Monrovia is buzzing about the Gold Line beginning service
from Pasadena to Azusa on Saturday, March 5, 2016. That's right, readers! The train is chugging it's way toward Monrovia and the grand opening event will be quite a celebration! Starting at 11:00 a.m. and going until 4:00 p.m. here at Monrovia Station Square, the City will be celebrating with live music, food trucks, and free shuttle service between Station Square and Old Town Monrovia. But, the celebration continues, with events at each new station from Arcadia to downtown Azusa. And get ready to ride the rails because Metro will be offering free rides on the Gold Line all the way to East Los Angeles until midnight!
To gear up for the coming of the train,
the City has been paying a lot of attention to the Station Square Transit
Village area. In January, the Station Square Park was dedicated and will be a
gathering place for residents and commuters with a new band shell and
playground equipment. There are also new, exciting businesses moving into the
area, with plans for more to come. Soon Station Square Transit Village will
have wineries, breweries and restaurants for everyone to enjoy. The residential
apartment complex, “The Parks at Station Square” is also going to be breaking
ground soon and will provide over 200 apartments in the area. But all this
activity isn’t a coincidence. Every single City department, division, elected official and appointed commissioner over the past decade has contributed to keeping the train on track!
We are excited to see the results of this amazing Citywide effort and honored to have been a part of this process. For example, in 2015, we got to work with the Planning Commission and the City Council as they reviewed and approved an amendment to the guidelines for the Station Square
Transit Village area. The new and improved guidelines identified seven neighborhoods and refined the standards for each, yet
maintained the overall vision for Station Square Transit Village as a “a
dynamic, mixed-use, transit oriented community.” Basically, our logic here was, "trains are cool and people like to be around them!" The map below shows how Station
Square Transit Village has been planned. If you'd like more information on each
neighborhood, visit http://www.cityofmonrovia.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/community_development/page/1812/pd_-_12.pdf
or stop by City Hall and talk to a planner.
