The recession, coupled with the state yanking redevelopment funds from local cities, is bringing down some of the excitement of the Gold Line Foothill extension, which breaks ground in two and a half weeks and opens in 2013. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports that transit-oriented housing and retail developments planned near future stops are shrinking or imperiled. Exhibit A is Azusa's once-giant Rosedale planned community, which would be a short walk from the Citrus Station: what was once envisioned as a 518-acre behemoth with 1,250 planned homes has seen only 130 residences built since work stopped in 2008. A nearby retail development is now threatened because the city-owned land it was to sit on can't be sold at below-market prices now that Azusa lost $13 million in the Sacramento raid. Scrappy Monrovia told Schwarzenegger to beat it when he came calling for their redevelopment money, but it now will likely not receive more aid in the immediate future. They've been working on their huge Station Square project (pictured) since 2005, which was once expected to bring 3,500 new units of housing but could be scaled back if the economy continues to falter.
Other cities mentioned in the Tribune piece include Arcadia, which wants to increase density around their stop, but will have issues developing near the Gold Line because they have strict laws on eminent domain--the city is going to have to rely on costly land acquisition without the aid of millions in redevelopment funds.
Glendora, which would be part of the second phase of the Foothill extension that is planned to open around 2017, also had ambitious plans for new housing and retail, but developers are reluctant because of the economy and because the city can no longer afford infrastructure upgrades near the train stop.
Meanwhile, Phase 1 city Duarte is updating their general plan and has amorphous plans to build transit-oriented developments near the Gold Line, according to the Foothill Extension website.
· Gold Line Developments Could Be Threatened by Economy, State Grab [SGV Tribune]
· Foothill Extension [Official Site]
· Arcadia: A City of High-Rises? [Curbed LA]
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