This
is snippet from an article by LA architect John Dutton about the 710 in
1991. The most compelling part is regarding the development of the 710
stub, he lays out the task facing us and asks the same questions we are
asking now.
Indeed, if the 710 plan is abandoned, the
1.5 mile stub already built in Pasadena (just south of the 134 and west
of Old Pasadena) could become one of the most coveted development
parcels in the region. It is adjacent to both successful commercial
areas as well as the mature and historic neighborhoods, and five minutes
from the San Gabriel Mountains.
With
no new freeway, the 710 stub will stand as a great urban artifact. The
vast gully cradling the freeway separates two distinct sides. How does
one, if at all, knit together the two sides? How can the bridges be
utilized? What possibilities in section does the terrain provide? Should
the land remain as open space? A new district or neighborhood? How does
it connect to the rest of the City? How do the remnants of the freeway
stub integrate into the future design of the site?