207 homes planned for former drive-in theatre in South El Monte

The former site of the Starlite Drive-In theatre in South El Monte will be redeveloped with townhomes and multifamily residential units, per a newly published environmental report.

KB Home, the firm behind the proposed Starlite residential project at 2560 Rosemead Boulevard, intends to redevelop the now vacant 12.3-acre property with 207 homes - including 169 single-family residences and 38-multi-family dwellings. Plans also call for 9,000 square feet of recreation space, including a pool and a community building.

As with many KB Home projects, plans call for a range of three-story attached and detached buildings, knit together by private roadways and pedestrian paseos. The homes will come in a variety of architectural styles, including Spanish Colonial Revival and Craftsman.

While most elements of the former drive-in have long been demolished, the theatre's former marquee remains, and is to be maintained and restored as part of the project.

Per the environmental report, construction of the Starlite development is expected to occur over a 19-month period starting in Fall 2022 and concluding in Spring 2024.

For a look back at the Starlite's most recent incarnation as a swap meet, see this 2014 piece published by KCET.