Place
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park greatly contributed to the advancement of California's thoroughbred racing industry, though it would later become infamous as the site of the largest Assembly Center for Japanese American internment during World War II.
Place Details
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Architect
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Community
Photo from L.A. Conservancy archives
Overview
In 2013 the Santa Anita Park moved forward with a remodel of its historic Chandelier Room. The remodel, which community members and the Conservancy voiced concern about has resulted in a partial loss of some of the room’s character-defining features. However, despite its alterations, the Chandelier room still possesses its overall look and feel keeping in line with its history and function.
About This Place
About This Place
Architect Gordon B. Kaufmann had visited various racetracks throughout the country while working on the initial design for Santa Anita Park. He was disappointed to find them mostly similar in design and planning. For the Arcadia racetrack, Kaufmann chose both Colonial Revival and Moderne architectural styles, which he used to complementary effect.
Santa Anita Park opened on Christmas Day, 1934, and quickly established itself as one of the region’s premiere thoroughbred racetracks.
The nearly 300 acre site contains numerous features and structures, in addition to the grandstand building, which are integrally linked to the history and significance of Santa Anita Park. These include the main track, track house, several stables, paddock, receiving and saddling barns, and east and south gates.
In addition to its architectural significance and its associations with thoroughbred racing history, Santa Anita was the largest Assembly Center for the Japanese American internment in World War II. About 20,000 Japanese-Americans lived at the racetrack during 1942, in temporary housing in the stable area and in barracks constructed on the site’s parking lot. The racetrack was identified eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.
Santa Anita Park played a pioneering role in the development of the California thoroughbred racing industry. The photographic documentation of the finish was first used at Santa Anita Park in the inaugural season of 1934-35. The “photo finish” is regarded as one of the great contributions of the park to the sport.
Still painted in their original blue-green with cream trim, Kaufmann’s original grandstand and clubhouse buildings have been expanded significantly, beginning with additions he designed in 1937 and 1938. Later additions by other architects further enlarged the size of the grandstand and clubhouse buildings, which by the 1950s became linked structurally.
Our Position
The Conservancy has worked to preserve the historic Santa Anita Park since 1999. That was when owner Frank Stronach erected large elevator towers that dramatically altered the racetrack’s façade, as well as a new restaurant in the historic grandstand, without submitting the project for appropriate public review.
In April 2007, the Arcadia City Council approved a plan to develop a 830,000-square-foot commercial, retail, and office project on the south parking lot of the racetrack proposed by developer Rick Caruso. The Conservancy was particularly concerned about the potential demolition of the property’s 1938 Saddling Barn and South Ticket Gate.
The Conservancy responded to a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) on the proposed retail/entertainment project and asked developer Caruso to examine alternatives to this plan, as well as ways to reverse the inappropriate 1999 elevator tower additions.
Chandelier Room
Given the long-standing threat to Santa Anita Park and the Chandelier Room’s significance, the Conservancy was concerned about any significant alterations to this historic space. The Conservancy understood that design review was required by the City of Arcadia before project approval and permitting.
The Conservancy submitted a letter to Arcadia planning staff in April 2013 detailing the Chandelier Room’s historical significance and strongly encouraged the project meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and full compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
