A notice distributed by the City of Arcadia signals the start of the environmental review period for a proposed mixed-use development near a stop on Metro's L Line.

The proposed project, called the Alexan, would rise from a nearly three-acre property at 150 N. Santa Anita Avenue, replacing two commercial buildings and a surface parking lot.  An eight-story office building and one-level bank branch on the site are to be retained, according to the notice.

Developer Trammell Crow Residential is behind the project, which calls for the construction of a seven-story edifice featuring 319 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments - ranging from 540 to 1,220 square feet in size - above parking for more than 570 vehicles.  A total of 26 apartments would be set aside as affordable housing, making the project eligible for density bonus incentives via SB 1818.

150 N Santa Anita AvenueGoogle Maps

While the Alexan would not itself feature ground-floor retail, the proposed development would add a 750-square-foot cafe to an adjoining office building.  Eight two-story live/work units are planned along the street frontage of the new construction, partially masking above-grade parking on Wheeler Avenue to the south.

The new development, which a rendering depicts as a contemporary low-rise structure, would be separated from the existing office tower through an outdoor plaza with seating areas.  An alley way to the east is to be transformed into a pedestrian paseo, allowing north-south access between the L Line Station and Arcadia's downtown.

Construction of the Alexan is contingent on the approval of several discretionary entitlements by the City of Arcadia, including site plan review, a street vacation, and a tentative parcel map.

Arcadia is one of multiple cities in the San Gabriel Valley which has capitalized on the Foothill L (Gold) Line extension to foster development near its station, including neighboring Monrovia, where another Alexan apartment complex is planned.