Page 25 - Duarte Summer 2025

DUARTE
DEVELOPMENT DIGEST
A Peek into the City’s Development Plans
Duarte Station Residential Developments
MBK Rental Living just finished developing Solana, a 292-unit apartment building in the Duarte Station Specific Plan area,
next to the Esperanza building on Fasana Road. Pre-leasing is currently underway, and the building will open formally soon.
This project is part of the Duarte Station Specific Plan. Adopted in 2013, this Specific Plan provides the framework for
development around the Metro Gold Line Duarte Station (also referred to as the Duarte/City of Hope Station). The vision
for the Duarte Station Area is to create a vibrant, mixed-use transit village with residential uses, office space, hospitality,
and urban green space. An emphasis is placed on publicly accessible open space to define a promenade-style, enhanced
linear plaza parallel to Highland Avenue. Esperanza and Solana are the first steps to transforming
the station area from simply a train stop into an exciting multi-use public gathering place.
The “Duarte Station” sign is located on the roof of the building and serves as an identifier for this area and our City as a whole.
Huntington Drive Median Project
After years of careful planning, the Huntington Drive Medians Upgrade project is finally underway. Designed by Armstrong
& Walker Landscape Architects, the new medians will feature new decorative rock, mulch, and water-efficient landscaping.
The plan is available to view on WWW.ACCESSDUARTE.COM.
Construction for this project began on Monday, January 27, 2025, and is anticipated to be completed by May 2025. We
thank Duarte residents for their cooperation and patience during increased volumes of traffic and construction activity
along Huntington Drive throughout the project.
The goals of this median upgrade plan are to comply with State mandates to remove turf, improve water efficiency, and
beautify the Huntington corridor with upgraded landscape and hardscape. After researching the best plants suited to
Duarte’s climate, the current foliage will be replaced with drought-tolerant alternatives for all trees, low shrubs, flowering
accent plants, and ornamental grass. The new low-maintenance trees include the Arbutus “Marina,” Australian Flame
Tree, Western Redbud, Desert Willow, and Flax Leaf Paperbark, which all have non-invasive roots and minimal litter.
BP Charging Station
Construction is nearly complete for the EV charging station on the property at the northeast corner of Huntington Drive
and Bradbourne Avenue. As BP’s first all-charging station in the United States, this new charging station includes several
charging spaces and a lounge area for customers waiting for their vehicles to charge. This new station is anticipated to
be open by this summer.
The station will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The lounge will be open from 8 AM - 10 PM, but the
restroom will offer 24 hour access. All facility offerings will be self-serve, with no on-site personnel available. Access to the
lounge and restrooms will be provided electronically through an app or code as part of the charging process.
Typical charging time is between 20-30 minutes, and fees are charged to vehicles that use the dispenser.
City of Hope Expansion
The City of Hope is Duarte’s biggest employer, and its growth is a great advantage to the City. Hope Village, an eight
story, 350,000 square foot building with blue lighting on its roof, was recently completed and will be used for outpatient
services.
In addition to the new building, the Family Pavilion was also recently completed. This park-like plaza is located near the
new parking structure and Hope Village, making it a wonderful addition to the campus.
Donald and Bernice Watson Recreation Trail
Duarte was awarded a $1.6 million federal appropriation for accessibility and quality of life upgrades to the Donald and
Bernice Watson Recreation Trail. New paving, landscaping, and other amenities will be added to the trail. This funding was
included in the 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, thanks to former Congresswoman Napolitano. The State of California
manages the process for how funds will be distributed, which typically takes several months. Due to this, the City is
currently waiting to receive the funds.
In the next few months, staff is working on finalizing paving details and looking to hire a landscape consultant to coordinate
a final bid for Parks and Recreation Commission and City Council review. The Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed
the concept plans in November, and an aerial survey has already been completed. Due to coordination with CalTrans and
a change in the funding availability date, the project will not be out to bid until 2026 at the earliest.
ACCESSDUARTE.COM
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