Plans to redevelop The Derby restaurant in Arcadia as a component of a mixed-use apartment complex are inching forward, with the release of the project's draft environmental impact report.

The Derby, which has operated out of its home at 233 E. Huntington Drive since the a 1920s, would return to the property in a newly-built structure on the same property. What would change is its immediate surroundings. Elite Real Estate Holdings, LLC, which owns the adjoining land that also includes parking and a former Souplantation, is seeking city approvals for the construction of an apartment complex with 214 residential units, 4,700 square feet of ground-floor restaurant and cafe space, and parking for 412 vehicles.

Street-level view of The Derby and attached mixed-use development[au]workshop

Those plans would rely on the approval of density bonus incentives to permit more housing than normally allowed by zoning rules for the site. In exchange, nine of the new studio, one-, and two-bedroom would be set aside for rent aside for rent as affordable housing at the very low-income level.

Architecture firm [au]workshop is designing the development, which calls for a new six-story building that would connect to the rear of The Derby, and provide a second-floor terrace for the restaurant's outdoor bar. Renderings show that the restaurant itself would retain signature elements such as its gable roof, stained glass windows, red booths, signage, and horseracing memorabilia. Besides housing, plans call for amenities such as a rooftop deck, co-working space, a fitness center, a yoga room, and a large courtyard.

Construction of the proposed apartment complex is contingent on the approval of a variety of entitlements by the City of Arcadia, including a general plan amendment and a zone change. Should those approvals be granted, the build-out for The Derby project is expected to take 21 months. While a precise timeline has not been set, the environmental study considered a schedule commencing in March 2024 and concluding in November 2025.

Aerial view of the Derby mixed-use project looking northwest[au]workshop

The Derby development would be the latest in a recent handful of new residential projects in Arcadia, such as Trammell Crow Residential's Alexan development, which calls for the construction of 319 apartments a few blocks east. Both sites sit within walking distances of Metro's Arcadia Station.

Other upcoming projects in Arcadia include a new Hilton Hotel which recently commenced work near Santa Anita Racetrack.

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