Old Town La Puente : Start Theater:: Built after WWII, This historic theater has the bones of an airplane hanger. It suited its purpose over the years in creating a gathering space for the city of La Puente, CA.
Developers have tried to demolish this building and proposed a parking garage, housing element, offices and other ideas. This theater should remain as a marker for the city of La Puente because of its character and narrative in the dialogue of an “Old Town.” In return, the development on the intersection of Central and Main is better suited for a complete mixed use.
The adjacent properties create a natural urban infill park which borrows programmtically the function of gathering indoor and outdoor. A proposed cafe and gallery can help anchor the economic development along this street to carry business through Main Street and North First Street. A pocket park along Main Street opens up opportunities for restaurants to have outdoor seating arrangements and functions.
A dog park located along Glendora Avenue creates another use out of the remaining spaces. Next to the City Hall and at the end of East Central Street remains an empty lot for a mixed use facility. The proposal of civic architectural elements and landmark towers ties in a public marker. A parking garage, apartments and shops help centralize the intersecting streets. Another move to centralize this district is to bring outside traffic via metrolink shuttle buses (City of Industry, CA) and foothill transit buses (El Monte Station) directly to Old Town La Puente. This enables the connection from Los Angeles to San Bernardino in a macroscale and enables micro travel between the surrounding bedroom communites. The local bus stop shall stop between the intersection of Central and Main Street. The intercity bus stop will stop along Glendora Avenue which allows for the City of Industry’s commuter parking base to utilize amenities such as restrooms and restaurants that are located in this district. Old Town La Puente’s revitalization will be toward the trajectory of Old Town Covina, Pomona and Fullerton.
The immediate surrounding cities will be enriched with cultural nodes and public spaces for their enjoyment. More importantly the cities surrounding this district will take notice at a once was postwar period city that has reinvigorated with a balance of density and civic mindedness. – Dino Tadiar
