The following excerpt of Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz’s State of the City speech appeared in Monrovia Now on February 11, 2014.

40 years ago our City was rebounding. The Age of Redevelopment saw a revitalization of Old Town, the installation of a high-tech corridor, and a focus on creating a safer, more vibrant City.

We balanced retail and development with preservation. We kept our past in mind. And moving forward, it is our responsibility to maintain that balance.

Over the next few years, Monrovia is going to once again enjoy the development of public improvements. Our redevelopment properties are poised for opportunity. Private development is taking off. But there is one thing on all of our minds: GOLD LINE.

This 11.5 mile extension of the light rail system through the San Gabriel Valley will usher in over 1 million riders through Monrovia every month. It creates accessibility to Monrovia we have never had before, and changes the landscape of our town.

But we don’t see those results right now. Right now, we are enduring the inconvenience of construction. Myrtle Avenue is closed, and soon we will see temporary closures at Mountain and Magnolia. Remember, businesses are open here and we encourage you to support them during the construction months.

These temporary constructions zones, however, will lead to long-term benefits for the City. The Metro Gold Line Operations Campus is scheduled to be completed in the Fall of 2015, and the line is turned over to METRO at the end of next year. In fact, just today, Gold Line announced 50% completion of the Foothill extension construction from Pasadena to Azusa.