepuenteplaza.jpg

Alhambra Civic Center Library, Alhambra, CA (under construction)

http://www.cityofalhambra.org/government/LibraryConstruction.html

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/alhambralibrary/Alhambra_Civic_Center_Libra.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/alhambralibrary/Alhambra_Civic_Center_Libr2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/alhambralibrary/Alhambra_Civic_Center_Libr3.jpg
^ Construction on February 12, 2008 ^
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/alexthemartian/ladevelopment/alhambralibrary/Alhambra_Civic_Center_Libr4.jpg
^ Construction on February 12, 2008 ^

Wow! A lot of developments are going on in the SGV, and it seems as if a couple of them are based off transit developments.... it's a good thing to see the wonders transit can bring. That Dynasty Plaza development is huge and it looks like it belongs in L.A. Live... this'll definitely turn the tide for a small city like Rowland Heights.

Wow! A lot of developments are going on in the SGV, and it seems as if a couple of them are based off transit developments.... it's a good thing to see the wonders transit can bring. That Dynasty Plaza development is huge and it looks like it belongs in L.A. Live... this'll definitely turn the tide for a small city like Rowland Heights.

Rowland Heights is an unincorporated community, but I think this Dynasty Plaza is right next to the border of City of Industry, and that city has the headquarters of companies like Hot Topic, Newegg.com, etc, so there is plenty of possible business support in the area.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120407688136695391.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

The Huntington's Garden Of Flowing Fragrance
By ARNIE COOPER, The Wall Street Journal
February 27, 2008; Page D10

http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/ED-AH137_garden_20080226174416.jpg
San Marino, Calif.

When Shakespeare's Juliet made her "rose by any other name" pronouncement she clearly wasn't thinking about Chinese culture. In the Far East, using a particular appellation is not merely incidental -- it's essential.

Yang Ye served on the advisory board charged with naming the Huntington's recently opened garden. He says "a name may not be an important thing in the West. But Confucius once said that the naming is of paramount importance. It even relates to the harmony of all under heaven." No wonder it took a year to come up with Liu Fang Yuan, or The Garden of Flowing Fragrance.

Mr. Ye, an associate professor of Chinese and comparative literature at the University of California, Riverside, says the tradition of private gardens began in the Age of Division during the third to the sixth centuries. Back then the government disintegrated and individuals became wealthy enough to have their own gardens. Nowhere exemplifies this better than Suzhou, China's garden capital for over 500 years. Once home to affluent salt and silk merchants, Suzhou, with its trademark arched roofs and compact, walled-in gardens, has been a Unesco World Heritage site since 1997.

Moreover, Suzhou's classical elegance translates seamlessly to the 3.5 acre site fringed by oaks and towering pines here in San Marino. Despite the cultural and geographic distance, one need only stand on "The Terrace That Invites the Mountain" and gaze across the pond to the elegantly curvaceous "Three Friends Pavilion" to imagine oneself somewhere in 16th- or 17th-century China.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Huntington contracted with the China Suzhou Garden Development Co. to send over 11 stone artisans and 50 craftsmen to assemble the eight pavilions and five bridges. Also exported: over 800 tons of limestone rocks from the Lake Tai region.

June Li, an art historian who is also the garden's curator, says these "scholar stones" have been sought after since the 10th century, when emperors would go down to the lake and get them for their imperial gardens. "They've become so famous everyone wants them in their garden," Ms. Li says of the sculptural, multihued rocks.

Few, though, have the resources of the Huntington, which was founded by Henry Edwards Huntington, the railroad and real-estate magnate, in 1919. It includes four art galleries and a library surrounded by 120 acres of gardens containing more than 14,000 plants. Thanks to a very successful fund-raising effort the Chinese Garden had more than $18 million to work with, assuring a creation that is authentic in both its style and the approach to its creation. For beyond the home-grown Chinese materials and artisans, Mr. Ye along with Richard Strassberg, a professor of Chinese at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the poet-filmmaker Wan-go H.C. Weng worked countless hours to find a name that was "artistic," "graceful," "elegant" and "highbrow."

"We tried very hard," Mr. Ye says, "to give this garden a name with some literary connections, so as to match the prestige of the Huntington's library and gardens." (In addition to the Ellesmere manuscript of Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales," the private collection boasts a Gutenberg Bible and paintings such as Gainsborough's "Blue Boy.") The result, "Liu Fang," in addition to meaning "flowing fragrance" also celebrates the Ming Dynasty painter Li Liufang, who is best known for his soulful landscapes.

And what about the plants? Halfway through a gardening article, you'd think the flora would have received more than a casual mention. But this is a Chinese garden, which offers equal billing to the many structural elements. Not that those more interested in botany will be disappointed. Jim Folsom, who directs the Huntington's Botanical Gardens, originally proposed the Chinese garden (in the early '90s) because the museum already had so many native Chinese plants. He also believed the site would be perfect for Chinese pistaches, gingkos and Chinese (Ms. Li insists they're not "Japanese") maples -- all of which will offer a heavy dose of vibrant color come fall.

As for the fragrance, Ms. Li says there will be more than enough wafting around thanks to the jasmine, peach, plum and sweet olive blossoms that are in various stages of bloom. But like so many things in this garden, one mustn't let reality, however redolent, undercut a more potent aspect of this ancient art: the symbolism that permeates virtually every piece of wood, tile and stone that constitutes this artfully constructed garden.

Lisa Blackburn, communications coordinator at the Huntington, likens a visit to Liu Fang Yuan to entering a scroll painting. "As you wander through a garden like this, it's kind of like you're unrolling this painting and traveling into all these different scenes as you go, not just looking at one static image and saying 'oh that's pretty.' "

Enhancing the experience: calligraphy and poetry, which along with painting make up what Chinese scholars call sanjue, or "The Three Perfections." Mr. Ye, whose charcoal embossed characters adorn the teahouse, says calligraphy in gardens helps people understand "the real nature." "After all, the garden is something man-made. Inscription done in calligraphy actually tells people what nature is like."

The curving brush strokes also provide the link to literature. Mr. Ye says the name of the teahouse, The Freshwater Pavilion, comes from the 12th-century poet Su Bong Po's poem about using "living" or fresh water to make tea.

The stories seem endless. The Love for the Lotus Pavilion was named after an essay written by Zhou Zunyi in the 11th century during the Song Dynasty. Ms. Li says that during this time, there was a great attraction to luxurious things and flowers. "Peonies were a craze especially among the nobility and aristocrats. That's why they're still called 'the flower of prosperity.' As for Zunyi, he compared the lotus to the peony and the chrysanthemum, which were also greatly loved by a lot of people. But to him, the lotus was the best because it represents nobility; it rises out of the mud and blossoms into this beautiful flower."

Of course, the casual (especially non-Chinese-speaking) visitor will probably miss all this. Not wanting to clutter the garden with "didactics," Ms. Li says just a couple of signs will give brief accounts of these stories. A book, "Another World Lies Beyond: Creating Liu Fang Yuan, the Huntington's Chinese Garden," will be published in October.

All the easier for "indulging in the Tao," as Mr. Ye likes to put it. (The Tao can be translated as "the way it simply is.") And what better spot to do that than at the Pavilion for Washing Away Thoughts? Located along the stream that connects to the Japanese garden, and just a few steps from a waterfall, the tiny wooden structure is the most peaceful section of the garden.

Ms. Li says the pavilion's name was inspired by a poem by Liu Zongyuan that was written for a government official in the early ninth century. "The sentiments expressed are those of gratitude for the emperor's attention and heartfelt appreciation for the fragrance and fresh taste of new tea. Like tasting wine, it is helpful in 'washing away thoughts.' "

Indeed, your chattering mind tends to slow down -- in a big way -- when you sit under the wood-thatched roof, inches away from the rushing water with camellia blossoms all around.

Students join in effort to extend Metro Gold Line
By Fred Ortega, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 03/21/2008 11:14:13 PM PDT

MONROVIA - A group of local students have put their technological savvy and marketing know-how to work in hopes of hastening the construction of the Gold Line extension to Montclair.

The students, who come from a variety of disciplines from both Mt. Sierra College in Monrovia and the

University of La Verne, have created a Web site -

www.iwillride.org - which has already collected more than 150 signatures in support of the $1.4 billion project.

The goal of the campaign is to persuade members of the Metro Board to include the 24-mile rail link on the transit agency's long-range transportation plan. The board voted in January against doing so but has until June to finalize the plan.

"This is something that we as students really need," said Jonathan Fitzhugh, 22, student body president at University of La Verne, who was involved in the project. "There is no real efficient mass transit system like this in the San Gabriel Valley."

Area officials say getting the project on the plan is critical in order to leverage up to $320 million in federal funds for the first phase of the project, to the Azusa-Glendora border. Metro's actions have already delayed construction of the extension by at least one year, to the end of 2009.

"I think we are all tired of the traffic, and we want to help the environment," said Kristen Manes, 23, of San Gabriel, a media arts major who helped design the campaign's posters.

They feature clever reverse-psychology catch phrases such as "Efficient Travel is Overrated" and "San Gabriel Valley is Not Important."

"Stating the obvious would be mundane, but having statements that make people say `What?' makes people want to find out more," said Mitch McKenzie, who designed the site and came up with some of the campaign slogans.

The Web site also features a page for users to upload their own YouTube video testimonials in favor of the extension, and the students are expanding their campaign through cyberspace by tapping into social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook.

The petitions collected on the site will eventually be presented to the Metro Board when it next meets to consider the project.

Chester Britt, an outreach consultant for the Metro Gold Line Foothill Construction Authority, who provided some assistance to the students, said it was natural for college-aged youths in the Valley to be supportive of the Gold Line.

"We don't know of any other light rail line going by so many colleges, so if anybody should be disappointed this doesn't get built, it should be the students," Britt said. "They recognize this is their chance to make a difference and influence what the legislators are doing."

Fortune Plaza development currently in progress on Valley Blvd just east of Del Mar Ave.... Pics taken on March 30th, 2008.

http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/4695/dscn5882el4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/3695/dscn5889kd5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/3513/dscn5893rs6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/5015/dscn5890ko5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/6105/dscn5897ca0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/5747/dscn5899if5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

This development falls in line with the current trend of Asian-oriented commercial in-fill developments along Valley Blvd in the city of San Gabriel (as well as those in Alhambra and Rosemead).

Proposed site of mixed-retail development in Rosemead. 36 residential attached units with lower commercial retail space of over 11,000 sq. ft. Pics taken on March 30th, 2008.

Property signage......

http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/1070/dscn5919lz3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

West-side of Del Mar Ave. just north of Emerson Pl. looking north towards proposed development site.....

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/7806/dscn5921ua8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Close-up pics of current property site....

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/6081/dscn5916ca2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/4166/dscn5917hv3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Talked with several realtors/investors and a staff member at the restaurant itself. Seems like Norm's in San Gabriel is scheduled to close sometime in mid-August this year....

Restaurant is located on the northwest corner of the Valley Blvd/Del Mar Ave. intersection in the city of San Gabriel.

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/5454/dscn5901ri4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Proposed future site is going to be another commercial retail complex. The current restaurant does have plenty of ample parking space, so this seems like another interesting project with lots of room for construction. The San Gabriel Hilton Hotel is less than a block away.......

http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/3865/dscn5884zl5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/7882/dscn5903ey9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/3782/dscn5904yq1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/8205/dscn5906sy4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/741/dscn5908xh5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/4404/dscn5909bh3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/4133/dscn5915il4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Proposal to expand DreamWorks moves ahead
Redevelopment Agency will review design that includes addition exceeding what’s allowed.
By Jason Wells

NORTHWEST GLENDALE — DreamWorks Animation’s expansion on Flower Street could cast a longer shadow after securing a recommendation from the Planning Commission on Wednesday to give the campus an updated zoning designation that would allow the studio’s addition to be higher than currently allowed.

The proposed 128,718-square-foot addition would be six stories — five above grade and one underground — and more than double the total size of the campus’ Lakeside building.

DreamWorks officials are seeking an amendment to their 1996 development agreement with the city that would allow them to build within the expanded perimeters of a 2004 rezoning of their project area, which allows buildings to grow in height from 35 feet to 175 feet, or 10 stories, whichever is less.

“It’s appropriate to amend the agreement to reflect the current zoning code,” Development Services Director Philip Lanzafame said.

The Planning Commission’s recommendation for the development amendment is tentatively scheduled to go to the City Council on April 22 for final consideration.

In either case, DreamWorks has the right under the current development agreement to expand its square footage of 331,784 to 495,000, according to city reports.

“DreamWorks is still vested in building out the remainder of the allowed square footage,” Jeffrey Haber, an attorney for the animation studio, told the commission Wednesday. “What’s at stake is the height allowance for the square footage.”

An environmental consulting firm for the studio determined that the increased shadows of a building 165% taller than what had originally been allowed under the old development were insignificant, and that minor physical changes to Flower Street would adequately address the addition of an emergency access gate on the property there.

The addendum to the development agreement would also include an addition to the parking garage to provide 256 more parking spaces and an extension of the south parking lot, according to a city report.

Despite the environmental findings, Planning Commissioner Richard Ramirez remained unconvinced of the proposal’s safety, citing potentially unexplored impacts to the underground water table and effects of possible soil contamination of a property that is within the boundaries of the San Fernando Road corridor Superfund site.

“You haven’t proven to me that you have a safe site,” Ramirez said. “I would love to see the building go up, but I just want to make sure it’s safe.”

Haber pointed to his consultant’s report, and zoning language that allowed the proposal to bypass additional environmental review, in refuting Ramirez’s assertion.

“All of the analysis that we’ve done thus far shows that we do,” Haber responded.

Commission Chairman Bill Kane and colleague Gary Gero — the only other members on the dais — agreed, going so far as to yield chairmanship to Ramirez in order to pass the motion 2-1, since Kane, as chair, is not allowed to second a motion.

The narrowly passed recommendation sends the proposal to the Redevelopment Agency for design review and the City Council for a final sign-off on the development agreement. Glendale News Press

2,500 Workers Put Finishing Touches on Largest Retail and Residential Destination to Open in California This Year - The Americana at Brand
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/P3070009L.jpg spatesexcavation.com
© Business Wire 2008

2008-04-02 07:47:56 -

- While everyone is talking about the economic downturn, the slowdown in construction and the poor outlook for retail and housing, 2,500 workers are busily preparing for the opening of The Americana at Brand on May 2 in Glendale, California, making the development look like a "well functioning anthill," according to a front page article in the California section of
today's Los Angeles Times. The almost one million-square-foot, $400 million outdoor shopping, dining and luxury residential community is the brainchild of Rick Caruso, the visionary who created The Grove, the immensely popular shopping and entertainment destination next to the historic Farmer's Market in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles.

The Americana at Brand is expected to be the hottest destination in Southern California this year. While retailers have pulled back in other locations, they have filled all of the spaces at The Americana at Brand, anticipating the center will surpass The Grove which pulls in more than 18 million people each year.

Casey Sayre & Williams
Karen Diehl or Carolyn McEwen, 310-396-2400
pr-inside.com

^^ No offense, but Glendale is not in the San Gabriel Valley (at least according to the area boundaries defined by the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership Brochure dated Nov. 1st, 2007).

Perhaps Glendora, but not Glendale. :)

Was just going to say that. To my knowledge, it is Pasadena that lies at the north-west corner of the San Gabriel Valley, not Glendale.

Glendale in still in the San Fernando Valley if you look at a satellite or terrain map. The hills just west of the Arroyo Seco lies at the eastern edge of Glendale and physically separates it from the San Gabriel Valley.

And as jgacis almost hinted at, it seems the "Glen"s get misplaced often. Glendora is at the north-east corner of the San Gabriel Valley if you look at any terrain map, however people put it with the Pomona Valley sometimes, as it seems to have closer relations with San Dimas and La Verne, then Azusa or Covina.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Fernando_Valley

Most of the San Fernando Valley is within the City of Los Angeles, California, although several smaller cities are within the Valley as well; Burbank and Glendale are in the southeast corner of the Valley, Hidden Hills and Calabasas are in the southwest corner, and San Fernando, which is completely surrounded by the City of Los Angeles, is in the northeast Valley. Universal City, an enclave in the southern part of the Valley, is unincorporated land housing the Universal Studios filming lot. Mulholland Drive, which runs along the ridgeline of the Santa Monica Mountains, marks the boundary between the Valley and the communities of Hollywood and Los Angeles' westside.

You guys don't know what the f... oh, yes you do http://easyfreesmileys.com/smileys/free-ashamed-smileys-266.gif (http://easyfreesmileys.com/)

Someone get a hold of Westy so he can alert a mod and tell them where to place my posts :)

lol

well alright! an active SGV development forumer.
nice to see yah jgacis. have a flickr account?

SGV is sooooooooooooo suburb and not really L.A........

whats wrong with the suburbs :(

yeah but it is closer to LA-like then inland empire, or even orange county in my opinion. and yet both of those have topics here...

everyone keeps putting down SGV, those from it or currently in it get so annoyed.

Some people in L.A. can not even name a city in SGV other then Pasadena. to over half the people out here in West LA when i say where I am from, i have to tell them "somewhere east of LA" and they be like "oh east LA?" and I go "No, San Gabriel Valley" and they go "oh i don't know what that is" :bash:

well alright! an active SGV development forumer.
nice to see yah jgacis. have a flickr account?

Sorry I don't.... :)

Btw, I live here in Alhambra and there are many current and projected developments around here. I'll post them with pics as they develop.

SGV is sooooooooooooo suburb and not really L.A........

That's somewhat true. There are many suburbs here in the SGV.

But it's interesting to note that as the population grows, the suburbs are shrinking and the trend now is multi-housing projects. Just recently, within the last several years are mixed-used projects with commercial/residential combined.

guess i better toss mine back into the mix

2121 West Main Street
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2185/2390432256_0b40993f2f_b.jpg

http://www.cityofalhambra.org/photos/government/Panettoni500.jpg
project link (http://www.cityofalhambra.org/government/development_services/economic/PanattoniProject.html)
________________________________________________________________

atlantic times square update
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2331/2389602449_17ed50ab30_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3080/2390433682_f2f7596b5d_b.jpg

http://www.ci.monterey-park.ca.us/home/index.asp?page=1403
________________________________________________________________

mission gardens
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2377/2389609143_2cc59e6175_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2331/2390445300_e6652c941d.jpg

the web site is not working yet, but its a 21 unit condo near the san gabriel mission


more photos can be found here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/godblessbotox/sets/72157594579953080/)

Talked with several realtors/investors and a staff member at the restaurant itself. Seems like Norm's in San Gabriel is scheduled to close sometime in mid-August this year....

Restaurant is located on the northwest corner of the Valley Blvd/Del Mar Ave. intersection in the city of San Gabriel.

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/5454/dscn5901ri4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Proposed future site is going to be another commercial retail complex. The current restaurant does have plenty of ample parking space, so this seems like another interesting project with lots of room for construction. The San Gabriel Hilton Hotel is less than a block away.......




The address you are inquiring about, currently occupied by the Norm’s restaurant, is within the boundaries of the Valley Blvd. Neighborhood Sustainability Plan, which was adopted by the City Council in December 2006 and which took effect in January 2007. The plan seeks to transform development on Valley Blvd. and surrounding commercial streets by requiring new development to be “sustainable”, i.e. utilizing “green” building techniques to achieve greater savings in energy use, be more environmentally-friendly and use less natural resources. Furthermore, the plan created four different zoning designations along Valley, where previously there had been only one. The plan encourages the clustering of mixed use development at major intersections served by public transit, such as Valley and Del Mar and Valley and San Gabriel.

Prior to the Valley Blvd. Plan being adopted, the entire street was zoned C-3, which would have permitted each lot to be developed with commercial buildings up to 5 stories tall. Under the new plan, commercial buildings are limited to two or in some cases three stories in height. Only at major intersections zoned for mixed-use transit-oriented development and on sites greater than 22,000 square feet of land area would mixed-use development up to 5 stories be permitted.

Regarding the property at 111 W. Valley Blvd., it was purchased in January by Urban Pacific Partners, an Orange County development firm based in Laguna Beach. Urban Pacific has indicated to the City that they are also in escrow to purchase the northeast corner of Valley and Manley, currently occupied by a pre-school. The City has had a few preliminary discussions with Urban Pacific, but no formal submittal of plans has been made at this time. The developer is considering building a high-end commercial center, including retail, offices and nationally or regionally known restaurants. Maximum height of the project would be 3 stories.

Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance to you.


'bout time they get rid of that sea of pot-hole filled parking

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_8882819

State OKs funds for San Gabriel crossing
By Fred Ortega, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 04/10/2008 11:18:57 PM PDT


Vehicles waiting for train to cross intersection at Mission Road and Ramona Street in City of San Gabriel Thursday, April 10, 2008. A more than $330 million dollar state bond will go towards running a freight rail line under Ramona Street and three other intersections in the city of San Gabriel. (Staff Photo by Walt Mancini)SAN GABRIEL - Drivers contending with freight traffic that has snarled downtown San Gabriel for decades saw light at the end of the tunnel Thursday. A state agency approved more than a quarter-billion dollars to divert a busy rail line below ground through the city.

The $337 million approved by the state for the Alameda Corridor East Construction Authority will be used to extend a below-grade trench through the heart of San Gabriel, providing relief for long-suffering commuters along Ramona Street, Mission Road, Del Mar Avenue and San Gabriel Boulevard.

It is the largest award given to a single goods-movement project in the state from the Proposition 1B transportation bond, approved by voters in November 2006, authority officials said.

The half-billion dollar project will involve construction of the trench and overpasses at those four main thoroughfares.

Construction on the so-called San Gabriel Trench project could begin within two years and be completed between 2012 and 2013, said Rick Richmond, the authority's CEO. The remaining cost of the project will be covered by a combination of local Metro and federal matching funds.

San Gabriel Mayor Harry Baldwin, whose city has been contending with increased freight traffic from Southland ports for years, eagerly welcomed the state's decision.

"We have enough traffic just as it is, but if a train stops, then we're really in a problem," said Baldwin, adding that with additional tracks


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Advertisement

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planned alongside the freight rail line going through his city, the problem will only get worse.

The trench project "will keep cars from idling, which is a tremendous plus for air quality. It's a win-win for everybody," he added.

Richmond said a combination of factors - including consensus with neighboring counties, progress already made on the ACE project, and the heavy impact of the county's goods- movement system on the San Gabriel Valley - helped his agency secure the funds.

"This particular problem is not equally distributed across the metropolitan area or even L.A. County," said Richmond, whose agency has already spent $600 million since 2000 to improve 39 crossings and build three grade-separations in Covina, Pomona and El Monte.

"We are really at the center of attention, as far as the impacts that are felt, so that puts us in a position to be competitive."

Richmond said two other grade separations - which run tracks either over or below street intersections - are slated to be completed this year in Industry and Pomona, with four others under construction. The four crossings in San Gabriel that will be built with the state bond money will leave just six more in the Valley to be

A computer generated aerial image of the San Gabriel Trench project when completed. (Courtesy) funded.
http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site206/2008/0410/20080410_104531_SX11-UNDERPASSrender.jpg

But things will get worse for San Gabriel commuters before they get better, once construction on the project starts in a year or two.

"There will be disruption in the area, and we will be limiting how many streets can be closed at one time," said Richmond. "But there will be times when streets have to be closed."

Staff Writer Bethania Palma contributed to this story.


View Larger Map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117581271203324553752.00044a8b3f1e4ed111655&ll=34.091194,-118.107662&spn=0.034119,0.054932&z=14&source=embed)

fred.ortega@sgvn.com

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2306



hot dog

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_8882819

I like how the link to the map at the end of that article actually shows the project site on Google Maps, and I am glad the crossings in San Gabriel is going to get funded, because on the project map on the ACE site it still shows it as pending funding.

The Alameda Corridor East project is improving much of San Gabriel Valley, because I know in Industry, CA the majority of the traffic problems used to be the result of the crossings along Valley Blvd, where the UP Railroad runs right aside it.

'bout time they get rid of that sea of pot-hole filled parking


^^ There we go again with the same crap...

Where are all the shoppers suppose to park their Big V8 SUV's at, huh???

no one shops at norms. heck. no on goes to that norms either

shop at norms? how can you shop there? norms is a restaurant, like a crummy version of Denny's. I gone to the one in West LA a few times (down the strret from Westside Pavillion), it is not the best, but there is not many good options at like 2am

Denny's... :dunno: I hate that place though. I get sick everytime I go to Denny's and Norm's seems like a worse version of that so I'm never even gonna consider going there.

no one shops at norms. heck. no on goes to that norms either

If you've been in that location you can see many asian stores/shops across and down the street. I've seen some people park their cars there so they can shop across the street or nearby when parking elsewhere gets too hectic.

Although Norm's is like a mediocre Denny's , it's own uniqueness in that specific area is what makes it thrive. I've been there only a few times and especially on Friday/Saturday nights its packed with high school kids and older residents who live near the area, especially those along/near Del Mar Ave. in the older neighborhoods. In addition, for the price you pay for, they do give you alot of food per plate. It's a break from the abundant local asian cuisines in that area.

Why do you think it's been able to survive that long there....

yes but the food is just ok, with the same amount of bank i could be extremely full from wonderfully tasty food.

also, that parking lot serves as a makeshift kiss-and-ride lot for the 487 and 76 buses too!

not much of a development, as it has been vacant land for over 2 years.

but i stoped by the proposed "the piazza at temple city"
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2179/2408905401_662c760587_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2175/2408905635_ba8a406fcc_b.jpg

an internet investigation for this project came up dry. so if anyone has any info about this one let me know *see post below*

photo links (http://www.flickr.com/photos/godblessbotox/tags/thepiazzaattemplecity//)
map (http://http://shrinkster.com/wzo)

in my haste to post, i did not notice the building name is actually "the PIAZZA" not "the PLAZA"

This article is a continuation of last week’s “Council Halts Piazza Project” story.

After denying a name change from “Piazza Las Tunas” to “Temple City Spectrum”, the City Council moved to approve two additional changes, re-location of the banquet facility and removing the greenbelt initially proposed by the developers. Discussion continued over the five other proposed alterations at the special City Council meeting on September 25, 2007.

The idea of raising the height limits for several of the Piazza buildings caused a heated discussion among council members and the construction management firm, A & W Builders.

Councilmember Fernando Vizcarra, who was previous firmly opposed to the Piazza mixed-use development, stated that the only height increase he would be in favor of was for the banquet facility.

“We settled on 45 feet. That’s what we agreed upon then. That’s how I feel now” said Councilmember Dave Capra. He added, “I can’t make any findings in this particular thing to allow 47.5 feet when we knew from the very first date the agreement was drawn, 45 feet was the limit.”

“We had so much opposition when we started this” said Councilwoman Cathé Wilson and concurred with Councilmember Capra.

With opposition from three councilmembers, Mayor Pro Tempore Ken Gillanders suggested postponing the item. Mayor Judy Wong agreed.

Next on the agenda was the Venetian design aspect of the project. Although the developer was requesting for approval, drawings were not available for the Council to see.

“Like Councilmember Vizcarra said, we need to see the whole thing before we buy into it” said Councilman Capra.

Mayor Wong agreed, “We are asking for something we can see.”

Councilwoman Wilson moved to postpone the item for further discussion. The next item involved access routes for the project. By request of the construction management firm, the Council agreed to discuss access routes after dealing with the issue of a reduction in parking stalls.

“This [parking reduction change] would impact the whole neighborhood,” declared Councilman Capra. Councilwoman Wilson agreed.

Mayor Pro Tempore Gillanders added, “If indeed this project is successful, one of the major things you’re gonna find is that any decent banquet, and that banquet hall is going to attract an additional 200 cars minimum.”

Councilwoman Cathé Wilson then added, “We have to listen to our residents. You build this, you’re gone. We still live here.”

Despite the opposition from councilmembers, David Wilson noted that the number of parking stalls exceeds the requirements imposed by the City.

City Manager Charles Martin then asked if the number of parking stalls, 731, was an ultimatum made to the City Council. The Piazza team then backed down, “we need to have some direction.”

After much debate over the Piazza changes, the City Council moved to continue discussion during the third week of October.

During public comments, some residents urged the City Council to accept the changes, while others asked for more time to think over them.

“We need to have faith in the [Piazza management] people” said Linda Payne, a Temple City resident. “We have to be business friendly.”



This article was written by Matthew Wong. It was published in the Temple City Voice on December 19, 2007.


http://templecityvoice.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/piazza-project-stalled/

Although this news story happened a few months ago, the Temple City Voice published this article to highlight the significance of the project to Temple City. The Temple City Voice aims to have an updated new story in the immediate future.After a month of intense negotiating, the City Council and the developer of the Piazza at Temple City project have agreed to additional changes.
The Piazza at Temple City is a mixed-use development project located on Las Tunas Drive and Rosemead Boulevard. In May 2006, the previous City Council unanimously approved the controversial development. Since then, the development has struggled with beginning the construction.
In September, the City Council and developer were engaged in heated discussions over eight proposed changes to the development. On Tuesday, October 16, 2007, approximately one month later, the City Council finally agreed to the new alterations proposed by the developer and the construction management firm, A & W Builders.
After a presentation to the City Council and the audience, Charles Martin, the City Manager and City Attorney of Temple City noted that the developer wanted a green light to “prepare the final plan” for the Piazza at Temple City.
“I have a problem with the drawings…It just doesn’t look like what we were expecting” commented Councilwoman Cathé Wilson.
One resident criticized the City Council for “nitpicking the project to death.” Another resident urged the Council to stop “micromanaging” the development.
Scott Carwile, a former City Council candidate, cautioned against giving in, without serious consideration, to all the changes the developer wanted. He added “We need to stick to it [the developer's agreement] and make [them] build the original project.”
Of the six changes presented to the Council, the Council unanimously agreed to four of them: a dual ingress/egress, reduction of parking spaces from 786 to 765, change from one or two large anchors to two to four smaller anchors, and the fabric elevations and shape.
Councilmembers Fernando Vizcarra and Cathé Wilson dissented on the changing of the building elevations. The change, however, was approved on a 3-2 vote.
The last change, the architectural styling for the Piazza at Temple City project, was approved 4-1, with Councilwoman Wilson dissenting.
The motion made by Councilman David Capra is to tentatively approve the architectural styling in concept, but it is still subject to changes after review of the final drawings.
After approving the changes request by the developer, Charles Martin, inquired on several items including whether or not a loan had been acquired and the existence of the owner’s company, TCD Enterprise.
David Wilson, president of A & W Builders stated “We have a term sheet with Far East Bank and East West Bank” and expressed confidence in obtaining a loan from either bank. Wilson also stated that they were currently marketing the project.
Next, the attorney representing Randy Wang, the owner of the Piazza at Temple City project, Benjamin Meeker explained the situation regarding Wang’s company. Meeker stated that Wang’s company had been suspended because of legal issues.
Meeker added that a dispute between a former individual associated with the Piazza at Temple City project arose. The individual, David Choi, filed for the TCD Enterprise name; therefore, Randy Wang, the owner cannot utilize the name anymore. Nevertheless, Meeker informed the Council a new limited liability company (LLC), will be formed within 20-30 days. The name of the new company will be TCD Enterprise LLC.
The City Manager and City Attorney, Charles Martin stated that the City of Temple City could not sign the new agreement with the developer because of the internal dispute; however, “You have your marching orders.”
In response to earlier comments by some members of the audience, Mayor Judy Wong said the Council was not nitpicking the project. “We’re just trying to find out more details about it” responded Wong.
Had the Council declared any of the changes to the project as significant or major, the project could have been challenged again by a referendum. In June 2006, an opposition group emerged to challenge the decision to approve the project. A total of 1937 signatures were gathered to challenge the project, but the City Clerk rejected the petitions on the basis of a “technicality.”
The Piazza at Temple City must be built by August 23, 2009.

This article was written by Margaret Thi. It was published in the Temple City Voice on February 20, 2008.



good ol' design by committee
http://templecityvoice.wordpress.com/2008/04/06/council-gives-in-agrees-to-piazza-changes/



8. UPDATE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A. PIAZZA LAS TUNAS STATUS REPORT FROM A&W BUILDERS
Executive Director Martin stated the Agency Members would now hear
from the developer, A&W Builders. Mr. Randy Wang, owner of the
property, was not present. Executive Director Martin advised the
Agency Members to not make any decisions this evening as to a letter
from the owner of the property as it has not been signed. This letter
from the owner as well as a letter from AAE Incorporated (Plan Check
Engineers), dated January 11, 2008, were received by the Agency
Members and submitted for the record.

Louie Aurelio, Senior Project Manager, A&W Builders, read into the
record the following letter from owner Randy Wang, TCD Enterprises,
LLC, dated January 11, 2008 and addressed to Council Members.

“Re: Office Condo Conversion
Dear Council Members:
Year 2007 has been a year of challenges and accomplishments for “The Piazza” project. It has been a year of change, resolutions and progress. Capitalizing on the People who have brought the project to where it is now is the biggest ASSET the project has ever had – The City Council of Temple City, the Staff of Temple City, the Community of Temple City, A & W Builders, HTH Architects and the other Consultants whom have put in their commitment to move forward with the project’s known and undetermined challenges and risks. I believe that coming together as
whole and having the same objective was, and still is, the best tested formula in weathering the storm that has come to pass.
It is with this principle that I would like to employ your assistance and support once again. With consideration on the basis on the three elements of Project Management

– Quality, Budget and Schedule, “The Piazza” is once again being tested on the basis of finance and time of project completion due to current nationwide economic challenges in the residential sector. Financial Institutions are becoming more restrictive on term requirements to minimize risk. This is an unprecedented and unfavorable situation for TCD Enterprises, LLC and other developers and investors countrywide. An unforeseen risk, which may have been favorable at the inception of
the project at three years past. The Residential Sector is in deep water, according to today’s Los Angeles Times. Property values for single-family homes in Arcadia have dropped 12% in value. The condo market has dropped substantially more. Besides the property value decline, and by adding today’s absorption rate, it would take the residential condominiums
approximately five to six years to sell out. Ultimately the holding cost for this would be economically prohibitive. The Commercial Sector seems to be somewhat more promising to most financial loan programs in the current market but still has its own separate challenges.

Agency Minutes
January 15, 2008
Page 3

The “PIAZZA” will have an overall development cost of approximately $75 million. The size of this loan requires that no single bank has the ability and or the threshold of pain to fund this loan separately. If the project is funded it will require one primary lender and approximately four to eight additional banks to pony up all of the funds. During the past week, we have presented our new plan for an all commercial project, and completely eliminating the residential, to three major banks: East-West Bank,
Far East Bank, and the Bank of East Asia (BEA). Furthermore, we have made arrangements, to meet later this week, with three additional potential lenders. The new plan had a favorable economic outlook from the three previously mentioned banks with some conditions and requirements.
In pursuing the project loan, at this juncture, we have divided the requirements in to four primary sections:

1. Bank Requirements: As outlined by the bank requirements, the loan process cannot be initiated without the consideration and approval of the “The New Plan” by the City of Temple City.

2. Pre-Leasing: The required pre-leasing of approximately 30% of the project prior to funding. Our group has now retained three separate brokers to work for the project – Pegasus Realty, SDC Real Estate and NAI Capital. Unfortunately, not until we get our construction financing secured will we be able to receive a legitimate letter of intent (LOI) from a major tenant.

3. Construction Cost: A & W Builders is working diligently to obtain qualified competitive bids to reduce the cost of the overall construction without reducing the quality of work. All cost savings, if any, shall be required by the bank to be withheld in place in the interest reserve category.

4. Appraised Value: Each lender has requested a new appraisal on the property to substantiate the new economic conditions that we are faced. Moreover, should the appraised value be less than what is outlined in our Performa, TCD Enterprises, LLC shall be set in another opportunity to re-evaluate the economic condition of the project. On the other hand, the key challenge is to be able to pay down the development cost of the parking structure. The project, on its own, cannot support all the amenities and the Parking Structure. All the proceeds from the new proposed office condos will be swept to pay down the Parking
Structure. Without the pay down of the Parking Structure, as outlined in the Performa, the income from the approximate 124,000 square foot of retail will not support and equalize the project debt.
In moving forward with the project, without the purging of the agreements in place, due to the proposed change in zoning, between “The Agency” and “TCD Enterprises, LLC”, TCD would like to propose the following items to be under the consideration and approval by the Agency:

1. The conversion of the Residential Condominium use to Office/Medical
Condominium use.
- The overall square footage shall not be reduced;
- The exterior elevations and other architectural features shall be in
compliance with the agreement;
- The building heights shall remain unchanged;
- The parking requirements shall be met.

Agency Minutes
January 15, 2008
Page 4

2. A twenty-four month extension from August 2009 to August 2011, without penalties and/or default on the agreements in place. At a minimal each potential lender on the project requires a 12 month tale on the backside of their 30 month construction loan. This will give the developer the opportunity to complete the project and additional time to stabilize the project through the lease up process. As with any project, the nature of being is a result of the effort in providing solutions to every risk that may come its way. While the final outcome may be promising, the
process in getting to the finish line is the biggest challenge which may come in different forms. I believe that the key in getting the “Piazza” to the finish line is to be able to mitigate the issues with resolutions.
Lastly, during the last council meeting, it was discussed in open forum of our financial situation. Ultimately, we need to be able to communicate with the City Council and the Development Team openly. As Mr. Martin had previously stated, this is a
partnership between the City and the Developer. As a result of this open dialogue, after the last City Council meeting, I was inundated with individuals expressing a one sided interest of the project. Firstly, while many may question the uncertainty of the project and on the changes that have come to play, it is CERTAIN that I am
determined to exhaust all avenues to make “The Piazza” a reality. Secondly, TCD’s contractual obligation with A & W Builders and a like, is irrelative to the situation at hand, and would like to maintain its private nature to concerned parties only. Once again, TCD Enterprises, LLC would like to extend its gratitude, to the City of Temple City, for its enduring support to the project team and the future of “The Piazza”. Please don’t hesitate to contact my office should you require any attention concerning this matter.

Sincerely,
Randy Wang
TCD Enterprise, LLC”

Executive Director Martin asked when owner Randy Wang would sign
the letter and Mr. Aurelio responded that Mr. Wang would sign the
letter tomorrow.
Executive Director Martin asked if A&W Builders had any comments
regarding the letter from AAE dated January 11, 2008, and attached
hereto as Exhibit A, containing comments regarding the third plan
check.
Mr. Aurelio responded that A&W Builders just received the letter
yesterday and would like time for their team to digest the comments.
Executive Director Martin stated AAE’s letter seems to suggest that the
project has not gotten off the ground yet. Nothing has been approved
and the conditions attached to the letter are negative.

Agency Minutes
January 15, 2008
Page 5

Mr. Aurelio stated most of the comments are on the legal side for
clarity. He felt AAE was doing a good job in making sure the project
was in compliance with the codes. It is his responsibility to make sure
that those codes are put on paper and his engineers are working on it.
He asked for a few weeks to digest the contents of the letter with his
engineers and to come up with a good answer to the Agency.
Executive Director Martin asked if A&W was asking for two more
weeks to be able to explain the letter.
Mr. Aurelio said he could not comment on it as his engineers have not
had time to digest the information.
Executive Director Martin stated when A&W first came on board, they
assured the Agency that the project will be finished on time and the
changes were slight up until the last meeting when A&W said they
would not be able to meet the timeline and now are saying they want
an additional two years. He asked for an explanation for their change
of position.
Mr. Aurelio stated if they could do it, they would, but these are
requirements being given to A&W by banks. They were put in this
situation where they need to work together to finish the project.
Executive Director Martin stated A&W is now asking for a full 2-year
extension to the year 2011 and not offering any reimbursement to the
Agency for that.
David Wilson, President/CEO, A&W Builders, stated the time extension
was required by the lender to make sure there wasn’t a sunset before
the property would stabilize. So the additional 12 months was a
surprise somewhat to them. But looking at the big picture, once the
project is completed, they want to make sure that we are in total
compliance and want additional time to lease out the property. As far
as the time of construction they are still looking at approximately 24
months of construction, but they want time to complete the project and
lease it out and not be in default of the agreement.
In response to Executive Director Martin, Mr. Wilson confirmed that the
Pro Forma submitted to the Agency was the same as given to the
banks and that he felt it was realistic. He also responded that A&W will
have to be aggressive in shopping for contractors at those prices, but
felt they could do it.

http://www.ci.temple-city.ca.us/CRA%20minutes/CRAM080115.pdf

bad luck for temple city i guess

intitial EIR study for this is out as of march 6th. quite a rocky little project

anyhow
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2268/2413427189_87d20f051e_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2300/2414252284_9b520fe000_b.jpg

and the eir study if anyone is interested
http://www.ci.temple-city.ca.us/Piazza/Piazza.htm

Merchants welcome Ramona reopening
By Claudia Palma and Bethania Palma, Staff Writers
Article Launched: 04/12/2008 11:33:20 PM PDT

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site205/2008/0412/20080412_110849_SV13-RAMONAOPEN.jpg

The Ramona Boulevard underpass has been completed between Valley Boulevard and Stewart Street in El Monte April 11, 2008. (Staff photo by Leo Jarzomb) EL MONTE - Though traffic was light Friday, local businesses hoped to get more customers after a major thoroughfare reopened last week.

After being closed three years for a grade separation project by Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority, a stretch of Ramona Boulevard was opened to traffic Thursday morning.

"We've been waiting anxiously for the opening," said Joe Perez, owner of El Patio Bar and Grill, located east of the closure.

The 990-foot closure, from Valley Boulevard to Stewart Street, affected local businesses by forcing commuters to take detours on Santa Anita Avenue, or Valley Boulevard to Peck Road, and completely bypassing the Ramona shops.

"Our sales went down to 50 percent less than before they started the project," said Juan de Lira, co-owner of Sherwood Florist.

The owner said they chose the location at Valley and Ramona boulevards because of the traffic coming from both directions.

Without the traffic, they had to depend on borrowing money and on their other shop in Claremont.

"The customers aren't there anymore, and they're gonna take a while before they come back," said de Lira.

ACE spokesman Paul Hubler said the authority did all it could for the businesses directly affected by the closure by providing signs and placing multilingual ads in direct mail circulars as part of their Business Support Program.

De Lira said he knows ACE did what they could to help but

it wasn't enough for the small businesses to make a profit.
"We're just trying to survive," said Elias Farraj, owner of Best Car Stereo shop on Ramona Boulevard near the corner of Valley Boulevard.

Farraj said he sought help for his failing business from everyone, including the City Council, ACE and county Supervisor Gloria Molina.

He also had to sublease the office space next to his shop to an insurance agency, after closing a cigarette shop there after only a year open.

Farraj said he is a little relieved that the street is open but knows he still has problems ahead, especially after a visit from a city representative asking him to remove the signs painted on his windows.

John Escamilla, 18, of El Monte said he was surprised to find Ramona Boulevard open this morning.

"This is a main street for us, to go home, to go to the store," said the young man as he waited with a friend for the bus. "It cost more money and gas to go around."

Mayor Ernie Gutierrez said it is a blessing now to have Ramona open.

"It's already alleviating traffic on Peck Road," he said.

Gutierrez also noted there is an electronic sign on Ramona Boulevard to let everyone know that the underpass is open.

The $49.9 million project lowered Ramona Boulevard approximately 26 feet beneath the railroad tracks and features pedestrian and motorist safety improvements and walkways with protective railing, according to ACE project documents.

The street opening came the same day that state officials granted the authority more than a quarter of a billion dollars to extend a below-grade trench in the city of San Gabriel.

The project will relieve snarled traffic at four crossings, including heavily-used San Gabriel Boulevard, officials said.

The ACE projects, meant to relieve traffic congestion at train crossings, come as the number of trains passing through the region is set to increase exponentially, officials said.

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach already handle 44percent containerized imports sent from East Asia to the U.S., officials said. And trade with countries such as China and Korea will only rise.

Train crossings such as the one at San Gabriel Boulevard will increase as much as fivefold by 2030, making regrading vital, said John Fasana, chairman of the San Gabriel Valley Coalition of Governments Transportation Committee and a Duarte city councilman.

"It's going to help in terms of relieving bottlenecks at these crossings," he said. "There's a lot of wait time and a lot of frustration, so from a safety standpoint it's important."

Other projects under construction include grade separations on Sunset and Orange avenues in Industry, Temple and East End avenues in Pomona and Brea Canyon Road in Diamond Bar. All are expected to be completed this year.

Other future grade separation projects include Montebello Boulevard in Montebello, Puente Avenue, Fairway Drive and Rose Hills Road in Industry.

"I'm glad (Ramona) is open, I'm sure it would get better," said de Lira, "it can't get worse."

claudia.palma@sgvn.com

bethania.palma@sgvn.com

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2110,


article from last week, but still current

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_8908207

The Piazza At Temple City
http://piazzatemplecity.com/

yes but the food is just ok, with the same amount of bank i could be extremely full from wonderfully tasty food.

also, that parking lot serves as a makeshift kiss-and-ride lot for the 487 and 76 buses too!

True......

Now, here's another smaller development in Monterey Park. Located at NW corner of N. Gladys St. and E. Garvey Ave. intersection.

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/2859/dscn5928ix2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/9928/dscn5927uo9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/889/dscn5930au8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/5852/dscn5931ht1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


There is no significant set-back from the main street (Garvey Ave.), such as a driveway/entrance to a parking lot. This conforms with the city's continuing future plans to enhance Garvey Ave. (and Atlantic Blvd.) as the main thoroughfares for Monterey Park's premier city downtown district. Building frontage is in-line with MP's community image and "Pedestrian Realm" as follows:

ORDNANCE No. 2038 (Section 21.34.090) (c)(2)(iii):

"Non-residential and commercial uses shall be located at or within 5 feet of the interior edge of the Pedestrian Realm at or near the same elevation as the sidewalk"

More FYI relating to this project:

(c)(1)(ii): "For purposes of this section, the Pedestrian Realm width is measured from the curb after any required dedication needed for street widening and is required as follows:

I. 15 feet on Garvey Ave. (east of Atlantic Blvd. to New Ave.)...."

There is alot of space at the rear of the building, which is obviously going to be the parking lot.

Monterey Park will be really changing it's face especially after Atlantic Times Square gets completed. Other future developments that will dramatically change the look and feel of the community are the Garvey Villas (Garvey/Atlantic) and Towne Center (Garvey/Garfield).

Temple City Voice

“We settled on 45 feet. That’s what we agreed upon then. That’s how I feel now” said Councilmember Dave Capra. He added, “I can’t make any findings in this particular thing to allow 47.5 feet when we knew from the very first date the agreement was drawn, 45 feet was the limit.”


I can't believe this guy. For a grand project like this, will 2.5 feet really hurt the community? It may cost more, but if so, he should state that in financial terms.

Does he really think 2.5 feet will destroy someone's view of the San Gabriel Mountains or cast a shadow of doubt (pun intended) in someone's backyard (which is mostly commercial at that intersection)?

It's also unfortunate that they decided to cancel the residential units. I think that is a mistake. That would have brought in additional tax-revenues for the city from property taxes as well as "IN-HOUSE" consumers for the retailers down below. To think that "next-door" residents with retailers will create only problems, IMO, has no substantial merits.

i would not get worked up about the cancellation. during my investigation into this project it seemed that the info from month to month would be completely different. i suggest getting your hands dirty by reading into the city EIR that was released last month

^^ I guess we'll have to see.....

I have sat in on Design Review Board (DRB) committee and City Council Meetings here in Alhambra. Lot's of conservative people... (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). But population density is growing and with increasing vehicular traffic, mixed-use developments are the future. It's been like this for centuries in other parts of the world, so this shouldn't be something new. But perhaps we have been very complacent over the many years living in suburbia...

I was born in Los Angeles, and I grew up here in the San Gabriel Valley (started living in Rosemead since 1980, graduated from San Gabriel H.S. in 1990, and been here in Alhambra since 1997). Yet, I still hear (or see) the same old folks in council meetings who say they have been residents in SGV for decades and see their neighborhoods get destroyed by newer developments. Well, sad to say (for better or worse), you can say that for just every civilization that has existed since mankind was created. I've been to over 22 countries now, and I think the developmental changes here in the San Gabriel Valley are great! Maybe not always the best, but progressive. And honestly, I wish some city council members would have bigger vision (instead of worrying about things like 2.5 feet of extra vertical height - 25 feet might be understandable, but 2.5???)....

During DRB hearings, there is sometimes a city historical preservation organization rep. who sits in and voices his/her objection (on behalf of the organization) if a resident proposes a development that does not conform to a community's historical architectural style. And sometimes, these objections have good merit. But it's always interesting to note that future growth doesn't always depend on SIGs (special interest groups) or perceived status-quo.

Just like nature would have it, our cities evolve based on our CURRENT collective needs - whether we individually like them or not. That's what we need to think about when we think about our cities' future developments....

yep, i thought about getting on san gabriels board, but there meeting times conflict with my work/commute time.

so maybe in 6 months i can try it again

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3220/2425491113_3d4fd9267b_b.jpg

the city of san gabriel has approved the sale of the park-and-ride (http://shrinkster.com/x56) facility in the mission district of san gabriel. this facility is greatly underused in comparison to the one on del mar and norwood.

the land will be re-zoned for a mixed use complex.


On January 16, 2007 the City of San Gabriel City Council and Redevelopment Agency approved a six month Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA No. 07-01) with TSCP, the owner of Mission 261 Restaurant. The restaurant and the park-and-ride lot would be incorporated into a new complex, at least four stories in height, with a boutique hotel, restaurant, residential units, retail and other amenities. Replacement parking for the new uses would also be provided. Negotiations have shown great promise, and preliminary design studies have resulted in a proposal which is now undergoing the preliminary stages of environmental review. This project is a significant step toward implementation of the Mission District Specific Plan. Construction of the project will help to create the twenty-four hour a day environment which is the building block for successful urban development efforts

yep, i thought about getting on san gabriels board, but there meeting times conflict with my work/commute time.

so maybe in 6 months i can try it again


^ Oh please do Jer......

Hopefully you can start a campaign to break off the SGV from L.A. County!!!

Ferney still just doesn't get it. It's LA, it's over, it's done. Stop complaining.

San Gabriel County? What will be it's seat? Pasadena? lol if that ever happens, I want to work for the county ^_^

GETTING ON BOARD
Cities rallying for 60 Freeway route
By Mike Sprague, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 04/27/2008 11:30:54 PM PDT


• PDF: Refined Alternatives (http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site205/2008/0424/20080424_083202_Refined_alternatives.pdf)

A group of San Gabriel Valley cities have mobilized to rally in support of the Pomona (60) Freeway as their preference for a light-rail route from East Los Angeles.

Five cities - Alhambra, El Monte, Monterey Park, Rosemead and South El Monte - have sent letters of support to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Their officials also have gone to community meetings to bolster the Pomona Freeway route.

Unlike three of the routes, which end in Uptown Whittier, the Pomona Freeway version ends at the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway. There also is a fifth proposal for a busway along the freeway.

"(The Pomona Freeway) is the shortest and fastest route and would impact one of the largest redevelopment projects, the El Monte Transit Village, and help provide access to the Montebello Town Center," said Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park, whose staff helped coordinate the effort.

"Transportation is one of my highest priorities," Eng said. "As the population moves east, if we don't take care of transportation our cities won't become destination places."

Eng and others are trying to persuade the MTA board to choose the Pomona Freeway as the top route for an eastside line. The board is expected to decide in August or September whether to proceed with any light-rail line in this area and, if so, to choose one or two alternatives.

This latest effort may have caught Whittier city officials, who want the light-rail line to come to the Uptown area, off guard.

"If they are engaged in lobbying that is of concern to me," said Whittier Mayor Joe Vinatieri, who has attended both community meetings in Whittier and supported a route to his city.

"We've been working informally with the MTA," Vinatieri said. "Now that there's a political twist, it seems to me appropriate that we become politically involved too."

Vinatieri said bringing the light-rail line to Uptown - most likely via Washington Boulevard - could help his city.

"I don't want it to terminate at the 605 Freeway," he said. "It needs to stop in Whittier. We've got one of the largest private-sector employers in Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital."

Joe Price, professor of religious studies at Whittier College, said his school also may be more energized by the San Gabriel Valley lobbying effort.

"It motivates me to encourage my colleagues and neighbors to send letters and e-mail to the MTA to express their support for a light-rail line (to Whittier)," he said.

Price said a line to Whittier would serve the college by making it easier for students to commute to school and ease demands on parking.

Both the San Gabriel Valley communities and Whittier may be competing with other sectors of the county as well as with each other.

Three other sectors of Los Angeles County also are reviewing possible expansions of light-rail projects.

Once the MTA staff finishes its review of ridership and cost estimates, it will go to the board, said Kimberly Yu, project manager.

The board must decide whether to go forward with an environmental analysis and choose an alternative or even more than one, Yu said.

If the board says yes, an environmental impact report would be completed and then plans would be drafted. The process is expected to take from seven to 10 years.

While at this point there is no money, that could change in the future, depending on the political climate, Yu said.

Meanwhile, officials in the San Gabriel Valley are pushing their project.

"My understanding is that if we're not supportive now, future funding for further studies won't be done," said South El Monte City Manager Anthony Ybarra.

"We have to be very vocal right now to impress the MTA board," Ybarra said.

Ybarra said it's possible his city would get a station in its civic center area. In addition, it would provide transportation to downtown for their residents, he added.

A key city in the mix, Montebello, remains officially undecided as to which route it will support.

But Bill Molinari, its mayor, said the Pomona Freeway route is his first choice and he is opposed to lines running along Beverly or Whittier boulevards.

Washington Boulevard would be his second choice.

"(The Pomona Freeway) would be the least disruptive to existing businesses," Molinari said. "Our Montebello Town Center would be a destination place."

Whittier Councilman Bob Henderson said he's not as concerned as others about lobbying the MTA.

"It's not that you wouldn't like to have it, but I can't see investing time and energy in a project that is a long time off and at the very best is very questionable in funding," Henderson said.

"I also know that when they build these things, they come to the local city and ask for a big payment for putting a station in," he said. "I'm not looking forward to that," he said.

San Gabriel Valley needs to speed things up
The average commuting times there and in the Inland Empire are some of the longest in Southern California, which helps makes sense of the carpool toll plan for the 10 and 210 freeways.
May 5, 2008
By Steve Hymon, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Take a look at the map on this page and it might help explain why local officials want to convert the carpool lanes on parts of the 10 and 210 freeways in the San Gabriel Valley to toll lanes.

The map was built using data from the 2000 Census, and it shows the average commuting time for nearly all Southland cities. Notice any patterns?

Nearly all the cities in the valley and the Inland Empire are colored yellow or red, meaning residents there have the longest commutes. I've also built a Google maps version online that allows you to see data for individual cities and zoom in and out on different areas.

With that in mind, let's take a deeper look at the new "congestion pricing" plan . . .

What do the 10 and 210 have to do with all this?

Not coincidentally, Caltrans data show that in the last decade Inland Empire traffic on many freeways has grown considerably -- about 5% in some places -- as bedroom communities have spread.

That's why Caltrans district director Doug Failing has said that some of the most intractable congestion problems in Los Angeles County are on the three east-west routes serving the Inland Empire, the 10, 210 and 60.

If Failing had his way, he'd like to put a toll lane on the 60, too. In the meantime, it's his great hope that even single toll lanes on the 10 and 210 can improve traffic on all the other lanes.

Huh?

"We need to have capacity to sell," Failing told me recently. "The capacity will be created by having enough people on express bus service that it opens up space."

To recap, part of the toll lane deal is that the federal government has agreed to give local transit agencies about 60 high-capacity buses that would use the toll lanes for express service. Some federal funds would also go toward improving Metrolink service in the San Gabriel Valley.

Officials believe that improved mass transit in the Inland Empire may remove some cars from the freeway. That would translate to a quicker commute for those who keep driving -- perhaps beyond where the toll lanes end.

How much time can a toll lane save for motorists?

Officials say it's hard to forecast. This much is known: Caltrans data shows that carpool lanes typically move faster than regular lanes but also suffer from congestion during rush hour.

Of course, you don't need a spreadsheet to tell you that. One recent Thursday, I drove in the 210's regular lanes from Pasadena to Upland between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. At times, I was going faster than vehicles in the carpool lane, where traffic by my count was averaging about 30 mph before speeding up east of the 57 junction.

This is where the toll comes into play. Officials say the fees (which are yet to be set) would discourage some people from using the carpool lane during rush hour and thus improve speeds to at least an average of 45 mph.

If it works, that would be an improvement from some stretches of the 210. For example, bumping average speeds from 30 mph to 45 mph could translate to a savings of about eight minutes in the 11 miles slated to become toll lanes on the 10 and 210.

That's not counting any time savings that might result if areas beyond the toll lanes are improved. Still, some readers are skeptical.

"I don't see how with this short of a distance they'll prove this is a valid concept," said Kent Clark, 43, of La Crescenta, a 210 regular. "Maybe if it went all the way to the 15 [freeway]. That would be a bold idea. This seems like a half-baked new idea."

It is interesting to note that the distance of toll lanes is about the same in other metro areas where they've been tried, including in Minneapolis, Denver and San Diego. However, in all three cases, there is more than one lane in each direction -- so there's more room to sell.

Something else to chew on: There is plenty of bus service already on the carpool lanes of the 110 Freeway south of downtown. But traffic has kept increasing. At the Florence Avenue overpass, there were about 100,000 more cars using that freeway in 2006 than a decade earlier.

What are the politics behind this?

Congestion pricing has received support from across the political spectrum.

On the left, the idea has gotten traction because it forces people to pay for driving solo (which is inefficient), and money raised by tolls is sometimes pumped back into mass transit, which they say helps low-income commuters.

The right likes it because tolling is using market forces to sell a valuable resource -- road space. As for the picking-on-the-poor argument against toll lanes, advocates on the right say it's up to motorists to prioritize how to spend their money.

Opponents, however, argue that toll lanes are a sop to the rich.

"For most people in America it's not a choice" between toll lanes and the free lanes, said Rep. Pete DeFazio (D-Oregon), who has tried to derail tolling programs. "You have to be at work at a certain time. Many people have to live pretty distant from their work because of the economics of housing prices. For many of those people, there is no transit alternative."

In DeFazio's view, the Bush administration is starving mass transit funding and instead moving to privatize roads, which benefits firms in the tolling business

It is also worth noting that U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters -- whose agency is pushing congestion pricing -- previously worked for a major engineering firm, HDR, based in Omaha.

And what are some of the projects that HDR builds?

Toll roads.

Any last thoughts?

I recently interviewed Mark Burris, a civil engineering professor at Texas A&M University. He closely tracks congestion-pricing projects and has a list of them on his website. He offered the best explanation for why so many people are pushing toll roads.

"We're spending an amazing amount trying to widen these freeways when they're wide enough for about 20 hours a day," he said. "We have four congested hours we need to worry about, and one way to relieve that peak of the peak is through appropriate pricing."

Burris also said the point is to increase the national average of 1.1 people per car on freeways. If that number can reach 1.3 or 1.4 through carpooling and mass transit, he said, a lot of the worst freeway congestion would disappear.

"It's not that big a difference you have to make, but making that difference is extremely difficult," he said. "People enjoy having their own car and traveling where and when they want, but they're making a trade-off between that and better travel times."

^^ there is a few links within that article, you can go to the article directly here: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/wheel/la-me-roadsage5-2008may05,1,6569882,full.column

Construction projects PROGESSING as PLANNED.... :banana:

All photos taken on May 11th, 2008.

L.A. Fitness/ Condo Project on Fremont Ave., Alhambra

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/399/dscn5940mr4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/4039/dscn5948ub2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Garage structure....
http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/9881/dscn5947fb6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
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http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/8894/dscn5949wm9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Front main entrance...
http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/4159/dscn5951vi5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Circuit City project on 2121 Main St., Alhambra

Northside.....
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/5120/dscn5965wu4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/5717/dscn5966wx7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
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http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/1243/dscn5973wp3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Alhambra Civic Library construction photo updates....

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/3536/dscn5980ax8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/5619/dscn5981ug9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Entrance to subterranean parking
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/139/dscn5979zi2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/7968/dscn5977abw4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Well, despite the slow real estate market, economic development is still moving ahead... :)

Dissension at Art Center College of Design
Wally Skalij, Los Angeles Times
VISION: Art Center College of Design President Richard Koshalek wants to expand the school’s facility, visibility and wealth.
Some students and alumni want money to go toward education and scholarships, not new buildings.
By Mike Boehm, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 11, 2008
Concerned that Art Center College of Design is putting too much money and energy into expanding its campus and promoting itself to outsiders -- and not enough into scholarships and instruction -- hundreds of students and alumni of the elite private college in Pasadena are petitioning its trustees to suspend plans for a $50-million building by Frank Gehry.

Art Center graduates have been weighing in over the Internet from as far away as France and South Korea, adding their names and comments to the Education First! petition that some students posted on the Web. Among the alumni calling for change are executives at Microsoft, the Walt Disney Co., Mercedes-Benz and Johnson Controls Inc., a designer of auto interiors.

Casting President Richard Koshalek as an empire-builder, the petition asks trustees to ignore "the legacy needs of one man" and "take immediate action to again make education the school's top investment." Launched May 31, the petition contains nearly 800 digital signatures, many of them from "anonymous" supporters.

A counterpetition in support of the new building -- "Vote for Art Center’s Future! Put Honesty First!" was launched last Friday. That petition notes that the project will use only funds donated specifically for the new building. As of midday Tuesday, there were 80 digital signatures, about a third without names displayed.

Koshalek said Monday that the chance to work with cutting-edge technology in Gehry's Design Research Center would be an educational boon for students. And in a global economy, he said, building a network of corporate and international contacts for Art Center will pay off in opportunities for its graduates. Educational quality and student performance have not slipped, Koshalek insisted, even as "the tension between short term and long term priorities . . . causes a lot of discussion."

That discussion has grown more urgent since mid-May, when Nate Young, the college's second-ranking administrator, suddenly resigned as executive vice president and chief academic officer.

Young, a 1987 Art Center graduate and a former board member, would not comment Monday on why he left after five years as the top academic administrator. He said Art Center needs to move quickly to offer new skills that a rapidly-changing design world demands. "We were starting to make these adjustments and move forward.""Right now, the entire school is in an uproar," Mike Rios, director of issues for the Art Center student government, said Monday. "Nate was a great advocate and resource for the students, and losing him really hurt."

Through an Art Center spokeswoman, board chairman John Puerner, a former Los Angeles Times publisher, said he would not comment until after the trustees' regularly scheduled meeting on June 19.

Nestled into a verdant hillside overlooking the Rose Bowl, Art Center long has been among the nation's leading gateways to careers designing automobiles and consumer products. Undergraduates also can major in film, fine art, graphics, illustration, photography, advertising and environmentally-conscious design.

Alumni include film director Michael Bay, landscape painter Thomas Kinkade and a large cohort of highly placed car designers, including J Mays, who designed the new Volkswagen Beetle.

A plan for the future

Koshalek, the former director of L.A.'s Museum of Contemporary Art, has been president since 1999, spearheading the drive to enlarge Art Center's facilities, visibility and wealth. In February, he announced that the school had reached the halfway mark of a $150-million fundraising and expansion campaign begun shortly after he arrived. So far, the money has yielded the renovation of a former aircraft testing plant that now serves as a satellite campus about five miles south of the main one, and has boosted the endowment from $17 million to $43 million.

The Gehry building -- a combination library and high-tech design studio complex -- would be built on the main campus, where the existing facilities are strung along the hillside in a long, bridge-like structure by Modernist architect Craig Ellwood.

Koshalek's other initiatives include hosting semiannual, nicely catered design conferences that bring outside eminences to the campus to discuss current themes and challenges, and an Art Center-led "global dialogues" series that began with a March event in Barcelona, Spain.

Some alumni regard these as unnecessary public relations gambits -- peripheral to what they see as the traditional mission of turning out ace designers who emerge skilled and ready for the working world. That heritage, some say, is jeopardized by tuition costs that have been rising annually by leaps of 5% to 6%, producing a current price of $135,000 for an undergraduate degree.

Orrin Shively, a 1984 Art Center graduate who is Disney's vice president for educational product development, wants donors' money channeled to scholarships instead of construction and promotion. The school, he said, risks being forced to admit students "based on the quality of their pocketbook more than the quality of their work."

Speaking up

Paul Kirley, a project designer for Stuart Karten Design, a Los Angeles industrial design company, said he regularly evaluates prospective new hires -- and that his firm, which has many Art Center alumni like himself, is now looking more often to competing schools such as the Rhode Island School of Design and the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning. Kirley, who graduated in 1991, said he found nobody he wanted to hire about eight months ago after interviewing 14 prospects at Art Center (eventually, he said, the firm did find one well-qualified new Art Center graduate who filled the spot). Over the last five or six years, he said, "I'm not seeing the consistency that used to be there."

Damien Vizcarra, a 2003 graduate who works at the Continuum design firm in Boston, said he signed the petition hoping to solve problems he experienced as a student: wasting time waiting for a turn with high-powered design computers, modeling tools and work spaces. "Toward the end of the term, at crunch time, people just knew that it was going to be a long night," Vizcarra said.

Art Center administrators say that the Gehry building -- which won't be built until fundraising permits -- is not the problem, but a key solution to work space crowding. Undergraduate enrollment reached 1,482 last year, but has dropped to 1,400, they say, because of the poor economy. Plans call for capping undergrads at 1,500, and turning for growth to the south campus, where it's hoped graduate student enrollment can be boosted from about 125 to 350.

Educational departments overspent their budgets by $1.1 million in 2007, Koshalek told student government leaders in a recent meeting that was videotaped and posted on the Internet. "That is not acceptable," he said.

Other recent high-level departures include Glenn Baker, who was chief financial officer for five months in 2006, and Emily Laskin, who had a similarly short tenure as chief fundraiser in 2007. Neither would comment on reasons for leaving.

Koshalek held an open meeting Tuesday afternoon during which he answered questions and announced that there would be a websiteto address further queries from students. Student leader Rios said the student government will decide what issues and requests to take to the trustees. It's not certain, he added, that the board will allow a student emissary to attend its meeting and make a presentation.

Students need to be heard, Rios said, because "you'd be hard-pressed not to find somebody expressing displeasure with where the school is now."

Group aims to make Pasadena more pedestrian-friendly
Suggestions include adding more trees, signs and street lamps, expanding sidewalks and slowing down vehicular traffic to make the city safer for walkers and bicyclists.
By Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 10, 2008

A band of walkers gathered Saturday at the 100-year-old Pasadena Presbyterian Church with a mission: Give pedestrians in this city their rightful place on the sidewalk. Reduce auto vs. pedestrian conflicts. Add some more shade trees.

"Make it enjoyable to walk," said Nancy Nelson, a Pasadena resident.

Nelson was one of about 40 people who came to hear the conclusions of the city's first "walkabout," which was held on a foggy morning in March. At that event, about 125 people fanned out over 25 walking routes to understand why walkers often say Pasadena's streets feel so hostile.

"Loud, scary and fast," one participant wrote of Walnut Street.

Some sidewalks were so narrow that pedestrians felt threatened by the rush of cars speeding on Lake Avenue toward the 210 Freeway onramp.

One volunteer recalled a motorist nearly running him over at a crosswalk.

Some suggested adding trees to provide additional shade from the hot sun. Others wanted more lamps to illuminate the sidewalks instead of just the road. Some asked for more signs giving directions to parks, Old Pasadena, the Playhouse District.

Many complained about a lack of signs advising walkers how to get to the Gold Line light rail stations.

Other ideas targeted auto traffic.

Widen some sidewalks at the expense of roadway, some suggested. Others wanted police to crack down on speeding motorists.

"I think it really is important to just slow down the drivers," said Deborah Murphy, an urban designer hired to organize the walkabout by the Playhouse District Assn., a Pasadena business improvement district.

Pasadena already has plans to add more trees and historical-style street lamps in the Playhouse District, said city engineer Daniel Rix. Other ideas, such as more directional signs, are good points that the city should consider implementing, he said.



But some suggestions, such as widening sidewalks and narrowing streets, would be more difficult to accomplish in a short period of time, Rix said.

The walkabout recommendations will continue to be discussed by business and city leaders.

Pasadena is not alone in trying to improve the plight of the pedestrian.

Los Angeles officials are trying to reverse a policy in Hollywood that calls for wider streets when a large development is built. The policy also translates into narrower sidewalks. In Glassell Park, residents say they want more bike lanes and wider sidewalks, which are sometimes obstructed by utility poles or boxes.

"We have some places on Eagle Rock Boulevard . . . where the sidewalk becomes about 12 to 15 inches wide," said Helene Schpak, a resident who helped organize a walkabout there last year. "It doesn't make for a comfortable walk."

Before World War II, cities were developed with pedestrian needs in mind. But the growth of suburbs made cars king.

"Then you have the whole transportation system oriented to moving cars as fast as possible," said James Sallis, a psychology professor at San Diego State University.

Motorists are allowed to drive at speeds that make walking or bicycling "unpleasant and unsafe," Sallis said. "Some roads have no sidewalks. You don't want to take your kids there."

Studies by Sallis and others have shown that people who live in walkable neighborhoods are less likely to be overweight or obese than those in areas built for auto traffic.

Some cities have taken aggressive steps to improve the experience for walkers and bicyclists.

Portland, Ore., has tried to slow cars on some streets by adding speed bumps and traffic circles. Slower auto traffic makes those routes more attractive for bicyclists and pedestrians, said Lynn Weigand, director of the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation at Portland State University.

In King County, which includes Seattle and its suburbs, officials sped up the permit process for developers who planned to build walkable neighborhoods. Such features included more sidewalks, narrower streets and nearby shopping.

Some Pasadena attendees still dream big.

Many in the audience applauded loudly at an idea percolating through business groups and city officials to build a streetcar that would link Old Pasadena to the South Lake Avenue shopping area.

SoPas reverses stance on 710 Freeway extension bill
By Dan Abendschein, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 08/05/2008 11:07:03 PM PDT

By Dan Abendschein

Staff Writer

SOUTH PASADENA - After years fighting a proposed freeway extension, South Pasadena City Council members have reversed course, voting to support a state bill that authorizes the MTA to seek private financing for a 4.5-mile tunnel extension for the 710 Freeway.

Only last month, the council voted to oppose SB 1350, calling it "troublesome" and "poor public policy" in a letter to the state Legislature. The city has, for decades, fought against an above-ground extension of the freeway through South Pasadena.

City leaders changed their minds when the bill's sponsor, Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, proposed new language that would recommend that the above-ground route be eliminated from consideration. The amendments also recommend that hundreds of state-owned homes along the route be sold.

The fact that the bill has a lot of support in the Legislature and is likely to pass was a major factor in the council's decision, said Councilman Mike Ten.

"It's to Sen. Cedillo's credit that he came back with some amendments that we could support," said Ten. "It's better to be on the winning side than the losing side."

At a special meeting Monday night, South Pasadena City Council members voted 4-1 to reverse their stance against the bill. Although the city's June letter denounced Cedillo's bill, it also voiced the city's desire to work with the senator to improve his legislation.

Mayor Philip Putnam said that his vote was about getting the best deal for South Pasadena, not supporting the project. In fact, in a closed-session item at Monday's meeting, the City Council met with their attorneys to talk about possible legal action against the tunnel project.

Most local legislators are advocates of the project, but Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-Pasadena, is one of the main lawmakers in opposition.

Councilman Richard Schneider, who was the lone vote against the measure, said he believed the language was not strong enough and does not guarantee that an above-ground option will never again be pursued.

He added that supporting the legislation makes it appear that the city supports the tunnel project.

"I don't think that the council members who voted for this do support the tunnel project," said Schneider. "I think the idea is that the bill is going to pass anyway so that we should try to get something out of it. And I don't think that is a good attitude."

Although proposed, amendments to the Cedillo's legislation have also not yet been formally added to the bill, a concern for Schneider. Also, he added, the tunnel project has the potential to add traffic and construction to neighboring cities like Pasadena and La Ca ada Flintridge.

"I don't think it is right for us to abandon our allies in this fight," said Schneider.

For decades, the battle over completing the 710 project has been fought between area cities with competing interests.

Cities near the foothills have opposed the extension because they want to keep traffic levels low on the Foothill (210) Freeway, while cities adjacent to the San Bernardino (10) Freeway, like Alhambra and San Gabriel, favor the extension because they have to cope with increased street traffic because of the unfinished gap in the freeway.

South Pasadena, which was in the path of the proposed above-ground 710 extension route, has always sided with the cities to the north.

Councilman Ten said that the city is not endorsing the tunnel project and still has no position on whether it should be completed.

The project had stalled until April, when a local government organization floated the idea of finding a private company to finance a tunnel under the Pasadena area to complete the 4.5-mile gap.

Gold Line Foothill Extension video

In a push to extend the Gold Line light rail from Pasadena deeper into the San Gabriel Valley, several members of Congress had a video made promoting the project. They titled it -- seriously -- a "Special Congressional Report."

The video comes from Rep. David Dreier, Rep. Grace Napolitano, Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Hilda Solis.

The show features the four of them sitting around in a circle being asked questions by a moderator named Jo Maney. Here is her first hardball question, addressed to Dreier:

"Can you tell us a little bit about the Gold Line Foothill Extension and how it will help reduce traffic congestion and save energy?"

Maney then goes on to forget to tell viewers a crucial detail: she happens to work for the guy she's interviewing. Maney is Dreier's press secretary.

As for the rest of the 25-minute video, there's nothing earth-shaking. All four members of Congress reiterate their support for the project. Dreier, in a meeting with the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin's editorial board, also urges readers to plead with the MTA board to provide seed money in funding so the project can seek federal funding from Congress.

High-resolution video: http://dreier.house.gov/video/transportation-high.wmv

Low-resolution video: http://dreier.house.gov/video/trans-low.wmv

I have a call into Dreier's office to see if he will support the half-cent sales tax increase if it makes it to the November ballot. The Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority is not supporting it, still angry over the MTA board's refusal earlier this summer to provide the $80 million in seed money for the Gold Line project.

--Steve Hymon

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/2008/08/gold-line-footh.html

Lawsuits filed to stop tunnel
Two local cities oppose extension that would link 210, 710 freeways
By Dan Abendschein, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 09/04/2008 11:10:58 PM PDT

Two local cities have filed lawsuits to stop a proposed tunnel extension of the 710 Freeway from receiving $780 million in funding.

South Pasadena could have the tunnel dug under it, and La Ca ada Flintridge could see additional traffic from the project. The cities filed the suits against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority this week and claimed an environmental impact study has not been done on the project.

"You can't fund a project before it goes through an environmental review," said South Pasadena Councilman Richard Schneider, a vocal opponent of the 710 extension. "The lawsuit's goal is to knock out the funding for this project."

The 4.5-mile tunnel, which would connect the 710 and 210 freeways, does not have a proposed route. A preliminary feasibility study on the project was completed in 2006, but a follow-up study has not been done.

The project would receive $780 million from a proposed half-cent sales tax measure, if a state bill authorizing the measure is signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and if the measure is passed by two-thirds of county voters in November.

If either of those things does not happen, the lawsuits would be withdrawn, according to city officials.

Officials from both cities also said they do not oppose the sales tax measure as a whole. The lawsuit is designed only to remove funding from the tunnel project, not to invalidate the sales tax measure, according to legal documents in the case.

A 710 Freeway extension was opposed for decades by both cities when the proposal included building an above-ground road through South Pasadena.

South Pasadena and La Ca ada Flintridge each filed a separate lawsuit against the tunnel plan, but officials from both cities said the cases could be consolidated by a judge.

South Pasadena recently agreed to drop its opposition to SB 1350, state legislation that would have authorized the MTA to pursue a private-public partnership to allow a private company to complete the tunnel and charge tolls to recover its costs.

In exchange, the city received guarantees of legislative language that would give South Pasadena a right to reject an above-ground version of the freeway. The legislation died in committee last month, however, after opposition from environmental groups and some labor unions.

South Pasadena Mayor Philip Putnam said he did not see any contradiction between supporting the legislation and suing MTA over the tunnel proposal.

"They are completely different issues," Putnam said. "SB 1350 was to allow a funding mechanism, but it did not propose to allocate any money to a project that has no route."

He also said the city does not oppose a tunnel project from being carried out, but it does not want to see any funding for the project until it has an established route.

Councilman Mike Ten said the lawsuit probably would not have been filed had SB 1350 passed and the city had been guaranteed there would be no surface freeway. He said the city's concern is the MTA might build a surface route instead of a tunnel.

MTA spokeswoman Helen Ortiz Gilstrap said neither her agency nor Caltrans, the state highway authority, had eliminated the surface freeway plan completely, although she added the agency's preference is to pursue a tunnel option.

She said her agency could not comment on the pending lawsuits.

La Ca ada Flintridge's concerns about the project have to do with possible traffic impacts that could come with the freeway extension, Mayor Stephen Del Guercio said. He said those impacts need to be studied.

"I don't know what the effects will be, but we have suspicions that will be seeing air, noise, and traffic impacts if the project goes through," he said.

La Ca ada Flintridge City Manager Mark Alexander said both cities' cases assert that the MTA violated the California Environmental Quality Act by proposing funding for the project without an environmental review.

"Our lawyers' view is that the CEQA exemptions they are trying to apply are not valid," Alexander said.

In the state Legislature, local representatives have been divided over efforts to push the tunnel project, based on the geography of their districts.

Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Ca ada Flintridge, a former council member in La Ca ada Flintridge, has been the most vocal critic of the project. He previously voiced many of the arguments made in the lawsuit in the media and at MTA meetings.

He said he had expected the possibility of a lawsuit since July, when MTA put the 710 extension on its list of sales-tax projects.

"It was no surprise," Portantino said. "MTA was so hellbent on this project that good judgement went out the window."

Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park, a project advocate, represents areas that have long advocated completion of the freeway. He said he had not heard about the lawsuit and would need to review it before he could comment.

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_10385991

They shut down the Norms on the corner of Valley and Del Mar about a week ago. Does anybody know what the plans are for that corner?

The Atlantic Times Square offers over 200,000 square feet of retail entertainment space adjacent to the I-10 San Bernardino Freeway featuring a 14-screen AMC Theater Cineplex, Chili's, Cold Stones Creamery, Quizno's and many more top notch tenants. Integrated into the mixed-use development are 210 high quality condominiums. The Atlantic Times Square promises to be a gem for the San Gabriel Valley.
http://ci.monterey-park.ca.us/home/index.asp?page=1403

render
http://ci.monterey-park.ca.us/images/n-atl-rend-3.jpg

site plan
http://209.247.187.57/images/atl-x-sqr-aerial.gif

first floor
http://209.247.187.57/images/siteplan1.jpg
second floor
http://209.247.187.57/images/upper_siteplan.jpg

---------------------------------------------------------

current state

lot
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a22/godblessbotox/lot-1.jpg

some equipment
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a22/godblessbotox/setting-foundation-pilons.jpg

any updates?

^^ Here are some pics I took today on my iPhone...

ATLANTIC TIMES SQUARE

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/4158/atlantic1mu6.png (http://imageshack.us)

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/5232/atlantic2gc5.png (http://imageshack.us)

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/8357/atlantic3tp3.png (http://imageshack.us)

Work is still progressing but vertical development is going to take a while considering that the entire construction site is pretty large. Work is still being done for the underground garage and my pics don't show the extent of work being accomplished further on down the road on Atlantic Blvd. Lots of columns are being built and the construction has been progressive from the north end of the site towards the south end. I'm sure the structures will rise up much quicker once the lower platforms have been developed. I'll take more later unless someone else beats me to it... hehe...

They shut down the Norms on the corner of Valley and Del Mar about a week ago. Does anybody know what the plans are for that corner?

Yes, that was expected. A new developer bought that lot more than a year ago. With all that space, especially from the parking lots, I believe a new commercial retail complex is going to be developed there. That would keep in-line with all the other types of real estate development around that area/corner.

Can't wait to see this finished. Is Mira, the other condo tower near this, going up?

Does anyone know what's going on with these other rather large developments in the SGV:

Arcadia - Caruso Shops at Santa Anita - 800,000 sq ft shopping center
Monterey park - Power Center - 500,000 sq ft shopping center

will Curuso's project be served by the Gold Line extension? if not that it is absolutely a boondogle.

No, the Gold Line will miss it by a couple of miles.

No, the Gold Line will miss it by a couple of miles.

^^^^^^^^^^

that confirms my preconceptions that the FH Extension is a Boondogle. Bassically on a freeway surrowned by low density housing.


:bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash:

Construction still moving ahead!

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/9765/dscn6200vc5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

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http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/4294/dscn6211fe0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/4071/dscn6224jp4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/9308/dscn6226na8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/7008/dscn6205pm4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/2084/dscn6210fl3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/4965/dscn6207gy5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/7049/dscn6209mi6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

^^^^^^^^^^

that confirms my preconceptions that the FH Extension is a Boondogle. Bassically on a freeway surrowned by low density housing.


:bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash:

...Isn't that what the vast majority of Southern California is already?

710 tunnel soil sample drilling begins Tuesday
12:57 PM, January 5, 2009

Here's one sure to provide a little indigestion to those who have been fighting the 710 extension for years: Caltrans this week is starting to drill for soil samples to see if it's geologically feasible to build a tunnel to complete the 710. The road currently ends along the city of Los Angeles-Alhambra boundary but was intended to run north to a junction with the 210 and 134 in Pasadena.

Caltrans is saying the drilling will be route neutral. By that, the agency means that it will test soil in the coming months to consider a wide variety of routes instead of just the traditional one it has looked at for years that runs pretty much straight north along the L.A.-Alhambra line and then straight up the gut of South Pasadena. That means there's going to be drilling in Pasadena, Glendale, La Canada-Flintridge, Monterey Park and San Marino.

Which, of course, begs the question: Is there anyone out there who really thinks a tunnel route will one day be proposed to go under either wealthy La Canada-Flintridge or San Marino? Please. I cut through San Marino on my drive to work some days, and on garbage day, homeowners (or their employees) have to wheel dumpsters to the curb. If you can create a dumpster worth of trash each week, you likely have the resources to fight a freeway.

The above map shows the areas that Caltrans is going to study -- click on it to see a larger image. Here's a link to a Caltrans and Metropolitan Transportation Authority website on the 710 study. The news release from Caltrans follows.

-- Steve Hymon

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/01/710-tunnel-soil.html

Construction in Alhambra at the NW corner intersection of Atlantic Blvd. and Commonwealth Ave.

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/3797/dscn6229lj5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/9638/dscn6231cm5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/4609/dscn6235rz1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

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http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/6768/dscn6230hr8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

While many of the projected developments in Alhambra (especially on Main St.) have been canceled or on hold, many others are still in progress. Nevertheless, even with the downside real estate cycle, population and economic activity continues to grow and develop.

Pictures were taken yesterday afternoon (1/13/09) on my iPhone. This multi-unit complex is just north of Lake Ave. and California Blvd in Pasadena. It is right across from Borders Bookstore and the various shops on Lake Ave.

Please see the main website for more info:

http://www.graniteparkpasadena.com/

http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/9114/herorendering540bv1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

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http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/4548/gp1qh0.png (http://imageshack.us)

There are more than a dozen other construction projects like this all over the San Gabriel Valley! While the SGV still doesn't have the zoning allowances for high-rise buildings like those in downtown, higher-density (multi-unit) properties continues to be in demand.

With this project in Pasadena, its one of the few that I've seen units for sale that is right next to a vibrant commercial area (Lake St.) where one can walk and take care of most household tasks without having to drive. It is similar to the building I live in (Alhambra Gateway Walk) where just about everything is within a short walking distance (Movie theater, haircut, post office, tax services, restaurants, bars, clubs, etc.).

I do feel that the developers of this high-scale project should have built more commercial space on the lower levels. Even if there are many commercial business within walking distance, more space would provide new business opportunities that are not already available. Of course the key importance here is affordability, which I think is a critical factor. I did see an office for lease on the first floor, but that's about it. Even if such offices were vacant for a while, its premium value would most likely materialize after tenants start moving in. If the developers would have taken this financial circumstance as a long-term strategy, they might be able to capture the potential cash-flow of such leased floorspace once business investors can have a better assessment of its local consumer traffic viability. Likewise, marketing the property with in-house availability of commercial services (other than concierge and valet) might prove a higher selling point in the long run. This is a high-end project with asking prices that can exceed 1 million dollars. But its emphasis on luxury living can also be weighed in by convenience like no other! This can be the mark of a new trend that will reduce vehicular traffic and promote urban living.

Caltrans renews study of 710 Freeway tunnel
South Pasadena and Alhambra are at odds again as the state begins testing several underground routes.
By Jean Merl
The Los Angeles Times
January 19, 2009

It's the freeway controversy that just won't quit.

The fight over whether to finish the 710 Freeway -- which stops just short of South Pasadena -- has been going on for more than half a century, with the records in a 1998 federal court case so voluminous that they filled some 500 cardboard file boxes.

Now transit officials are opening another chapter in the controversy: They have begun exploratory drilling to determine the feasibility of building a tunnel to link the unfinished 710 to the 210 or possibly another freeway.

The California Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority are conducting boring and seismic reflection activities at 33 sites throughout the study area, which includes Alhambra, Glendale, La Can~ada Flintridge, northeast Los Angeles, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Marino and South Pasadena.

Douglas Failing, Caltrans director for Los Angeles and Ventura counties, called the study "a key piece" in determining whether the freeway project can move forward.

Already, combatants in the freeway fight have drawn battle lines.

Alhambra Mayor Barbara Messina, who has spent 27 years fighting to complete the freeway, said building a tunnel "is the only way it's ever going to happen." Putting the freeway 250 or more feet underground is supporters' best chance at overcoming the opposition to building it through residential neighborhoods.

"It's not taking homes. It's not taking trees," Messina said. "There is no real reason anymore for people to be opposed to it."

But longtime South Pasadena resident and 710 extension opponent Joanne Nuckols called the tunnel proposal "a really bad idea" and the exploratory study "a waste of taxpayers' money."

The 710 extension has been in limbo for years: In 2003, the Federal Highway Administration rescinded its 1998 approval of a court-stalled surface route linking the northern terminus of the 710, at the boundary of Los Angeles and Alhambra, to the 210 Freeway.

South Pasadena and other opponents had kept the project tied up in courts for years, while Alhambra and its allies have long battled for the freeway extension as a solution to traffic and air pollution problems where the freeway ends at Valley Boulevard and dumps about 100,000 vehicles a day onto surface streets.

Officials hope to finish the 710 tunnel technical study by May and to have some answers regarding a tunnel's feasibility by the end of the year.

If officials decide to pursue a tunnel, they would need to conduct public hearings, pick a route, conduct extensive environmental studies, secure funding, pass muster with federal and state authorities and, as a practical matter at least, build community support before construction could begin.

Officials in South Pasadena, which has led the long fight against a freeway extension that would slice through some of its quiet, leafy neighborhoods of historic homes, are going along with the study but say their cooperation should not be construed as support for a tunnel, which has yet to undergo environmental review.

Some activists are opposed even to a feasibility study. And the cities of South Pasadena and La Can~ada Flintridge have filed suit objecting to the inclusion of $780 million in freeway tunnel-building funds in Measure R, the half-cent sales tax hike for transit that Los Angeles County voters approved in November.

Nonetheless, supporters of efforts to complete the 710 see tunneling as a possible solution to a standoff that has left a 6.2-mile gap between the two freeways and set neighboring cities against one another.

Caltrans is scheduled to make a presentation on the tunnel study to the South Pasadena City Council at its regular meeting Wednesday.

Since the 2003 withdrawal of federal approval for the surface extension, interest in a tunnel -- once rejected as unrealistic -- has resurfaced. The MTA did a limited survey of a proposal to build a 4.5-mile multilane road under South Pasadena and Pasadena to provide most of the link between the 710 and the 210. Officials estimated then that it would cost at least $3 billion and take 11 years to build.

But the current technical survey, begun earlier this month as part of an $11.5-million, two-year feasibility study, has been expanded to five zones for several alternatives. Any of those could also be problematic, including tunneling to link the 710 to the 2 Freeway on the west or to the 605 on the east. The latter, about an 11-mile route, would roughly parallel the 10 Freeway.

Caltrans' Failing said the other possibilities were added to help ensure that the study is conducted in a "route-neutral manner," meaning that officials will explore "any feasible alternative."

Anti-freeway activists contend that the tunnel would create a new set of problems for their communities and said traffic problems could be better addressed by measures other than extending the freeway.

"It really doesn't solve the transportation problems," said South Pasadena City Councilman Richard Schneider. "It's really not for commuters; it's for trucks coming out of the harbor and Long Beach."

Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Can~ada Flintridge), who is skeptical of Caltrans' claims of an objective feasibility study, recently introduced legislation that would require the agency to sell the roughly 500 properties it acquired years ago along the surface route in the Los Angeles neighborhood of El Sereno and in South Pasadena and Pasadena and use the proceeds for the state's cash-strapped university systems.

South Pasadena has also called for the release of the Caltrans-owned properties.

Abdi Saghafi, the Caltrans project manager for the 710 corridor, responding to South Pasadena's call to sell the properties and return them to the tax rolls, said the agency would not favor releasing the properties until the extension question is settled.

It's against this backdrop that the tunnel technical study is going on. The study is designed to provide analyses of soil and sub-surface conditions at depths of 250 feet or deeper.

Failing said advances in tunnel technology in the last 30 years have made it possible to build safely and even relatively economically in areas once considered impossible.

http://www.latimes.com/media/mapimage/2009-01/44591391.gif


The route to a tunnel
January 19, 2009

The route to a tunnel

Key events in the 710 Freeway extension battle:

1951: California Legislature maps out the first route.

1964: Route modified as the "Meridian route," the first of three modifications through South Pasadena.

1973: South Pasadena and allies win an injunction blocking the extension pending an environmental study.

1989: National Trust for Historic Preservation declares South Pasadena one of America's 11 "endangered places" and indicates it would join the court fight against the extension.

1992: Gov. Pete Wilson's administration announces it will try to get the injunction lifted and build the extension. The federal government accepts the final version of the state's several environmental impact reports.

1998: The Federal Highway Administration approves the project based on the final version, but South Pasadena and allies go back to court and, the next year, win another injunction.

2003: The Bush administration rescinds its support of the court-stalled project, saying the data are outdated and require a new environmental study. Transportation officials begin revisiting the possibility of a tunnel, an idea earlier rejected as not feasible.

2006: Three possible routes are proposed for twin 4.5-mile tunnels to connect the 710 with the 210 after a Metropolitan Transportation Authority preliminary survey deems such a project feasible.

2009: Caltrans and the MTA begin a tunnel technical study of underground conditions along several additional possible routes to determine which, if any, are feasible.

Source: California Department of Transportation and Times research

^^

That's interesting. I never knew that the National Trust for Historic Preservation considered South Pasadena an "ENDANGERED PLACE". I think the only thing endangered are the memories that shaped the history of this place. It's ironic that this historical place is also in the middle of a growing/developing area that will continue to grow. So does an underground tunnel necessarily destroy the last historical remnants (physical and the untangible) of this area?

The National Trust for Historic Preservation may have a deep vested interest in this project, but they are not the only stakeholders. The true ones are those living in these areas with the intermediaries nearby. I think the NIMBYs have a strong political stance in these matters, but it won't last forever. Compromise may not work for some, but with advances in technology and continued developmental growth, the government needs to address traffic congestion and efficiency. If people aren't ready for overhead freeways/monorails, then those tunnels should be built!!!

I love how LA's version of the American fascination with cars is continuing to eat itself.

omg, according to that map above that proposed route connecting 710 to the 605 is over my head on why that is even a possibility. Only advantage is it gives a parallel alternative to both the 210 and 10, but omfg @ how much that tunnel would cost. there is like twice or three times as many residential in that path.

omg, according to that map above that proposed route connecting 710 to the 605 is over my head on why that is even a possibility. Only advantage is it gives a parallel alternative to both the 210 and 10, but omfg @ how much that tunnel would cost. there is like twice or three times as many residential in that path.

I agree. Why bother? The objective, I thought, was to get from Long Beach to Pasadena. Most people, including me just get off the freeway and drive through the streets because the alternatives are just ridiculous via the freeway. The street congestion is horrendous. There would be benefits to this alone building the tunnel under South Pasadena. Odd that people don't appreciate this.

a higher percentage of selfish people in that city.

it is just NIMBYism.

omg, according to that map above that proposed route connecting 710 to the 605 is over my head on why that is even a possibility. Only advantage is it gives a parallel alternative to both the 210 and 10, but omfg @ how much that tunnel would cost. there is like twice or three times as many residential in that path.

I think they proposed that route so that there would be a direct connect from the 710 to the 605 without cars having to continue clogging the 10/605 interchange (I've seen and driven through it during the afternoons many times and it can get really bad). Also, as you mentioned, as a parallel alternative to the 10 fwy, that would offset some of the traffic on the 10 fwy between the 710 and 605.

I'm sure the tunnel will be expensive, but the future opportunity cost has to assessed as well. If you look at the railroad lines going through the San Gabriel corridor to and from downtown L.A., there has been many surface gradient and engineering advances already. That's why the drilling samples are key critical steps. I live in Alhambra, and that corridor you mention affects me as well. There are many residences in this area, but as the above article mentions, thousands of vehicles pound through the streets of Valley Blvd., a main street artery running through many business establishments along its periphery . As development grows with more mixed-use projects, congestion will inevitably grow. A tunnel extension would alleviate much of that traffic, especially commercial vehicles coming from the eastside to the greater L.A. area (and vice-versa)...

it is just NIMBYism.

This is good NIMBYism.

I think they proposed that route so that there would be a direct connect from the 710 to the 605 without cars having to continue clogging the 10/605 interchange (I've seen and driven through it during the afternoons many times and it can get really bad). Also, as you mentioned, as a parallel alternative to the 10 fwy, that would offset some of the traffic on the 10 fwy between the 710 and 605.

I'm sure the tunnel will be expensive, but the future opportunity cost has to assessed as well. If you look at the railroad lines going through the San Gabriel corridor to and from downtown L.A., there has been many surface gradient and engineering advances already. That's why the drilling samples are key critical steps. I live in Alhambra, and that corridor you mention affects me as well. There are many residences in this area, but as the above article mentions, thousands of vehicles pound through the streets of Valley Blvd., a main street artery running through many business establishments along its periphery . As development grows with more mixed-use projects, congestion will inevitably grow. A tunnel extension would alleviate much of that traffic, especially commercial vehicles coming from the eastside to the greater L.A. area (and vice-versa)...

Well, now that I moved back home with my parents, the 10/605 interchange is the closest interchange to my house (La Puente area), so i know all about that mess. I constantly hear of trucks falling over, i guess due to all the lane-crossing (in fact both cars and big rigs going either West 10 to South 605, and South 605 to East 10, have to criss-cross each other... that is just accident waiting to happen)

I drive on Valley Blvd a lot. the Valley Blvd exit of the 605 is actually where I get on and off the freeway each day to and from college. I have to go all the way to Santa Monica, so I definitely notice a lot of the traffic from the 710 emptying into 60 and 10 affects my commute.

A tunnel connecting to the 605 would be great (actually, it would be my primary route into downtown if it ever exists), but it is looking like the least likely option to me, that is all I meant by my reply.

I really do think there needs to be more studies into easing the traffic in the San Gabriel Valley... in my opinion, the 10 is the 2nd most primary highway into Los Angeles, after the 5 (yes, the 405 is busy, but it doesn't go the distance the 5 and 10 do)

This is good NIMBYism.

i think i just lost track of what i was commenting on -_-

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2009-04/45950817.jpg

New Pasadena convention center to be unveiled today
City hopes to attract business, visitors with the final piece of its civic center restoration. Design combines modern structure and historic elements evoking original 1930s structures.
By Cara Mia DiMassa
The Los Angeles Times
April 3, 2009

Ten years ago, Pasadena set out to revamp its aging civic center.

The grand promenade once envisioned between the Civic Auditorium to the south and the Central Library to the north had been blocked by a shopping mall that by the 1990s was struggling. The landmark City Hall, the domed symbol of the city, was facing serious seismic issues.

So the city embarked on a major face-lift for the area aimed in part at raising its stature. The old Plaza Pasadena mall was knocked down and, in 2001, replaced with the Paseo Colorado, an outdoor shopping center and urban village that restored the sightlines between landmarks. City Hall underwent a $117-million seismic retrofit and historic restoration, which was finished almost two years ago.

Today, the final piece of that restoration will be unveiled: a massive new $150-million convention center that city officials hope will bring business and visitors to the Rose City.

The shiny new facility, which replaces a 1970s-era subterranean center, boasts a 25,000-square-foot ballroom, 80,000 square feet of exhibit space and an underground kitchen. It also includes environmentally friendly components. At street level, a grand brick plaza opens out in front.

When the revitalization began, some wondered whether the city could pull it all together -- and whether it would result in overdevelopment. The jury is still out on the second question. The new civic center has helped pave the way for a crop of high-end apartments and condos along the Colorado Boulevard corridor, bringing a new spark to the area but also more traffic and higher building density.

Even a planner for a neighboring city can't help but be a little envious at the result.

"To have that public space visible to the Paseo Colorado and up to the library restores the civic center plan from the 1920s," said Alan Loomis, the principal urban designer in Glendale's planning department. "In that sense, it's very successful."

City officials hope the convention center will turn Pasadena into more of a regional draw.

Mayor Bill Bogaard, who has been the elected mayor of Pasadena since 1999, said the last decade was a boom period "both in terms of private development -- something like 4,000 residential units have been constructed -- and in the public sector. The city decided it wanted to invest for its future."

That meant the creation of the Paseo Colorado, which was built by a private developer, and the renovation of the public buildings. Bogaard said that the new convention center will allow Pasadena to compete with other cities in the region and will support Pasadena's restaurants, retail and cultural offerings. The center, he said, "represents this city's efforts to increase business conferences and conventions that occur here."

The design, by Fentress Architects, adds a sleek building on either side of the Civic Auditorium. One contains the former convention center, remodeled now into a series of meeting and conference spaces; the other holds the ballroom and exhibit hall. The two buildings -- mirror images of each other -- are connected underground and share a parking lot and truck-loading docks.

But the design process was not without controversy. Architect Curtis Fentress said he attended what seemed like hundreds of meetings about the center, as some in the city advocated for a more modern design while others pushed for something closer to the 1932 Civic Auditorium.

The final design, which is modern in structure but includes some historic flourishes, including red clay tile roofs that evoke the Civic Auditorium's, "settled the deadlock between the historical society and the planning commission," Fentress said.

"I am really pleased with how it turned out," he added. "It wasn't as historic as the Civic Auditorium, and you knew it was of a different time."

Jack Kyser, chief economist with the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., predicted "quite positive" results for the city, in part because Pasadena is one of only a handful of cities in the region to have a full-fledged convention center.

"The added attraction for Pasadena is that it has cachet," Kyser said. "Everybody is familiar with Pasadena because of the Rose Parade. It's got a lot of amenities, a lot of nice restaurants. . . . They offer quite a bit."

that is a nice looking building. but it might be the fish-eye lens making it look good, lol

New construction pic updates of Atlantic Times Square in Monterey Park.

The upper floors are starting to show..... :banana:

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/6410/atlantic2.jpg (http://img146.imageshack.us/i/atlantic2.jpg/)

A closer look at the rising height of this project. Please excuse the rear view mirror..... :)

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/5940/atlantic1.jpg (http://img146.imageshack.us/i/atlantic1.jpg/)

This was recently published in the Alhambra City Newspaper...

CITY OF ALHAMBRA SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH DEVELOPER FOR NEW MIXED-USE PROJECT AT THIRD, MAIN STREETS

Passerby may have noticed the recent demolition of buildings located at the northeast corner of Main and Third streets. A Disposition and Development Agreement by and between the Alhambra Redevelopment Agency (ARA) and the Zen Development Company, LLC will lead to the construction of a four-story mixed-use development at the northeast corner of Main and Third streets. The proposed project is included in the West Main Street Master Plan that was approved by the City Council in 2006. It has been estimated that the construction of the project will begin in October 2010 with completion in June 2012.

The city has agreed to sell the agency-owned 1.2 acre property (comprised of five parcels and a partial alley) to Zen Development for $4 million. The firm plans to construct a mixed-use building that will include 94 residential "for-sale" condominium units and 5,000 sq. ft. of ground-level retail commercial or restaurant space with 398 parking spaces.

It is estimated that the value of the project at completion will be roughly $33.9 million and that the site will generate approximately $339,000 annually in property tax revenue to the Redevelopment Agency. The agency will receive approximately $4,746,000 in property tax increment and the city will receive approximately $140,000 in sales tax revenue during the anticipated life of the project. The total net project income is estimated at approximately $1,310,000. It is also estimated that the project will create an estimated 25 new jobs at build-out, plus there will be a number of temporary jobs created during the project's construction phase.

In addition to increasing the tax base, construction of the new, mixed-use building will help eliminate a source of blight. The site is currently developed with three agency-owned parking lots, an alley and approximately 20,700 sq. ft. of vacant land. By developing a higher and better use of the property (previously occupied by an automobile body shop, automobile repair shop and laundry service), it is anticipated that the project will be a factor in attracting new commerce and capital, help to create conditions that stimulate property values and the desire to improve other properties in the Downtown, as well as create a better quality of life for Alhambra residents through increased opportunities for dining, shopping and entertainment and other amenities in the downtown. In addition, the project will be designed to increase pedestrian activity by supporting new and existing retail, restaurant and office uses in the Downtown. It is also anticipated that the project will create the synergy needed to impart a desirable image to potential investors, businesses and customers.

The agreement comes on the heels of a series of good economic news for the city. Since the beginning of the year, six new restaurants have opened or relocated to Main Street; a new Volkswagen dealership closed escrow on a site in the Auto Row District; and at The Alhambra Campus on Fremont Avenue, news came of newly-signed leases with the Newport Dessert Company (which manufactures high-end desserts for upscale restaurants and sells over the QVC network) and DeVry University.


http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/3274/thirdmain2.jpg (http://img5.imageshack.us/i/thirdmain2.jpg/)


http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/9554/thirdmain1.jpg (http://img5.imageshack.us/i/thirdmain1.jpg/)

...Isn't that what the vast majority of Southern California is already?

Well yes. But since you used the term "Southern California" which would be referring to the LA metro area, this freeway-sprawl conundrum is not just a So Cal phenomena but one we see replicated throughout the US. From Chicago's Chicagoland to Miami's Miami-Dade and even extends itself to the New York metro's Tri-State area. I mean, Long Island was practically built along the LIE.

Anyone who can find satellite maps of this country can deduce that. I was just pointing out that, if rst22 is going to call the Gold Line extension project a boondoggle because it would serve an overwhelmingly sprawly area, then that's like calling any attempt at bringing public transit to almost all of the Southland with (with notable exceptions, of course) a "boondoggle".

Basically, I was disagreeing with the Foothill Extension being a boondoggle.




...gawd that word is ugly.

710 Freeway tunnel would be feasible, Caltrans study finds
The preliminary survey examines five proposed underground areas for the final phase of the freeway and presents the challenges of each. Public hearings will be held before the report is finalized.
By Ari B. Bloomekatz
The Los Angeles Times
9:24 PM PST, November 17, 2009

A long-awaited geological study for a proposal to complete the 710 Freeway as a tunnel under either the San Gabriel Valley or northeast Los Angeles found that such a project would be scientifically feasible.

The findings mark a small step in what even supporters say is a long road for the tunnel idea, which was proposed by transportation officials and some politicians after residents fought for decades against completing the 710 as an above-ground freeway.

The tunnel has also generated opposition, and building it would be significantly more expensive than a regular freeway.

The 710 ends in Alhambra, just north of the 10 Freeway. Planners originally envisioned that it would go through South Pasadena and Pasadena to link with the 210 Freeway.

Transportation officials began studying areas in five directions from the end of the freeway in January of last year.

Those zones stretch east to the 605 Freeway, north to the 210 Freeway, and west to the 2 Freeway.

The study, which is still in draft form, will not be finalized until early 2010, after a series of public meetings are held, said officials with the California Department of Transportation.

Abdi Saghafi, the Caltrans project manager for the 710 corridor, said the study did not favor one particular zone over another, but rather presented issues, challenges and conditions of each.

It was based on the assumption that the tunnel would be about 200 feet below ground and about 50 feet in diameter.

The study researched issues such as faults and seismic activity, groundwater conditions and the presence of hazardous materials, among others.

Some of the findings for each zone, according to the study, are:

Zone 1 (Northeast L.A.): There is one Superfund site in the northwest portion of the zone which could be a source of contaminated soil and groundwater in the tunnel.

There is also a possibility of encountering naturally occurring gases such as methane and hydrogen sulfide.

There are no active faults in the zone.

Zone 2 (Northeast L.A.): The active Raymond fault crosses the zone and there is also the potential of encountering naturally occurring gases.

Some soil and groundwater contamination could result in hazardous materials being encountered.

Zone 3 (South Pasadena/Pasadena): The Raymond and San Rafael faults are groundwater barriers in this area, and there is one active and two potentially active faults in the area.

There are two places with minor soil contamination in the northern limits of the zone.

Zone 4 (San Marino/Pasadena): Active faults that cross the zone are the Raymond and Alhambra Wash faults.

There is one Superfund site in the southwestern end of the zone.

There are also six other sites with various levels of soil contamination.

Zone 5 (Alhambra/San Gabriel/Temple City): The active Alhambra Wash fault is in this zone and so are the perennial Rio Hondo and San Gabriel rivers.

There is one Superfund site in the south-central portion of the zone and seven other sites with various levels of soil and groundwater contamination.

How is that big shopping center on Atlantic in Monterey Park coming along. Last I saw it was a couple of months ago and progress was slow. Is there a scheduled opening?

^I think that project is called Atlantic Times Square.

"Times Sq." is kind of ironic for a place that is owned by a single developer.

From looking at their website, they claim that retail is opening in December and residences a few months later. I guess the look is basically The Grove or Americana. It should be quite a success in that location if they are reasonable in their pricing, given the very large Asian community that will enjoy the availabililty of controlled, safe places to gather and mix.

http://www.joejobsexpo.com/

The first-ever Joe Jobs EXPO is presented by Joe Barter, LLC, an online free classifieds and networking business. The event also features the Los Angeles Football Stadium and the Los Angeles Newspaper Group (LANG). Joe Barter encourages diversity in the workplace.

The stadium project alone is expected to bring 12,000 union construction jobs to the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding areas. Learn more about these union job opportunities and others at the Expo.

The Joe Jobs EXPO promises to be a high profile event, where the media, local government officials and celebrities mingle with the attendees in a comfortable setting. Let's get ready for some jobs . . . and some football!

Meet the Silver Line
New line will have frequent direct connections to downtown landmarks
By SCOTT WEBER
NBC Los Angeles
Updated 4:00 PM PST, Thu, Dec 3, 2009

Gold, purple, blue, and now silver.

The Silver Line, a new bus service connecting the San Gabriel Valley and South Bay via downtown Los Angeles, will begin operating later this month, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Thursday.

Starting Dec. 13, the Silver Line will operate between the El Monte Station and the Artesia Transit Center via the Harbor Transitway on the Harbor (110) Freeway and the El Monte Busway on the San Bernardino (10) Freeway.

It will have frequent, direct connections to downtown landmarks such as the Staples Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, L.A. Convention Center, CalState Los Angeles, and more. L.A. Live, California Science Center, USC, L.A. Coliseum, and other work, school, shopping and dining centers.

It will operate every 5 to 15 minutes during rush hour. Base cash fare is $2.45 one way, $1.15 for senior/disabled cash fare during peak times, and $0.85 cents in off-peak times.

Metro Day Passes will be honored as base fare, and Metro weekly, monthly and EZ transit passes will be accepted with an additional $1.20 charge when boarding.

The Silver Line will replace the Metro Express Bus lines 444, 446/447, 484, and 490, which will be rerouted.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local-beat/Meet-the-Silver-Line-78470017.html

line map:
http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/maps/images/Silver_Line_carcard.pdf

schedule and detailed map:
http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/bus_overview/images/910.pdf

Rose Bowl Hopes to Bet Future on a Makeover
By BILLY WITZ
The New York Times
January 1, 2010

PASADENA, Calif. — As parade floats were being prepared nearby and workers busied themselves with final touches to the Rose Bowl, the 87-year-old stadium looked as ready as ever for the two close-ups it will receive in the next week. First, it will host, as it always does, the Rose Bowl game on New Year’s Day. Then, six days later, it will be home to the Bowl Championship Series title game.

But as Darryl Dunn, the general manager of the stadium, stood in the middle of an immaculately manicured field, an enormous red rose painted in the center, his gaze carried beyond the elliptical, tree-lined rim of the Rose Bowl and past the San Gabriel Mountains, which frame it.

“This place is almost like a walking museum, there’s such great, great history here,” Dunn said. “But what about the future? The next 12 months are going to define the next 50 years.”

For Dunn and other officials, after a week of being at the center of the college football world, the real work will begin: completing plans and applying for bonds for a $164 million renovation of the stadium. The project, which would start in January 2011, would be completed four years from now — in time for the 100th Rose Bowl game and the return of the B.C.S. title game.

Creating a sense of urgency is the economy. Interest rates and construction costs have fallen in the last year, and the deadline for federal stimulus funds, which the Rose Bowl would be eligible for, is Dec. 31, 2010.

“The window of opportunity to make this work, really, is today,” said Michael Beck, the city manager of Pasadena, which owns the stadium. “Two years ago, we couldn’t afford to do it. Two years from now, interest rates will be higher and construction costs are likely to be higher. This is the perfect economy to make an investment in.”

Asked about the wisdom of investing in a stadium, a strategy that has left many municipalities in dire financial straits, Beck conceded there was some risk.

“But there’s also the other risk,” Beck said. “That’s the risk of not doing anything.”

The danger of that strategy is illustrated in Miami, where the Orange Bowl stadium, built in the same era as the Rose Bowl and itself an iconic site, no longer exists.

It was once home to the Dolphins, the University of Miami and Super Bowls, as well as the Orange Bowl game. But when the Dolphins owner Joe Robbie could not persuade city officials to add suites to the Orange Bowl in the 1980s, he built his own stadium and moved the Dolphins. The Super Bowls followed. Then the Orange Bowl game. And finally, the University of Miami.

As each tenant left, revenue declined. The stadium eventually deteriorated beyond repair.

“Then the question became, what are you going to do with this dinosaur?” Dunn said.

In 2008, it was razed to make way for a baseball stadium.

The question of what to do with the Rose Bowl is one that Dunn has been grappling with since he was hired 10 years ago. The city had recently written off $8.7 million in debt and there were fears that if the N.F.L. were to build a new stadium in Los Angeles, the Rose Bowl could lose its main tenant, U.C.L.A.

That motivated Pasadena officials in 2003 to pursue a deal with the N.F.L. in which the league would pay for a $500 million renovation of the stadium in exchange for being allowed to operate it.

But the proposal bitterly divided the community. Residents who lived in the historic homes that surrounded the Arroyo Seco, the narrow canyon in which the bowl sits, were adamantly opposed to bringing N.F.L. crowds into their neighborhood. (The memory of Raiders fans endures.) And preservationists protested that the changes the N.F.L. wanted to make would alter the character of the stadium and jeopardize its status as a National Historic Landmark. They pointed to Soldier Field, whose landmark status was revoked after a renovation that some critics lampooned as a spaceship crashing into the old stadium.

“That was a wake-up call because it highlighted what could happen to us,” said Sue Mossman, executive director of Pasadena Heritage, a preservation group. “The Rose Bowl would no longer be the Rose Bowl because there was no way to marry the historic qualities that give the Rose Bowl its essence and a new state-of-the-art N.F.L. stadium.”

The City Council gave $1 million to the Rose Bowl Operating Company, which Dunn manages, to explore other options. He had just about exhausted it by the summer of 2008, when he took his son to see Fenway Park, a place Dunn had visited frequently while growing up in Connecticut.

Short on money and ideas, Dunn called Janet Marie Smith, who as the Red Sox’ vice president for planning and development oversaw the improvements that were made at Fenway after the team was sold in 2002 to John Henry, one of the few prospective owners who did not want a new stadium for the team. They met and soon Smith and her team were in Pasadena as consultants, researching the Rose Bowl, interviewing community leaders and studying the possibilities.

What helped was that the same conservation ethic that existed in Boston was alive in Pasadena, whose downtown revitalization in the 1980s was pivotal in the city’s financial turnaround. If much of Los Angeles is a testament to development run amok, Pasadena is keen on embracing its heritage.

“In Southern California, newer is better in many people’s minds,” Mossman said. “That’s why they come here, that’s why they want to live here — to reinvent themselves. It’s often identified as the most cutting edge, least traditional place. All this old history nonsense feels out of place for many. But the old neighborhoods, the great architecture, the sense of community are what makes Pasadena a special place. It’s why people want to live here, shop here and work here. It’s money in the bank.”

The plan that Smith developed called for more modest improvements and, in keeping with the rest of the neighborhood, for turning the clock back as well as forward.

The scoreboard at the south end of the stadium will be replaced by a 1940s replica, and at the north end, much of the signage will be stripped away and replaced by a high-definition video board. The bottom 10 rows, with notoriously poor views, will be ripped out along the sidelines and replaced by the hedges that once enveloped the field. Aisles will be added and tunnels widened, allowing for easier access. And the concessions, which ring the building, will be reconfigured to be more efficient and redesigned to reflect the Craftsman-style of the neighborhood.

“Some of it is born out of sentiment, but it’s also born out of practicality,” Smith said. “There’s an important reality on communities and sports teams that you don’t always have to start over.”

Perhaps the most critical part of the renovation is the overhaul of the press box, which houses suites. Its height would not change, pleasing the preservationists, but it would extend farther from the stadium, increasing the suite capacity from 600 to 2,500. Those suites, and other premium seating, would help generate $100 million to pay off the bonds, according to preliminary estimates. Other revenue streams are expected to come from advertising around the stadium and selective major events, like a U2 concert earlier this year. There will also be an effort to solicit philanthropic donors, though there remains uncertainty over how much that would generate.

“We’re a stadium,” Dunn said. “We don’t have an alumni base.”

The Tournament of Roses and U.C.L.A. have been supportive, but are also wary that their concerns are met. U.C.L.A. agreed to a 20-year lease after receiving assurances that the locker rooms would be renovated, which they were in 2007, quadrupling to 12,000 square feet. About $43 million remains on bonds from that renovation and earlier projects.

In the next two months, Dunn said, the numbers will have to be crunched more firmly to make sure they all add up.

“The funding is the biggest challenge, no question about it,” Dunn said. “But what we’re doing is modest and incremental. The day you stop reinvesting is the day you start to lose it. We want to make the Rose Bowl better and we’ve never had a better opportunity.”

Caltrans to share results of tunnel extension study
Pasadena Star-News
Posted: 01/07/2010 01:42:24 PM PST

Caltrans has completed its study of geological conditions if a tunnel is considered to extend the Long Beach (710) Freeway and will present a report to the public at a series of upcoming meetings.

Caltrans and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) initiated the State Route 710 Tunnel Study last year to determine if a tunnel is feasible to extend the 710 from the San Bernardino (10) Freeway. The study took place in the cities of Pasadena, Alhambra, South Pasadena, San Marino, La Ca ada Flintridge, Monterey Park, Glendale and several neighorhoods in Los Angeles/

Public meetings on Caltrans' report on its study will be held at these times and locations:

San Marino: From 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 26 at the San Marino Center, 1800 Huntington Drive;

San Gabriel: From 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 10 at Jefferson Middle School, 1372 E. Las Tunas Drive;

El Monte: From 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 24 at the El Monte Community Center, 3130 N. Tyler Ave.

SOUTH PASADENA

Informational meeting,

tours planned at school

South Pasadena Middle School, 1020 El Centro St., will hosts its monthly informational meeting and campus tour from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. today.

The monthly meetings, called "Community Coffees," offer parents and students a detailed description of school curriculum as well as a brief tour of the campus.

For more information, call 626-441-5830.

Thousands line up for Industry stadium jobs
Posted: 01/15/2010 05:08:08 PM PST

INDUSTRY - Thousands of jobseekers, lured by the chance to land a job building an NFL stadium, descended on Pacific Palms Resort on Friday.

Their goal was anything but rest and relaxation.

Victor Montano, an out-of-work carpenter from Hacienda Heights, was one of them.

He came to the first Joe Jobs Expo to let event co-sponsor Majestic Realty Co. know he wanted to work to help build a stadium, and to offer his experience.

"I came to get a job, and to present to them what I am capable of," Montano said. "I could some day sit back and say, `I helped build that stadium."'

After years of helping to build small convenience stores, being one of the estimated 12,000 construction workers for developer Ed Roski Jr.'s planned Industry stadium would be a feather in his cap, Montano said.

"This would be a tier-topper," he said.

That was a common refrain among the hundreds who waited in a long line of drafters, carpenters and construction workers - men and women - who hoped to help find a job working on the project. That line led directly to Majestic Realty representatives, who took applications and explained the project.

But while the expo, co-sponsored by Majestic Realty Co., online bartering company JoeBarter.com and the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group, was for weeks highly promoted with stadium imagery and ads, no one actually got a stadium job.

That reality wasn't lost on Tina Mistry of Cerritos.

"I guess, overall, I'm a bit disappointed, personally," the out-of-work information technology worker said.

While the event was promoted well and the stadium connection attracted many, the reality was it wasn't much different than other job fairs she'd been too, Mistry said.

But organizers, who expected 3,500 to attend the sold-out event at $5 a pop, said the expo was also a way to get the word out about the stadium to the local workforce.

The idea from the beginning was to attract the average Joe, a tie-in to Tom Daley's Covina-based Joe Barter, he said.

Daley got Majestic to agree to co-sponsor the event, and convinced even the Los Angeles Clippers to have a presence there, he said. Ultimately, major construction firms vying to win contracts to build the stadium, and several others, from Goodwill to North-West College, set up booths. There were also several workshops.

"It's all about the jobseekers," Daley said. "I'm just so excited to help out as many as I can in a controlled and positive environment."

Still, in relation to the stadium, jobseekers could only get as far as leaving their information and resumes with Majestic representatives and several construction companies.

When jobs come online, event organizers and construction firm representatives said those who attended Friday's job fair would have a jump on others for openings.

Exactly when those jobs will come is anybody's guess.

While Roski has won entitlements and designed the project, he has not secured a team to play there nor financing for the project.

"It's all dependent on when we secure a team," said Taylor Talt of Majestic Realty.

That was fine with Jesse Castaneda of South El Monte, who said the stadium project will help reinvigorate the area's economy. With unemployment rates hovering at or near 15 percent in much of the San Gabriel Valley, an infusion of jobs from the stadium would be welcomed by many.

"There will be lots of opportunities for all the vendors and others," said Castaneda, who said he lost his job last year as a shipping and receiving representative at Pep Boys after 23 years. "This will be a boost for the economy."

When that happens and contracts are set, jobseekers would be notified about openings, organizers said.

In the meantime, businesses that could be awarded lucrative contracts haven't been exactly standing flat-footed.

"We're competing to win and to be the general contractor," said Alan J. Petrasek, senior vice president of San Diego-based Clark Construction.

Larry Kirkenslager, senior vice president of pre-construction for Fullerton-based SASCO, said his company has already been doing budget and cost analyses on elements of the project.

A shifting canvas in Pasadena
The city has long had a vibrant arts scene. But now it finds its 'genteel tradition' in flux.
By Cara Mia DiMassa
The Los Angeles Times
February 7, 2010

Ever since railroads and orange groves brought great wealth to Pasadena more than a century ago, the city has carried out a tradition of giving back in the form of art.

At the turn of the last century, Pasadena's love of the arts was part of what historian Kevin Starr called a "genteel tradition," which included a Shakespeare Club and a Grand Opera House.

Later, museums such as the Norton Simon and the Pacific Asia (not to mention the Huntington in neighboring San Marino), and venues including the Pasadena Playhouse and the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, added to what many in the region regarded as one of the best cultural offerings for a city of its size.

But these days, Pasadena's art scene is in flux.

The city is reeling from the announcement that the venerable Pasadena Playhouse is closing because of money woes. Three years ago, the city's two main orchestras, the Pasadena Symphony and the Pasadena Pops, merged, and since then, the joint organization has struggled financially as well.

All three organizations struggled with an aging demographic base, mounting debt and increased competition from other art venues around Southern California.

By contrast, museums such as the Huntington and the Norton Simon have managed to attract a younger and more diverse audience, including families. The Huntington, for example, has in recent years opened a children's garden as well as a Chinese garden, which garnered significant financial support from the area's wealthy Asian community.

At the same time, some avant-garde performing arts groups are rising, challenging the stereotypes of Pasadena's arts scene as a place that honored tradition but rarely pushed the envelope.

A new outlook

With bold aesthetics and risky programming, organizations such as Furious Theatre, The Theatre @ Boston Court, the Pasadena Museum of California Art and Side Street Projects are managing to challenge Pasadena convention.

Side Street has installed funky mobile art installations across the city, while Furious Theatre staged the world premiere of "Canned Peaches in Syrup," a post-apocalyptic love story in which the world is divided into cannibals and vegetarians.

"It definitely seems as if the perception of Pasadena as a stodgy place has been challenged," said Nick Cernoch, general manager of Furious Theatre.

Some of Pasadena's arts organizations are pushing for a younger, diverse audience by hosting musical events at museums, say, or tailoring specific exhibitions. The Pacific Asia Museum recently included manga and anime in an exhibition about Japanese samurai, as a way to broaden the exhibit's appeal.

The result, said Terry LeMoncheck, executive director of the Pasadena Arts Council, a nonprofit group that supports arts organizations in the area, is that things are shifting. "But they should be," she added. "If art isn't shifting, there's something wrong. And it's probably not art."

Though Pasadenans long reveled in their city's self-contained nature, which allowed them to partake of rich cultural offerings without having to get on a freeway, that has begun to shift.

More competition

The last two decades have seen an explosion in the region's arts scene, and with the remaking of organizations such as LACMA and MOCA and the introduction of the Walt Disney Concert Hall and Getty Center, several arts leaders said they now find themselves competing for audiences not just with one another, but also with the larger L.A. arts scene.

Theater- and museum-goers who once never traveled west of the 110 or east of the 605 are discovering venues elsewhere. That's created problems for some local organizations trying to attract and keep members.

For some organizations, that has meant looking beyond the San Gabriel Valley for financial and audience support. Michael Seel, executive director of the Theatre @ Boston Court, said that some of his organization's members come from the Westside, Claremont and Orange County.

"The arts world in Southern California is highly competitive," said Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard. "But it's also vital. And Pasadena has continued to develop as a center of arts and cultural activities."

Several area arts leaders said that the economic downturn has exacerbated a divide that was already starting to occur.

"It's a mixed bag in Pasadena," said Scott Ward, executive director of the Armory Center for the Arts, a community arts center. "Some nonprofits are really strong, fiscally, and others are a bit more close to the precipice."

A landmark's woes

In the case of the Pasadena Playhouse, the financial struggles of the 90-year-old landmark had been well-known among many of the city's culturally connected residents. And though the Playhouse had a loyal subscriber base, many of those supporters were aging and either dying off or not attending theater anymore.

Ward, who said he is optimistic that the Playhouse will regroup and ultimately survive, said that nonprofit arts groups have to look realistically at the niches they fill. "Other things have grown up around," he said. "People's business models have to change."

The experience of the Pasadena Pops and Pasadena Symphony -- which now go by the name Pasadena Symphony Assn. -- is instructive.

In early 2009, a decline in donations and a shrinking endowment forced the orchestras to cancel five concerts. A new executive director has said that the organization is gradually paying off hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and has begun using popular composers and titles to boost revenue for classical concerts.

That experience, said Emily Hopkins, interim executive director of Side Street Projects, a mobile visual arts collective, showed that the size of an arts organization makes a big difference in how it can react to both economic forces and the shifting taste of patrons.

She said that smaller arts nonprofits often have "a very entrepreneurial attitude. That's what's helped us . . . we are able to react to how things evolve."

When A Noise Within, a classical theater company based in Glendale, started looking for a permanent home several years ago, Pasadena was at the top of co-founder and co-artistic director Julia Rodriguez-Elliott's list. Pasadena, she said, "has a long history for support of the arts. And we thought we'd be very complementary to what was already there."

Rodriguez-Elliott said she found city officials, especially Bogaard, to be "extremely helpful" in making a move to Pasadena work. Though the city did not provide any financial support, it did help the organization identify potential sites and clear bureaucratic hurdles. A Noise Within will break ground next month on a facility near a Gold Line stop in East Pasadena.

Bogaard admits some of Pasadena's art institutions are struggling but said he believes the city will remain a magnet for the arts. He noted the city has spearheaded a number of arts festivals and "arts nights," when cultural venues around the city open for free. Those events, Bogaard said, "underscore for the people of Southern California what is available here."

Gold Line Expansion Project Coming in Summer?
Posted by: Scott Coppersmith / myFOXla.com

Los Angeles - An extension of light rail passenger train service along the Foothill (210) Freeway, once a mere dream for San Gabriel Valley communities, may see dirt moved and concrete poured starting this summer, it was reported today.

A June ground-breaking date appears to be on target for the Gold Line Foothill Extension, which will extend the northern branch of the Gold Line east from Pasadena to the Azusa/Glendora line.

Although the project may eventually see Gold Line passenger trains zipping from Los Angeles and Pasadena as far east as Ontario International Airport, funding is uncertain and the Foothill Extension Construction Authority and county Metropolitan Transportation Authority are still not exactly in accord, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported.

The MTA was viewed as a major obstacle to the Foothill extension. Ara Najarian, a Glendale councilman and chairman of the MTA's board, told the newspaper that the MTA's new boss --Art Leahy -- changed the attitudes of MTA officials toward the Gold Line.

"When we bought in our new CEO, I made it clear that we wanted a new attitude in the agency, where everybody isn't fighting each other for their own area's project," Najarian told the Tribune. "I think, under him, the agency has responded."

The construction authority will likely receive its full Measure R allotment of $851 million for the project over 11 years, Habib Balian, the construction authority's CEO, told the Tribune.

Officials hope to find a hungry construction company with enough cash reserves to build the tracks, with the authority paying back the money as its Measure R sales tax funds trickle in.

The first phase will include construction of a landmark bridge to take tracks from the center median of the 210 Freeway into Arcadia. From there, the light-rail tracks will follow old Santa Fe Railway right of way east through Monrovia and Azusa to Glendora.

Right of way exists to take the Gold Line through San Dimas, Laverne, Claremont and Pomona to the Ontario Airport, although funding is not assured for the eastern leg from San Bernardino County.

The Gold Line extends east from Los Angeles Union Station on two branches, and the June groundbreaking is scheduled for the northern branch. The southern branch currently ends in East Los Angeles, and officials hop to extend it either east along the Pomona (60) Freeway or southeast into Whittier.

Plans are also being drawn up to connect the two Gold Line branches across the Civic Center of Los Angeles via a "regional connector." That rail link would extend the Blue and Expo line tracks from the west side of downtown via a new tunnel under Figueroa Street and Bunker Hill.

http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/traffic/gold-line-expansion-project-20100130

Pasadena becomes latest city to debut bike plan
-- Tony Barboza
The Los Angeles Times
February 16, 2010 | 12:35 pm

While Los Angeles vigorously debates improvements to its bike infrastructure and Long Beach aims for the title of “the most bicycle friendly city in America,” Pasadena has released its own bike plan, which calls for nearly 20 miles of new bike lanes and paths.

The $1.8-million plan would rely on federal and state grants to build 6.3 miles of new bike lanes and 3.3 miles of new bike paths, and provide paint, pavement and sign upgrades for dozens of miles of other bikes lanes and routes.

The plan includes less conventional ideas, such as “emphasized bikeways,” or preferred routes that take cyclists away from busy streets, and shared bike-car lanes called “sharrows.” It also contains an idea bound to be controversial: Taking out lanes of traffic to erect diversion barriers to make more space for bicycles.

The Pasadena blueprint comes on the tail of efforts by cities such as Long Beach and Burbank to give cyclists safer passage through their cities.

Pasadena’s overtures to cyclists are being greeted with cautious optimism by cycling advocates, who say the city is moving in the right direction in guaranteeing cyclists’ safety but falling short in calling for enough protected bike lanes
“It’s very good, and there’s some connecting of gaps,” said Dorothy Le, planning and policy director for the nonprofit Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. “But now that there's more cities trying to vie for more bike friendliness, Pasadena's got to be a little more aggressive."

The bike plan will be released to the public Feb. 23 during a meeting at Pasadena City Hall.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/02/pasadena-latest-city-to-debut-new-bike-plan.html

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$690 million OKd for Gold Line extension to Azusa
The MTA board's approval of the funding means the project is on track to break ground in June and begin service in 2014.
By My-Thuan Tran
The Los Angeles Times
March 26, 2010


The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board on Thursday approved $690 million in funding for the extension of the Gold Line in the San Gabriel Valley, marking a significant step forward for the project.

The money would go toward extending the light rail line 11.3 miles from its current terminus at Sierra Madre Villa Avenue in Pasadena to Azusa. The board's approval means the project is on track to break ground in June and begin service in 2014.

The extension is one of several major rail projects being planned for L.A. County in the next few years, including an extension of the Expo Line into Santa Monica, a new line down Crenshaw Boulevard into the South Bay and an extension of the Eastside portion of the Gold Line.

There has been much debate about which projects should get funding, and county Supervisor Mike Antonovich said it's important that a line outside the city of Los Angeles received money.

"We need to have a regional transportation network and not one that just favors one city," he said. "Los Angeles has cannibalized the funds, and this is the first time we have been able to bring 'regional' to the front of the plate instead of the back of the bus."

Antonovich said the extension -- with stops in Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa -- would move the area toward a "truly regional transit system."

Cities are looking at creating a high-tech corridor and building housing and multi-use commercial projects along the line, which parallels the 210 Freeway.

Planners would like to eventually extend the Gold Line all the way to LA/Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County.

With the Thursday vote, $690 million in revenue from Measure R will be transferred to the Gold Line Construction Authority. County voters approved the measure in 2008 to increase the sales tax by half a cent on the dollar for 30 years to raise $40 billion to construct specific mass transit projects.

The Gold Line funding effectively moves the scheduled opening of the Azusa extension to 2014 from 2017, Antonovich said, because it allows for the construction authority to seek bids for faster construction in a private-public partnership.

Building the extension would generate 6,900 jobs, a third of them construction-related, during the three-year project, according to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.

The second phase of the project would add stations in Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, Claremont and Montclair and is estimated to cost about $600 million to $700 million.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was in Washington earlier this month lobbying Congress to support the region's rail projects. He has made a priority of extending the subway to the Westside.

El Monte bus station work begins next week
Posted by Steve Hymon on April 13, 2010 - 1:21 pm

Here’s an interesting little factoid: Did you you know the El Monte bus station is the busiest bus station west of Chicago?

As part of the ExpressLanes project that will convert the carpool lanes on parts of the 10 and 110 freeways into toll lanes, the El Monte bus station is going to be rebuilt and expanded to double its current size — that’s a rendering of the new station above and at right. But first a temporary bus station must be built to replace the current one during construction.

That work begins next Tuesday and it also means some parking is going to be shifted around at the current site. All the details and another couple of renderings are in the press release after the jump.

Metro to Begin Construction on a Temporary Bus Terminal at El Monte Bus Station

Metro will begin constructing a temporary bus terminal on Tuesday, April 20 in preparation for the ultimate construction of a new El Monte Bus Station. The construction will take place in the parking lot of the station located to the right of the main entrance at Santa Anita Ave. and Ramona Blvd. in El Monte.

Parking at the El Monte Station during this construction period will be restricted and a chain link fence will be erected around the parking lot while construction of the temporary bus station proceeds. Completion of the temporary facility is expected in August 2010.

El Monte Station patrons can use an additional parking facility set up at the former Chevrolet dealership lot just off Santa Anita Avenue adjacent to the San Bernardino Freeway.

Metro will make every effort to minimize impacts to patrons during the construction period. Signs guiding both vehicles and pedestrians around the transit center will be posted and pedestrians will be redirected to safe areas outside the construction zone.

Following completion of the temporary bus terminal, the existing bus station will be closed for further construction work. All buses will be redirected to the temporary bus terminal.

The $45 million El Monte Station construction project will consist of a new two story building that will house a public bus and terminal station with limited retail space, a customer service center and surface parking. Final construction is anticipated to be completed in January 2012.

Currently, approximately 22,000 patrons use the facility daily. It is the largest bus station west of Chicago and is used by Metro, Foothill Transit, LAX FlyAway, Greyhound, El Monte Transit and Metrolink Shuttle.

Once completed, the facility will be twice its current size and include modern amenities including variable message signs, intercoms, closed circuit television, solar panels, wayfinding equipment and information displays, new elevators and escalators, a transit store, bike stations and lockers and public art.

The project is funded by a $210 million congestion reduction demonstration grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation as part of the ExpressLanes project.

Metro and Caltrans District 7, along with Foothill Transit, Gardena Transit, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, MetroLink and Torrance Transit are partnering in a one-year demonstration project during which existing carpool lanes on the I-10 El Monte Busway (between Alameda Street and I-605) and the I-110 Harbor Transitway (between Adams Blvd. and the Artesia Transit Center) will be converted to High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes called ExpressLanes.

The upgrading of the El Monte Bus Station is an essential part of the success of the ExpressLane project in an effort to provide commuters, regardless of income level, with new and better travel options along two of LA County’s most congested corridors. ExpressLanes are scheduled to open in 2012.

For construction updates and information, the public can call Metro’s Community Relations Construction Impact Hotline at 213-922-7900 or visit metro.net/elmonte.

http://thesource.metro.net/2010/04/13/el-monte-bus-station-work-begins-next-week/#more-6234

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Interstate 710: A chance to close an L.A. freeway gap
A tunnel plan to close a long-missing link in L.A.'s freeway system is getting a hard new look.
Editorial, The Los Angeles Times
May 23, 2010

On Google Maps, it looks like a severed limb: Sticking out from the intersection of Highway 134 and Interstate 210 in Pasadena is the stump of a freeway heading south, coming to an abrupt end after about half a mile at Del Mar Boulevard. There's a matching stub 4 1/2 miles away, where the rest of Interstate 710 picks up at Valley Boulevard in Alhambra and runs 23 miles to the port of Long Beach. Closing that gap has been the subject of furious debate since the 1960s, an on-again, off-again contest between homeowners and transportation planners that is suddenly very much on again.

On Thursday, the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is to consider whether to approve a study that would examine different project alternatives and their environmental impacts. Los Angeles County voters set the process in motion in 2008 when they approved Measure R, which raised local sales taxes to pay for a variety of transportation projects ¡X including $780 million for a tunnel that would close the 710 gap. Building the tunnel would actually cost quite a bit more than that, but the local sales tax money provides an impetus to seek additional funds elsewhere.

The Long Beach Freeway was never completed on its original above-ground route because it was blocked by South Pasadena residents whose homes stood in its path. They had good reason to object. A surface route wouldn't just have destroyed hundreds of homes, many of them historic; it would have split neighborhoods and harmed the quality of life of thousands. Unable to win approval to go through South Pasadena, planners are instead focused on boring under it.

A 2006 study showed it was feasible from a geological standpoint to close the 710 gap via a tunnel. If the MTA board opts to proceed, the agency would study a wide range of alternatives including tunnels, improvement of surface streets or the originally planned surface freeway. The latter option is unfeasible both politically and legally. In 1999, a federal judge issued an injunction on freeway construction because planners hadn't adequately studied alternatives or environmental impacts, and in 2003, the Federal Highway Administration withdrew an earlier agreement to fund the project.

Even the tunnel idea is controversial. Public opinion seems evenly split, with residents of South Pasadena and many communities along the 210 Freeway generally against it while neighborhoods that bear the brunt of the traffic problems caused by the existing gap tend to favor it. The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments wants to see the project move forward, but powerful local politicians such as Ara Najarian, mayor of Glendale and chairman of the MTA board, oppose it.

The Times has long supported closing the 710 gap. Truckers and commuters have waited many, many years for it to happen, and all things being equal, we'd like to find a solution that turns the 710 from a freeway to nowhere into part of a functional traffic network. Before we sign on to a tunnel under South Pasadena, however, we'd like to see the results of the proposed study. Obviously, if there's some insurmountable problem with the tunnel plan, or a less disruptive alternative ¡X or if it becomes clear that the damage that would be done to the neighborhood far outweighs the benefits to freeway travelers ¡X we would have a hard time supporting the project.

Most of the objections we've heard so far are about traffic; residents fear that if the 710 is completed, it will create congestion on the 210, especially as a result of increased truck traffic from the port of Long Beach. But from a regional standpoint, this is not a terribly persuasive argument against the project. The notion that completing a freeway connection would increase traffic is a bit bizarre; what it would do is redistribute traffic, ending bottlenecks in some places and worsening them in others. But the overall effect should be reduced congestion and less pollution from idling vehicles. We understand the concerns on the part of local residents, but we are obliged to look at the effect on the broader community as well.

There are other, more serious concerns still to be addressed, such as how and where the exhaust from the underground tunnel would be vented to the surface and whether that would be harmful to the health of nearby residents. There's the question of whether the tunnel can be constructed and operated without causing vibrations so severe that they wreck the quality of life in the area. And then there's the very important issue of cost. The 2006 tunneling study estimated it at $2.3 billion to $3.6 billion, but that was just an educated guess. Is the public benefit from building the tunnel really worth the expense? And where would the money come from?

The first question will be easier to answer when the costs and benefits have been more closely studied. Transit planners are looking to the private sector to help answer the second. The tunnel probably would end up being a toll road, and a private operator might be willing to put up money to build the tunnel in exchange for future toll revenue. Alternatively, the tunnel might be financed using bond revenue on top of the $780 million in Measure R funds, with tolls used to pay off the bonds. Millions of taxpayer dollars already spent to pursue the project could also be recovered, but only if lawmakers act.

The state owns more than 500 houses along the original planned route of the 710, many of them seized under eminent domain. If a surface route is officially scotched, they will no longer be needed, but under current law the proceeds from selling them would go to the state's highway fund. Because those houses were bought in order to close the 710 gap, money generated from selling them should go toward the tunnel project ¡X or if building the tunnel proves politically impossible, it should go to another transportation project in the same area. Assemblyman Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park) has introduced a bill that would so designate the funds, and the Legislature should approve it.

The 710 gap isn't the only hole in L.A.'s freeway network, but it's perhaps the most troublesome. Measure R presents an opportunity to fill it, if we can find a way to do so fairly, safely and efficiently.

Board of Directors vote to launch new round of 710 gap studies
Posted by Steve Hymon on May 27, 2010 - 4:03 pm
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority - The Source

The agency’s Board of Directors voted Thursday to launch a new round of studies to consider how to improve traffic in the area around the gap in the 710 freeway between Alhambra and Pasadena.

Here’s the link to the report on the issue by Metro staff.

The studies will initially begin with a scoping document that lays out the problem and examines a long list of potential solutions, which will most likely include surface street improvements, mass transit improvements and a tunnel, among other things. (Here’s a post from last month looking at the issue).

That will be narrowed down to a shorter list that will be studied in an alternatives analysis that will define what the project actually is. Then a draft environmental impact study will be launched on the project.

The Measure R sales tax increase approved by voters in L.A. County in 2008 included $780 million for a tunnel project — should the project ever be pursued and pass muster with a lengthy environmental review. The Measure R expenditure plan estimated the price of a tunnel at $3.7 billion, but it is important to note that was not based on a specific tunnel design.

If, of course, the project ends up being a tunnel. It may. It may not.

Several dozen public officials and members of the public spoke on the issue this morning before the meeting was interrupted by protests from the Bus Riders Union over unrelated fare increases. Opinions ran the gamut from those who said a tunnel was an expensive folly that won’t solve traffic woes to those who thought it was time to finally seek some type of traffic fix for the area.

There were also several amendments introduced — but no votes were taken as Metro staff gather more information on them. The most interesting, perhaps, was a motion by Los Angeles Councilman Jose Huizar who called for Metro to eliminate a surface route for the 710 from being considered. Huizar’s motion also asked that the negative impacts on El Sereno of a tunnel portal north of Valley Boulevard be considered.

The issue there is whether it’s legal to eliminate an option before it is considered in the environmental review process.

-- Steve Hymon

http://thesource.metro.net/2010/05/27/board-of-directors-vote-to-launch-new-round-of-710-gap-studies/

Pasadena to consider granting stimulus funding to Colorado Blvd. hotel project
Pasadena Star-News
Posted: 07/26/2010 11:17:04 AM PDT

PASADENA - The City Council will consider whether to commit $11.1 million in federal stimulus funding to a project that could transform the block of Colorado Boulevard between South Lake Avenue and South Mentor Avenue.

The project would reopen a historical hotel and line the block with new stores, restaurants and office space.

The Council voted in May to preliminarily commit the funding on the assumption that the project would be ready to go by the end of the year.

Tonight's vote would officially approve giving the city's federal stimulus bond allocation to the project, though it would still have to go through the city's planning approval process to receive the funding.

The stimulus money would go to finance the centerpiece of the $76 million project, a renovation of the seven-story former Constance Hotel, which was built in 1926.

The building, which is still intact, would be restored and opened as a 156-room boutique hotel. Currently, the building is vacant and shuttered.

City officials also hope the stimulus spending will create jobs, and estimate that the development would open up 630 construction jobs and 750 permanent ones.

The rest of the project, which would not receive stimulus funding, involves replacing an existing single-story building on the corner of Lake and Colorado with a seven-story mix of commercial and office space.

A line of existing shops along the block would be renovated or rebuilt, and a 653-space underground parking garage would be constructed.


Read more: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_15605471

Pasadena's Old Constance Hotel Gets Some Federal Facelift Funds
http://la.curbed.com/archives/2010/05/pasadenas_old_constance_hotel_gets_some_federal_facelift_funds.php

All-Electric City Buses Go to Work in California
content by Matter Network
By SustainableBusiness at Matter Network
Reuters
Thu Sep 2, 2010 9:09am EDT

Three fully-electric buses are now operating on routes in eastern Los Angeles county.

This is the first major deployment of zero-emissions buses made by Proterra, Inc. The buses achieve between 18 and 29 miles per gallon (diesel-fuel equivalent) fully loaded with 68 passengers--a 500% improvement on comparable diesel buses.

With up to three hours of operation and the ability to recharge in less than 10 minutes on route, Proterra says the buses can easily be incorporated into any transit agencies' existing routes without impacting their schedules or routes.

Foothill Transit, a public transport provider in Southern San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys, put the buses and related fast-charging stations into operation this week. The company has set a goal of establishing a full fleet of clean-fueled vehicles by 2011.

The deployment of the Proterra bus by Foothill Transit, advances the electric transit industry, providing a real-world example of the benefits and ease of deployment. California transit agencies are required to make zero emission buses 15% of their annual bus orders starting in 2012.

The EcoRide BE35 has a light-weight composite body and contains all electric components, including an electric drive motor supplied by UQM (AMEX: UQM). Proterra says the bus offers greater than $300,000 savings in total lifetime operating expenses.


Read More: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS70238113520100902

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A ceremonial departure
A Pasadena teahouse, falling on hard times, will be sent to Japan for restoration, then return to grace a new garden at the Huntington Library.
By Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
September 12, 2010

Japan's Grand Master of the Phoenix Cloud visited Los Angeles four decades ago and dedicated an exquisite teahouse to the public in the hopes of popularizing the sublime art of tea ceremony in the West.

Trained as a kamikaze pilot during World War II, the grand master saw tea as a way to promote peace, share Japan's cultural treasures and repair a national image battered by wartime militarism. The 400-year-old art expresses the values of harmony, respect, purity and tranquillity through the highly refined and ritualized making and serving of tea.

But the ceremony failed to catch on much beyond a small circle of Japanese Americans. The teahouse, given to the Pasadena Buddhist Church, declined in use. Termites began attacking the wood and paper structure, and the elderly couple who cared for the teahouse for decades no longer could do so.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino has stepped in to rescue the teahouse as part of an ambitious $6.7-million project to restore its Japanese garden and develop an authentic tea garden. In collaboration with the grand master's Urasenke School and the Buddhist church, the Huntington hopes to use the teahouse to expose the art to a broader swath of society and develop a premier program for Asian garden arts, including the tea ceremony, flower arranging, bonsai and stone viewing.

James Folsom, the Huntington's botanical gardens director, said the ancient Japanese art is as relevant to Americans today as it was to the Zen monks and warring samurai who practiced it four centuries ago.

"When life is so hectic, when you're rushing around looking at e-mails, how do you remind yourself to stop and be human again?" Folsom said. "The tea ceremony reminds us to step out of that, to appreciate silence and tranquillity in the presence of others and to enjoy the beauty of the moment. We would hope that tea helps lead people to a change in their own lives."

The Urasenke Tankokai Los Angeles Assn. offered a farewell bowl of tea to several guests in the Pasadena teahouse. The house, designed by the grand master's brother, Sen Mitsuhiko, is a light and airy structure featuring woven bamboo ceilings, white papered shoji screens, bamboo tatami mats and the all-important alcove displaying the day's carefully selected Japanese scroll, vase and flower arrangement.

The gathering's hostess, Soen Clarkson, performed the tea ceremony's ritualized acts: First, fold a silk cloth to wipe the tea caddy and tea scoop. Place the powdered green tea in a specially selected bowl. Pour in water heated over a charcoal brazier. Whip the mixture into a froth with a bamboo whisk. Then, offer it to the guests along with Japanese sweets.

As the guests sipped tea, Robert Hori, vice president of Urasenke's Los Angeles chapter and director of advancement at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, explained his choices in selecting the various accoutrements for the occasion. The careful consideration of such items is part of the tea ceremony's spirit of hospitality as the host aims to capture the gathering's treasured and irreplaceable moment.

The boat-shaped vase pointing outward symbolized the teahouse's departure from the Pasadena church, he said. A Rose of Sharon and bush clover, both short-lived blooms, reflect the transiency of life. The scroll of Japanese calligraphy was used when the grand master dedicated the teahouse, named the Arbor of the Pure Breeze, in Pasadena in 1965.

And for the day's tea scoop, Hori selected a utensil named "gratitude."

"We're really grateful for the opportunity to give the teahouse a new life," he said. "It's the end and it's the beginning."

Tea was first taken to Japan from China by a Buddhist monk in the 9th century. But it was not until the 16th century that Sen Rikyu perfected the Way of Tea by incorporating into it Zen elements of simplicity and oneness with nature. By designing a teahouse with an entrance forcing guests to lower their heads and crawl through, the tea master also sought to eliminate social distinctions.

Fourteen generations later, Sen's direct descendent, Tantansai — the Grand Master of Purity and Serenity — served tea to American Occupation forces in Japan. That, in turn, inspired his son Hounsai to move beyond his military training and lingering disdain for Americans and dedicate his life to international harmony through tea. In 1965, he visited the United States to officially dedicate the teahouse his father had bequeathed to the church.

Sosei Matsumoto, a 90-year-old tea master lauded for her accomplishments by President Clinton and the emperor of Japan alike, was the first to teach tea ceremony in the new Pasadena teahouse. The structure, she recalled Sunday, was used for classes every week, with special tea ceremonies for New Year's and the summer Obon festival honoring ancestors.

But the Pasadena tea group failed to expand and dwindled to about seven students, said Yaeko Sakahara, also 90, who took over the classes from Matsumoto more than three decades ago. One of the major obstacles, she and others said, is the traditional requirement to sit on bamboo mats with legs folded under, a position that can turn legs numb after a few minutes. Tea ceremonies can last from 20 minutes to four hours.

Another obstacle to sustaining interest in tea is growing acculturation among younger generations of Japanese Americans, said Irene Takemori, Pasadena temple president.

"The younger generation is more interested in sports and don't have a lot of time for this cultural stuff," Takemori said. "It's really a shame, because it's such a beautiful experience to drink tea and find peace of mind."

When health issues began to preoccupy Sakahara, the teahouse's future hung in the balance.

Enter the Huntington. The renowned cultural institute had been looking for a Japanese teahouse after one of its donors, Mary B. Taylor Hunt, bequeathed a $2.6-million endowment for an authentic Japanese tea garden and related cultural programs. The Huntington's nine-acre Japanese garden, designed by founder Henry Huntington and William Hertrich, reflects a Western interpretation of Japanese aethestics but is not considered authentic, Folsom said.

After months of consideration, the Pasadena Buddhist Church decided earlier this year to donate the teahouse, clearing the way for the transfer.

The Huntington plans to close the current Japanese garden next year for several months of renovation, including restoration of its ponds and a traditional Japanese house. The new two-acre garden will be installed behind the house, along with the Pasadena teahouse. The grand reopening is expected to occur in 2012, in time for the garden's centennial anniversary, Folsom said.

This week, carpenters from Japan are scheduled to fly to Los Angeles and begin dismantling the teahouse. The pieces will be shipped to Kyoto, restored, then sent back to the Huntington.

Folsom said the Huntington, working with the region's tea schools and the Buddhist church, will seek to popularize the Japanese art, possibly using more ceremonial forms that allow practitioners to sit in chairs rather than on folded legs, among other ideas.

For the longtime guardians of the teahouse, Sunday's farewell was bittersweet.

"The teahouse has been an integral part of the temple, so it's a little sad to have it depart," Takemori said. "But it's in the best public interest and for the best use of the teahouse."


Read More: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0913-teahouse-20100913,0,1733678.story

Metro Breaks Ground on New State-of-the-Art Transit Facility at the El Monte Station: Upgrade and Expansion of El Monte Station Part of ExpressLanes Project
Wednesday September 22, 2010
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Metro joined local elected officials today for a groundbreaking ceremony to officially mark the beginning of construction on a new state-of-the-art transit facility that will revamp and expand the current El Monte Station.

The upgrade to the current facility, which first opened in 1973, is part of the Congestion Reduction Demonstration Program known as ExpressLanes and is funded by a $210 million federal grant by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Metro and Caltrans District 7, along with Foothill Transit, Gardena Transit, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, MetroLink and Torrance Transit are partnering in a one-year demonstration project during which existing carpool lanes on the I-10 El Monte Busway (between Alameda Street and I-605) and the I-110 Harbor Transitway (between Adams Boulevard and the Artesia Transit Center) will be converted to High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes called ExpressLanes.

The upgrading of the El Monte Bus Station is an essential part of the success of the ExpressLane project in an effort to provide commuters, regardless of income level, with new and better travel options along two of LA County’s most congested corridors. ExpressLanes are scheduled to open in 2012.

“Today marks the beginning of a new era in the San Gabriel Valley as we expand the busiest transit center west of Chicago into a modern, state-of-the-art facility that will increase passenger capacity and increase the number of buses the station can accommodate that will enhance transit services for thousands of daily commuters,” said Metro Board Chair and LA County Supervisor Don Knabe.

The $45 million El Monte Station construction project will consist of a new two story building that will house a public bus and terminal station with limited retail space, a customer service center and surface parking. Final construction is anticipated to be completed in May 2012.

Currently, approximately 22,000 patrons use the facility daily. It is the largest bus station west of Chicago and is used by Metro, Foothill Transit, Greyhound, El Monte Transit and Metrolink Shuttle.

Once completed, the facility will be twice its current size and include modern amenities including variable message signs, intercoms, closed circuit television, solar panels, wayfinding equipment and information displays, new elevators and escalators, a transit store, bike stations and lockers. Public art by renowned artist Donald Lipski also will be incorporated in the station as part of Metro’s pubic art program.

Project highlights of the new facility include an increase in daily passenger capacity by 82 percent (from 22,000 to 40,000), increase in bus bays by 87 percent (from 16 to 30), installation of 30 bike lockers/storage units, better accommodations for both 40-foot and 60-foot buses and enhanced law enforcement presence. The station also will support additional bus service on the I-10 El Monte Busway to enhance the performance of the I-10 ExpressLanes Demonstration Project.

The new facility will use energy efficient and sustainable building methods and will be built to Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEEDS) Gold standards. Construction of the new facility will generate more than 350 construction-related jobs.

The construction work at the El Monte Station is being done by KPRS Construction Services based in Brea under contact to Metro.

In August, Metro completed construction of a temporary bus station in an adjacent lot to accommodate passengers using the station during construction. Parking for El Monte Station patrons will be available to the north and south of the temporary bus terminal, including a recently added parking lot.

Metro will make every effort to minimize impacts to patrons during the construction period. Signs guiding both vehicles and pedestrians around the transit center will be posted and pedestrians will be redirected to safe areas outside the construction zone.

For construction updates and information, the public can call Metro’s Community Relations Construction Impact Hotline at 213-922-7900 or visit metro.net/elmonte.


Read More: http://www.metro.net/news/simple_pr/metro-breaks-ground-new-state-art-transit-facility/

10 Freeway projects cause delays for San Gabriel Valley commuters
By Maritza Velazquez, Staff Writer
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Posted: 09/26/2010 07:04:12 AM PDT

Two major construction projects are causing a snag in commutes on an already congested stretch of the 10 freeway, local motorists say.

The $165 million Freeway Restoration Project and the $175 million High Occupancy Vehicle Lane Project mean multiple longterm ramp closures from Baldwin Park to downtown Los Angeles.

The Restoration project aims to maintain the freeway, while the other will construct a 2.2-mile long carpool lane from the 605 freeway to Puente Avenue in both directions. It is the first of three projects to develop a continuous carpool lane from Los Angeles to the 15 Freeway, according to the Caltrans.

Both projects have affected the drive for 35-year-old Sergio Mendoza, who said it's increased the commute from his Baldwin Park home to his work in Industry by at least 10 minutes each way because of closed freeway ramps.

"It's a mess," he said. "I try to find a better route but (the closed ramps) are always changing."

The Renovation Project involves replacing damaged freeway slabs, widening shoulders, upgrading bridges and modernizing eight ramps in both directions of the freeway between the 605 and the 5 freeways.

The average annual volume of traffic on the 10 Freeway at Baldwin Park Boulevard was 224,000 vehicles, according to Caltrans' most recent data.

"There were eight longterm ramp closures, so that affects the way people commute," said Judy Gish, a California Department of Transportation spokeswoman. "If you're used to getting off at a particular ramp and it's closed, you have to revise your route."

This often happens to Bill Ta, a manager at the Chevron gas station located off Baldwin Park Boulevard.

"It's because of all the closed exits," he said. "They close some of the offramps and I have to go around and follow all the signs in order to get home."

The bridge over the freeway on Baldwin Park Boulevard is also under construction and some avoid it altogether. For the Chevron gas station, it has meant a decrease in business from Kaiser Permanente employees, who work just across the bridge, Ta said.

"They say it's really bad and we've lost some business," he said.

The project is about 45-percent complete and ramp closures are expected to last through the end of the year, Gish said. The project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2011.

"It will improve the drive," Gish said. "It will preserve the pavement, which is a major concern and it will reduce the need for maintenance of the pavement, which means ultimately that's fewer times traffic will be slowed because of maintenance vehicles. All in all, it's a very positive thing."

On the eastbound 10 Freeway, the San Gabriel Boulevard ramps are currently closed will be closed through mid-October, according to Caltrans. On the westbound side, Fremont Avenue and Temple City Boulevard ramps are scheduled to be closed through early October.

The construction of a portion of the carpool lane has also facilitated the closure of the westbound Baldwin Park Boulevard ramps. They will be inaccessible through late October, according to Caltrans estimates.

"You can't have a freeway construction project that has absolutely no impact whatsoever," Gish said. "Hopefully everyone will realize there will be a lot of longterm gain."


Read More: http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_16179435

Sriracha chili-sauce factory to spice up a bleak lot in Irwindale
Huy Fong Foods, known for the hot sauce with the rooster on the label, is building a 655,000-square-foot, $40-million headquarters and factory. It could be the county's biggest commercial development started this year.
By Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times
October 9, 2010

The building that is likely to be the biggest commercial real estate development started in Los Angeles County this year is not part of a movie studio, aerospace venture or other type of business readily associated with the area.

It's all about hot sauce.

Huy Fong Foods, best known as the maker of Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce with a rooster depicted on the label, broke ground this week on a 655,000-square-foot, $40-million headquarters and factory in Irwindale.

The project will nearly triple the space occupied by Huy Fong, which now operates out of two buildings in Rosemead that it will give up when the new facility is finished.

Demand for the product has increased every year for the last 30 years, said David Tran, a Vietnamese immigrant who said he founded the company when he couldn't find hot sauce he liked. In 1980, Tran rented 2,500 square feet in Chinatown and started making sauce from chilies he bought at Grand Central Market. He delivered the final product to Asian markets in a Chevy van.

The company currently makes more than 20 million bottles of the spicy concoction annually by working around the clock.

"We are at full capacity," Tran said. "We need a bigger building to make the hot sauce."

Huy Fong rolls out 100 tons of the red stuff a day now and will increase its volume "rapidly" in the new facility, Tran said. The company aims to increase its manufacturing capacity tenfold by 2016 to meet projected demand.

Employment at the company is expected to triple when the move is made to the new facility. Currently, Huy Fong has 70 workers during jalapeno season in the summer and fall when the peppers are pouring in, said operations manager Donna Lam.

Construction is being overseen by Seventh Street Development, a Long Beach real estate company selected by the city of Irwindale to develop the blighted 23-acre site at Azusa Canyon Road and Cypress Street that had been vacant for more than a decade.

The site was mentioned in a recent Times story about redevelopment properties that were earmarked by cities for affordable housing — in accordance with state law — but not used entirely for that purpose.

Irwindale will finance most of Huy Fong's $15-million purchase of the property. Seventh Street expects to finish the Huy Fong building by next fall.

Like most companies that move to new quarters, Huy Fong won't be moving far.

"With many of its employees living in the area, it was important to Huy Fong to stay in the San Gabriel Valley, which has been its home since 1987," said Craig Furniss, a principal at Seventh Street Development. "Irwindale was one of the few areas able to accommodate Huy Fong's space requirement and still make financial sense."

The new building will have such environmentally friendly attributes as a white reflective roof, skylights and storm-water catch basins. The California Mission-style building will include 26,000 square feet of office space, 150,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 480,000 square feet of warehouse space under one roof. Huy Fong needs lots of room to store sauce crushed during pepper season so it can keep bottling year-round.

Sriracha (sree-rah-chah) is a traditional Southeast Asian sauce named after a Thai seaside town. Tran's garlicky interpretation uses whole chilies, seeds and all, and comes out thicker than typical Louisiana-style hot sauces. That's the way he likes it.

"Almost any meal I eat with hot sauce," he said.


Read More: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hot-sauce-20101009,0,7135441,print.story

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11 miles of carpool lanes on the 60 Freeway formally open Thursday
Los Angeles Times
October 14, 2010 | 7:56 am

Currently, District 7 has 492 HOV lane miles. When complete in 2025, the HOV system will have 900 lane miles.

Officials on Thursday will formally open 11 miles of carpool lanes added in a $100-million widening of the 60 Freeway in the San Gabriel Valley.

The new lanes run between the 605 and 57 freeways. The 60 Freeway is a key artery for truck traffic from the ports as well as for commuters into central Los Angeles.

According to Caltrans, more than 240,000 vehicles a day use that stretch of freeway.

The 60 Freeway, offically called the Pomona Freeway, has become the preferred route for trucks headed to Inland Empire warehouses and distribution centers, where goods are sorted before being sent all over the country.

Caltrans says completion of the project brings the total length of carpool lanes in the L.A. region to 500 miles, with more than 330,000 vehicles using them daily. Carpool lanes are now being added on the 405 Freeway through the Sepulveda Pass.

-- Shelby Grad


Read More: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/10/11-miles-of-carpool-lanes-on-60-freeway-unveiled-today.html

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef01348822480a970c-640wi
Rose Bowl gets final approval for $152-million makeover
Los Angeles Times
October 12, 2010 | 8:10 am

The Pasadena City Council on Monday unanimously approved a renovation project and $152-million financing plan for the Rose Bowl, smoothing the way for work to begin in January.

As part of the agreement, UCLA and the Tournament of Roses -– the main tenants for the 88-year-old stadium -– will extend their leases until 2043.

The renovations are planned to take place in three phases over the next three years and be completed in time for the 100th Rose Bowl game and the 2014 Bowl Championship Series title game.

The renovations include widened tunnels and added aisles for smoother entering and exiting. A modern version of a 1940s-style scoreboard will replace the existing one on the south end, and a video board will be installed on the north side. Premium seating will be bumped from 600 to 2,500 following the expansion of the press box building.

The financing plan includes the sale of about $130 million of bonds. Officials plan to make up the difference mostly by contributions from the city, the Tournament of Roses and UCLA. A remaining funding gap of $7.5 million could be closed through lower-than-expected construction costs and higher revenue generated from bonds, City Manager Michael Beck said.

-- Shan Li


Read More: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/10/rose-bowl-gets-final-approval-for-152-million-makeover.html

Good to see modernization of the Rose Bowl on track. However, the comments at the end regarding their "hoped for" shortages of financing strike me as pretty amateurish. You might want to firm up details for a newspaper article.

Bruins and the BCS/Rose Bowl games are wrapped up. I suspect that's about it for football other than high school games. Are there any other games there?

$100 million-plus for Huntington will be largest cash gift in institution's history
Culture Monster, Los Angeles Times
November 16, 2010 | 10:00 am

The suspense is over. Now that the late Frances Brody’s other heirs have received their shares of her fortune, the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens has a much clearer idea of its own windfall from the L.A. art patron’s estate: a gift expected to easily exceed $100 million.

This represents by far the largest cash gift in the history of the Huntington, which was previously $21 million from Charles and Nancy Munger in 2002. It could even surpass the original endowment created when railroad magnate Henry E. Huntington died in 1927, which is roughly $107 million if adjusted for inflation.

“A number of museums have received significant gifts when you value the art and cash donations together,” says Steven S. Koblik, president of the Huntington. “But as a pure cash gift, this has very few equivalents -- except for the founding gifts that create institutions.”

Tim Seiler, one of the directors at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, agrees. "It's an extraordinary gift, especially for the cultural sector. A $100 million gift more typically goes to a school or university, and it's often a naming gift."

The few comparables tend to come from New York. In 2005, David Rockefeller made a $100-million pledge to the Museum of Modern Art, which ranks as its largest-ever cash gift. In 2008, Leonard Lauder's art foundation gave $131 million to the Whitney Museum of American Art, also its largest.

Brody died in November 2009 at age 93, leaving behind a wealth of artwork — including Giacometti bronzes and Matisse paintings — that she had acquired with her husband, Sidney, a real-estate developer who had died more than two decades earlier. The value of this art directly affected the size of her gift to the Huntington, where she was a board member for 20 years.

This October, the institution received $15 million in cash intended by Brody to improve the botanical gardens, one of her most passionate concerns as a board member. That amount, Koblik says, was specified in her trust instrument and was not in doubt.

The mystery, rather, was how much money the Huntington would receive for also being named the estate’s sole “residual beneficiary” — the heir who is paid after all others should the estate have extra money left over. That’s when the art figured in. When the art world witnessed Christie's sell several of Brody’s masterpieces in May, led by Picasso’s “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” for $106.5 million (which set a record as the most expensive work of art ever sold at auction), Koblik was watching with particular interest.

“It was an amazing moment,” he says. “When the Christie’s sale of the artwork proved so successful, we knew that would change the nature of our gift.” In effect, the auction created a surplus of $80 million after the other estate payouts, an amount that hit the Huntington’s bank account last week.

Brody estate trustee Robert Shuwarger says the Huntington’s final gift will consist of proceeds from selling the remaining property, including Brody’s A. Quincy Jones house in Holmby Hills. The listing price of the house, which has been on the market since May, has dropped from $24.95 million to $21 million.

“There’s also some miscellaneous property — some silver, porcelain, antiquities, things of that nature — that will be going up for sale at Christie’s,” Shuwarger says. He anticipates that most of those sales will be completed within six months.

Per Brody’s wishes, the full Huntington gift will benefit the botanical gardens, which cover 120 acres of the vast property in San Marino. According to James Folsom, director of the gardens, high-priority projects include “improving and modernizing” a water irrigation system that dates to the early 20th century and creating a “potager” or kitchen garden to complement the existing herb garden. Folsom says that these were pet projects of Brody, who loved her garden at home and, though known for her high style, was not too glamorous to get into a truck with him to drive around and shop for plants at nurseries.

Koblik adds that using the Brody money for botanical purposes frees up existing funds to address other needs, like “making staff salaries more competitive.” This does not, however, mean “quick raises,” he adds, noting the importance of resisting the natural urge “to get overexcited and spend money quickly to do everything we haven’t been able to do.”

Rather, he plans to treat the windfall “like an endowment,” to be invested in a diversified portfolio. (The Huntington’s actual endowment is about $240 million.) The plan is to spend only 5% of the value of the Brody funds over a three-year running average.

And, yes, Koblik says, this legacy-building gift more than compensates for not receiving Brody’s now-famous Picasso. “Right from the beginning of our relationship, Francie said to me, 'You’re not getting the art.' It took the discussion off the table,” he says.

“It was clear to all of us who spent time with Francie that she wanted to make a fiscal difference at the Huntington — she understood the power of this kind of gift.”

-- Jori Finkel



Read More: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/11/huntington-gift-from-frances-brody-estate-to-exceed-100-million-making-it-largest-ever-in-institutio.html

Louis Vuitton U S Manufacturing, Inc, Lvusm
321 W Covina Boulevard
San Dimas, CA 91773-290

Louis Vuitton is a private company categorized under Handbags, Regardless of
Material: Men's and located in San Dimas, CA. Our records show it was
established in 1946 and incorporated in Delaware. Current estimates show
this company has an annual revenue of $100 to 500 million and employs a
staff of approximately 250 to 499.

Caruso: new development agreement for Shops at Santa Anita project being finalized
By Brenda Gazzar Staff Writer
Pasadena Star-News
Posted: 01/03/2011 05:35:42 PM PST

Developer Rick Caruso said Monday he's in the process of finalizing a new deal with Santa Anita Park's owners to build an outdoor mall at the racetrack's south parking lot.

MI Developments (MID) voided a 2005 joint-venture development agreement with Caruso Affiliated in April for the 825,000-square-foot "Shops at Santa Anita" after acquiring the racetrack from Magna Entertainment Corp.

The development deal for the upscale retail, restaurant and entertainment complex was nixed as part of a reorganization plan for Magna approved by a Delaware bankruptcy court. Caruso and MID have been renegotiating since.

"Everything is moving forward and it's all coming together fine," Caruso said Monday. "It's in the process of being finalized. I think (finalization will occur) in the next few weeks."

Canadian billionaire Frank Stronach, who is MI Developments' chief executive, could not be reached Monday.

Stronach has said that the project needed some "fine-tuning."

While the project would be "similar" to what was previously envisioned, it does have some minor variations, Caruso said.

The developer declined, however, to reveal further details until the deal is finalized and Arcadia officials are briefed.

The city of Arcadia is eager to see the site developed fourteen years after commercial development was included in the racetrack's general plan, City Manager Don Penman said.

"I don't know what the economy will provide for and what the demand will be - what the size of the project will be," Penman said. "We'll have to wait and see but we're obviously excited to see something move ahead there."

Caruso said he expects the biggest challenge to come from neighboring Westfield Santa Anita Shopping Mall, which delayed the original project when it sued the city on the grounds that its Environmental Impact Report on the project was inadequate.

The California Superior Court ruled in Westfield's favor in 2008 on several counts and the city rescinded its approvals of the project. However, Westfield appealed the counts that it lost on, which further delayed the project, Penman said.

An agreement was reached last year between all of the parties and Westfield withdrew its court appeals, Penman said. However, the agreement does not prohibit either side from suing over the other's project in the future, Penman said.

"(Westfield has) challenged the project for years," Caruso said. "I assume they'll continue to do that. We have a plan to deal with it. I'm confident we'll get through it."

Westfield spokeswoman Catharine Dickey declined to comment on Monday.

Westfield has indicated its intention to renovate the former Robinsons-May building and to add a new 160,000 square foot anchor store, additional shops and a new multi-level parking structure, officials said.

"If Westfield challenges Caruso (on his project), Caruso could challenge Westfield," Penman said. "They'll both go through an (environmental impact report) process and an entitlement process with the city. You have two developers, maybe the biggest in the world, who are challenging things on (state environmental protection) issues, which is a bit odd ... It's probably one of the most common ways to delay implementation of a project."

Following Westfield's lawsuit, Caruso also sued the city over approvals it gave Westfield for additional restaurant space beyond what was initially approved for the 2009 opening of the mall's Promenade section. Westfield ended up withdrawing that element of the project.

Caruso's project, once approved and built, will likely be "trend-setting" like his other mall projects and a focal point of the San Gabriel Valley, said Arcadia City Councilman Mickey Segal.

"It's my hope and desire that Westfield gets the opportunity to develop its project and does not create obstacles for Mr. Caruso to develop his project just like Mr. Caruso has not put obstacles in front of Westfield that has prohibited them from developing their projects," Segal said.



Read more: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_17001836#ixzz1A86ZrGEQ

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Scoping meetings to begin for second phase of Foothill Extension



Read More: http://thesource.metro.net/2011/01/11/scoping-meetings-to-begin-for-second-phase-of-foothill-extension/

Greener Valleys:
Creating Jobs and Sustainable Neighborhoods in the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire

Greener Valleys — a one-day interactive conference bringing together elected and appointed public officials, business and community leaders, academic and land use professionals. Recognizing that the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire are inextricably linked by population, economic markets, jobs and transportation, the two regions no longer can forge individual futures but instead must work together for strong and sustained economic growth.

Keynote Speakers include:
* Hon. Parris Glendening - Former Governor of Maryland and President of the Smart Growth Leadership Institute in Washington, DC
* Carl Guardino -President and CEO, Silicon Valley Leadership Group
* Mary Nichols - Chair, California Air Resources Board

Tuesday, February 22nd, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Kellogg West Conference Center, Cal Poly Pomona

For more information and to register for the event, go to the website here: Greener Valleys Homepage (http://www.csupomona.edu/~env/greenervalleys/Home.html)

“710 conversations” webcast is online
http://thesource.metro.net/

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Pasadena plans to build 2 new parks
Los Angeles Times
October 23, 2011 | 6:45 pm

Pasadena's densely packed Central District, considered “park poor” by city officials, may be getting two new parks.

The Pasadena City Council on Monday designated the projects as priorities, a necessary step to secure redevelopment funds to pay most of the estimated $24 million in construction costs.

One park is slated for the corner of Union Street and El Molino Avenue. The other, whose design features a plaza and amphitheatre but no green space, would be built on Madison Street between Colorado Boulevard and Green Street. Both sites are now city-owned surface parking lots. The projects would include the construction of parking garages under each of the parks.

A 2007 city report concluded that the Central District had a lack of green space because of a recent influx of urban housing into a historically commercial area, according to the Pasadena Sun.



Read More: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/10/pasadena-plans-to-build-2-new-parks.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+lanowblog+%28L.A.+Now%29

$336.6 million allocated for San Gabriel rail project
By Brian Day, Staff Writer
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Posted: 10/27/2011 02:11:40 PM PDT

SAN GABRIEL - The California Transportation Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to allocate more than $336 million to build a 1.4-mile railroad trench and roadway bridges here as part of the Alameda Corridor-East rail project.

The San Gabriel project is the largest single highway-railroad grade endeavor in the ACE plan, ACE officials said in a written statement. Other local officials said the project will create thousands of jobs - good news for a county in which the unemployment rate is 12.4 percent.

The project will drop railroad tracks into a trench below street level, and build bridges allowing traffic to move freely above the tracks at four streets.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, who is also vice chair of Metro, applauded the vote.

"Constructing the San Gabriel trench will create thousands of new jobs, relieve congestion, reduce air pollution caused by idling cars blocked by trains at grade crossings and improve the quality of life for our San Gabriel Valley residents," he said.

"Naturally, we're pleased and excited and looking forward to getting going," said ACE CEO Rick Richmond.

While the agency was confident the funds would be allocated, Richmond said the time frame was unclear until Wednesday's vote.

ACE can now begin the process of soliciting bids for the work, he said.

"We'll be starting a (contractor) pre-qualification process by the end of the week," Richmond said.

ACE hopes to award a bid to a contractor by next spring, kicking off three and a half years of construction, officials said.

"We've had strong support with our local officials, and our our state and federal delegations," Richmond said. "We're so glad it's translated into real progress."

As part of the project, bridges over the trench will be built at Ramona Street, Mission Road, Del Mar Avenue and San Gabriel Boulevard, officials said.

"The streets carry an average daily traffic total of 89,740 vehicles, intermittently blocked by the passage of 14 daily Union Pacific Railroad freight trains and six weekly Amtrak passenger trains," the statement said.

In addition to speeding up traffic, "The project will reduce emissions, including greenhouse gases, by eliminating vehicle idling when train gates are down," according to the ACE statement.

"I'm so excited that this has taken place," said San Gabriel Mayor David Gutierrez, who also sits on the ACE Board of Directors. "The stumbling block has always been the funding."

The funds were raised through the sale of state bonds, authorized by Proposition 1B of 2006, officials said.

"I was, to say the least, very excited that the bond sale went so well a couple weeks ago, and that the California CTC released all those funds," Gutierrez said.

ACE had been considering taking out loans to get the early stages of the project moving forward, Gutierrez said, but with Wednesday's allocation, that won't be necessary.

"In the city of San Gabriel, this is much needed, both from a safety standpoint and a circulation standpoint," he said.

While Gutierrez said there may be some short-term inconveniences during the construction, the project will benefit San Gabriel in the long run.

Like Antonovich, ACE Board of Directors Chairman and Industry City Councilman Tim Spohn said the project will create thousands of jobs.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, said he is "delighted" by the allocation.

"This vital effort will boost economic activity by bringing jobs to our region, while increasing mobility, enhancing safety and reducing noise impacts on homes in our communities," he said.

Twenty grade separation projects are planned through ACE, though more may be added. The price tag of the entire project, affecting 70 miles of railways in eastern Los Angeles County, is expected to surpass $1.5 billion.



Read More: http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_19207817

U-9jhf55Wuw

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/02/21/arts/21wpa-1/21wpa-1-articleLarge.jpg

Berkeley’s Artwork Loss Is a Museum’s Gain
By CAROL POGASH
The New York Times
Published: February 20, 2012

BERKELEY, Calif. — Everybody misplaces something sometime. But it is not easy for the University of California, Berkeley, to explain how it lost a 22-foot-long carved panel by a celebrated African-American sculptor, or how, three years ago, it mistakenly sold this work, valued at more than a million dollars, for $150 plus tax.

The university’s embarrassing loss eventually enabled the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, a large museum and research center in San Marino, Calif., to acquire its first major work by an African-American artist.

The circuitous tale of Sargent Johnson’s huge redwood relief involves error, chance and a partnership of unlikely art-world figures, including an art and furniture dealer who stumbled upon the panels at the university’s surplus store; an antiques dealer who was on a first-name basis with Michael Jackson and his chimp Bubbles; and a lawyer whose hobby is buying lighthouses and who convinced the government that even though the art was commissioned by the Works Progress Administration, it could still be sold publicly.

Harvey Smith, president of the National New Deal Preservation Association, called what happened a betrayal of the public trust. “We all pay for this art and we all own it,” he said.

“It’s hard to imagine losing something longer than a pickup truck,” he added, referring to what he called Berkeley’s “amazing incompetence.”

“It’s astounding,” he said.

In correspondence with the federal government, Andrew Goldblatt, who has the stressful-sounding title of assistant risk manager for the university, described the sale of the Johnson piece as “an error of ignorance.”

“We do regret it,” Mr. Goldblatt said in an interview. “Something went wrong, and it just cascaded.”

Johnson (1888-1967) is considered one of the finest sculptors of the Harlem Renaissance, though he spent most of his life in the Bay Area. He was never able to earn a living purely from his art, but in recent years interest in him has resurged, said Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, an associate professor of American art at the University of Pennsylvania, who is writing a book on him. In 1937, under the auspices of the W.P.A., Johnson designed two large Art Deco redwood reliefs, one of which depicted an idealized natural world of gilded gazelles, open-beaked birds, spiky-leafed plants and a boy clapping cymbals.

Designed to cover organ pipes at the old California School for the Deaf and Blind in Berkeley, this natural-world relief was affixed to a wall until 1980, when the school moved. As squatters (and rats) took shelter there, the university, which had taken over the premises, moved any valuable property to a secure basement warehouse, and the organ relief was disassembled. But one of the organ screens was misidentified as belonging to Berkeley’s graduate schools, so when the university reopened the building three years later, only one of the two Johnson reliefs was returned to its rightful place. The other remained in storage until 2009, when the university emptied the storage space in preparation for the sale of the building and transferred the relief to the university’s surplus store.

That’s where, in late summer of that year, Greg Favors, an art and furniture dealer, came upon eight cracked but still handsome panels in a plywood bin. Mr. Favors did not know what they were or who had created them, but he thought them “amazing and cool,” he said. He paid $164.63, including tax.

In need of a restorer, he contacted Dennis Boses, owner of Off the Wall Antiques in Los Angeles, who has provided eye-popping objects for celebrities like Jackson and for flashy restaurants including the Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood, and who has been an expert on the popular A&E reality show “Storage Wars.” Mr. Boses trucked the panels to his warehouse in North Hollywood, where he restored them. He was hoping the art might fetch $10,000 to $11,000.

Meanwhile, Mr. Favors scoured the Internet searching for the artist’s name.

On Oct. 16, 2009, at 9:03 a.m., he e-mailed Gray Brechin, a Berkeley scholar of historical geography who specializes in New Deal art, asking for help.

At 9:08 a.m., the response arrived: “You BOUGHT this? They SOLD it?” He identified Sargent Johnson as the artist and added, “I am astounded that they deacquisitioned it.”

Armed with that information, Mr. Boses spoke to Michael Rosenfeld of the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery in New York, an authority on African-American art. Mr. Rosenfeld was relieved to learn that the piece had not been chopped for firewood or turned into a trellis. He recalled telling Mr. Boses, “In the unlikely event you get a release from the G.S.A, I would buy it.” (Mr. Rosenfeld was referring to the General Services Administration, which is the official custodian of artwork produced under the aegis of several public programs during the New Deal and is working with the F.B.I. to recover misplaced or stolen art and have it displayed in public locations.)

For help in getting clearance from the agency, Mr. Favors turned to his friend Bradley Long, whose e-mail handle, bradcansell, suggests that no transaction is beyond his abilities. And Mr. Long, through his mechanic at Benz Autobody in Redwood City, Calif., met Michael L. Gabriel, a lawyer whose hobby is buying lighthouses from the General Services Administration. Mr. Gabriel found a loophole in the laws governing W.P.A. art.

Movable art from the W.P.A. falls under federal jurisdiction. But according to a November 2010 e-mail from a General Services Administration lawyer to the university, which Mr. Smith of the National New Deal Preservation Association obtained last month through a California Public Records Act request, the federal government does not retain ownership of W.P.A art affixed to nonfederal buildings.

Jennifer Gibson, director of the General Services Administration’s art in architecture and fine arts program, said in an interview that despite the ruling, her agency hoped Johnson’s work would go “to an institution that provides public access.”

The University of California, Berkeley, tried to be that institution. It hired appraisers who valued the Johnson work at $215,000 but, facing extensive budget cuts, it did not have the money to make a deal. Late last February, Mr. Rosenfeld bought the Johnson relief for what two of the partners said was $225,000.

But the art didn’t even make it to Mr. Rosenfeld’s New York gallery. One week after his purchase, Jessica Todd Smith, curator of American art at the Huntington Library, near Los Angeles, and John Murdoch, the museum’s director of art collections, paid Mr. Rosenfeld a visit, looking for works to fill their newly expanded American galleries.

The Johnson panel had not yet shipped from the North Hollywood warehouse, so Mr. Rosenfeld showed them photographs. On her first day back at the office, Ms. Smith visited the warehouse to see what she called “Johnson’s monumental work.” She added that it “confirmed and surpassed our expectations.” It became the year’s first acquisition of the Huntington art collectors’ council.

Ms. Smith declined to divulge the price. Mr. Rosenfeld, who said he had sold small Johnson sculptures “that you can hold in your hand” for more than $100,000, said the relief was worth over $1 million, but that the Huntington had paid considerably less. He didn’t seek market value, he said, because the work was so important that it belonged in a museum. (Lowery Stokes Sims, a curator at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York and an authority on African-American artists, called Mr. Rosenfeld’s assessment “no exaggeration,” and said it was not unusual for a gallery to sell an important work to a museum at a discounted price.) When the Huntington’s new American wing opens, in 2014, Ms. Smith said, “you will be able to open the doors to the gallery and see it at the end of the vista, holding down the wall.”

Nonetheless, Mr. Smith of the National New Deal Preservation Association is unforgiving, saying that the university, in its role as steward of this art, exhibited a “total disregard for our country’s artistic legacy.”

Arthur Monroe, an African-American artist and friend of Johnson’s, said that if the missing art had been by a white sculptor, “the university would have turned the campus upside down to find it.” Still, he added, “Any time there’s prominent space to exhibit his work is always good for my friend.”

For his part, Mr. Goldblatt, the university’s risk manager, said, “We’re terribly sorry it happened but very happy about the result”: that art that once belonged to the public will be back on public display. The other Johnson relief is locked in a Berkeley conference room and may be seen by the public — only upon request.



Read More: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/21/arts/design/art-by-sargent-johnson-berkeleys-loss-is-museums-gain.html

At the Huntington, a Japanese Garden of new delights
One of the San Marino estate's most popular destinations stands to attract new admirers with $6.8 million in improvements, including a ceremonial teahouse and tea garden.
April 09, 2012|By Karen Wada, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Gloria Cox may be a grandmother, but she's grinning like a little kid as she slips into a shady nook formed by twining juniper branches in the Japanese Garden at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. Cox, a veteran Huntington docent, says she has missed visiting "my favorite spot" — which she discovered with her grandsons — and the rest of the garden, which closed for renovation last April and is reopening Wednesday in time for its centennial.

The Japanese Garden is welcoming back old friends like Cox and hoping to attract new ones with $6.8 million in improvements that include the installation of a ceremonial teahouse and tea garden and restoration of the late 19th century-style Japanese House.

Magnate Henry E. Huntington created this retreat of pines, ponds and wisteria in a canyon on his San Marino estate from 1911 to 1912. Officials say it is one of the most popular destinations on the estate, which opened to the public in 1928. "The Huntington has changed over time, but the garden hasn't lost its mystique," says James Folsom, director of the botanical gardens. "On Yelp, it gets more comments than 'Blue Boy' or the Gutenberg Bible."

The Huntington sees this anniversary as a chance to take a fresh look at the 9-acre site's past and future. Folsom says research for the renovations and a centennial history book due out this fall "have led us to keep learning more" about subjects such as the house's construction and the garden's relationships with local Japanese Americans.



Read More: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/09/entertainment/la-et-huntington-japanese-tea-garden-20120409

Caltech bicyclists seek east-west corridors through Pasadena
By James Figueroa, SGVN
twitter.com/jfigscribe
Posted: 06/23/2012 07:12:06 AM PDT

http://cdn.cstatic.net/images/gridfs/4fea242c85216d77df00502c/Pasadena1.jpg



Read More: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_20924303/caltech-bicyclists-seek-east-west-corridors-through-pasadena

Walsh Construction wins bid for trench project
By Kevin Smith, SGVN
Twitter.com/sgvnbiz
Posted: 07/23/2012 03:34:56 PM PDT

SAN GABRIEL - Walsh Construction Co. was awarded a $172.6 million contract Monday to build a 1.4-mile trench that will route Union Pacific freight and Amtrak passenger trains below ground level.

The contract, awarded by the Alameda Corridor-East (ACE) Construction Authority, is part of ACE's program to create 22 grade separations and safety improvements at 39 crossings throughout the San Gabriel Valley.

The improvements are designed to improve safety and reduce vehicle congestion and emissions that occur when cars and trucks are forced to wait while trains pass by.

The trench project is ACE's largest single undertaking, and it's expected to create nearly 9,000 jobs over its nearly five years of construction.



Read More: http://www.sgvtribune.com/business/ci_21140167/walsh-construction-wins-bid-trench-project

Cool! Can you dig it?

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Monterey Park approves Market Place shopping center
By Lauren Gold, Staff Writer
Posted: 12/20/2012 04:38:16 PM PST

MONTEREY PARK - Twelve hundred new jobs, 500,000 square feet of stores and restaurants and the city's very own "big box" retail center are coming to town in the new Market Place development the City Council approved Wednesday.

Councilmembers unanimously approved the development agreement, EIR and tentative tract map Wednesday for developer M&M Realty Partners. Members expressed relief that the project was underway.

Just off the Paramount exit north of the Pomona (60) Freeway Market Place will feature 500,000 square feet of retail space, including stores, restaurants, a bank, a fitness center and 2,500 parking spots. M&M officials said Wednesday the company remains in negotiations with several national chains, but confirmed that the development will include a Home Depot.

City Manager Paul Talbot said if all the pieces come together as planned, the project should be completed by April 2014.

"It's 45 acres on the freeway," he said. "You just don't have a 45 acre site come up that often."

Once completed, Market Place will be the largest commercial development in the city by far, consultant Chet Yoshizaki said.

Yoshizaki said the development will garner at least $1.3 million in sales tax revenue and $170,000 in property taxes, and will create 600 temporary construction jobs and 660 permanent retail jobs.



Read More: http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_22234773/monterey-park-approves-market-place-shopping-center

wow, is this 1988?? jesus, horrible

^^Totally agree. What's up with that huge setback and parking lot?

This is wasted space and kills walkability. Very sad that Monterey Park is taking a step back.

1988?? 1958! Sad.

http://www.710gap.com/images/animated_map.gif

Alhambra announces support for 710 extension amid protesters
City promises two years of events in favor of 710 freeway extension
By Lauren Gold, SGVN
Posted: 05/14/2013 06:42:42 PM PDT

ALHAMBRA-- The city launched a two-year "Close the Gap" campaign Tuesday in support of the Long Beach (710) Freeway extension to Pasadena, amid protests from a handful of freeway fighters.

The city also declared July 10 as "710 Day" in Alhambra, aimed at raising awareness about the proposed freeway project.

"For 50 years the freeway has not been completed and we in the city want to raise awareness that now is the time it can actually happen," Placido said.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is in the midst of a three-year environmental study of five potential options to fill the freeway "gap ": "No build," traffic management solutions, bus, light rail and an underground freeway tunnel. The draft environmental impact report will be released in 2014.

Metro Spokeswoman Helen Ortiz-Gilstrap, who attended the meeting, said all the options are being studied equally and Metro's study team is currently considering different "refinements" to these five options, including a single-bore tunnel instead of the dual-bore tunnel that was originally proposed.

On Fremont Avenue there are 50,000 cars a day, and 12,000 of those are commuter traffic," he said. "All those cars could be taken off our local streets and away from our schools and parks and put where they belong - on a freeway. ... Doing nothing might be more harmful, have a greater environmental impact, than completing this freeway."



http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_23243798/alhambra-announces-support-710-extension-amid-protesters#ixzz2TN3ybbvR
http://www.710coalition.com/
http://www.710gap.com/

It's been quite some time since I've reviewed Alhambra, a city only 8 miles east of downtown Los Angeles off the 10 fwy. I'll be bringing in updates for the West Main St. Corridor projects coming up. These developments are all next to each other on Main St. between Garfield Ave. and Atlantic Blvd.

Alhambra Pacific Plaza - 5 stories/120 units/Contruction will begin by June 1st, 2013
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Casita de Zen - 4 stories/94 units/Construction will begin by June 1st, 2013
http://i39.tinypic.com/1sfek0.jpg

Main Street Collection - 4 stories/86 units/Completion by Fall 2013
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The City of San Gabriel will be adding another hotel along the north-side of Valley Blvd east of Del Mar Ave. and the Hilton Hotel. Currently under review by the Planning Division.

221 E Valley Blvd - 5 stories/316 Guest Rooms/Smitty's Grill Steakhouse on first floor
http://i43.tinypic.com/2yu0od5.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/30ldy7q.jpg

pretty decent stuff! thanks for updating. looks like the entire region is booming