| West Covina | |||
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| — City — | |||
| City of West Covina | |||
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| Motto: "Live, Work, Play." | |||
| Location of West Covina in Los Angeles County, California | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | California | ||
| County | Los Angeles | ||
| Incorporated | February 17, 1923 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Council-Manager | ||
| • Mayor | Steve Herfert | ||
| • Mayor Pro Tem | Mike Touhey | ||
| • City Manager | Andrew Pasmant | ||
| Area[1] | |||
| • Total | 16.090 sq mi (41.671 km2) | ||
| • Land | 16.041 sq mi (41.545 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.049 sq mi (0.126 km2) 0.30% | ||
| Elevation | 362 ft (110 m) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | 106,098 | ||
| • Rank | 13th in Los Angeles County 57th in California 252nd in the United States |
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| • Density | 6,594/sq mi (2,546.1/km2) | ||
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) | ||
| ZIP codes | 91790-91793 | ||
| Area code(s) | 626/909 | ||
| FIPS code | 06-84200 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1652809 | ||
| Website | www.westcovina.org | ||
West Covina is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. Located some 20 miles (32 km) east of Downtown Los Angeles in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, it is a mostly middle class suburb of Los Angeles. The population for the city was 106,098 at the 2010 census.
West Covina was incorporated as an independent city in 1923 to prevent the city of Covina from building a sewage farm in the area. Walnut groves and orange groves continued to flourish during the subsequent decades. The population in 1930 was 769 and blossomed to 1,549 in 1940. As a result of remarkable expansion during the post World War II building boom, West Covina became one of the fastest growing cities between 1950 and 1960 in the United States with the population increasing 1,000 per cent from less than 5,000 to more than 50,000 citizens. The last two decades have continued to demonstrate steady growth until late 2009 slowing to 0.8% growth. The number of residents expanded to a total of 96,242 as of the 1990 Census.
The City of West Covina began the second half of the 20th century with exciting new developments and projects, mostly brought on by big business. The City Hall and Police facility were built in 1969 as the first phase of an example of a Joint Powers Authority in the County of Los Angeles. The Civic Center Joint Powers Authority, consisting of the County of Los Angeles and the City of West Covina, also completed a three-level parking structure in the Civic Center complex. The Civic Center complex includes the Los Angeles County Regional Library and the Citrus Municipal Court building and the City offices.
The first Redevelopment Agency project included a regional shopping center, the West Covina Fashion Plaza, with three major department stores and 150 shops in an air-conditioned, enclosed mall. It also included the revitalization of the older sections of the shopping center. The Fashion Plaza has provided the citizens of the San Gabriel Valley with convenient access to all shopping needs. In 1991 the mall was renovated adding a food court and additional shops, as well as the redecorating of the entire mall. The mall was renamed "The Plaza at West Covina." The Plaza opened a new 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2). wing in October 1993 featuring 50 new stores including a new Robinson's-May and interior renovation throughout The Plaza.
The Redevelopment Agency's efforts have also resulted in several major office buildings in the City, such as "The Lakes," in addition to two new community shopping centers, freestanding retail developments, restaurants, residential projects, and the Auto Plaza.
A project that is completed is the West Covina Sportsplex Project. It is made up of four components, which include the commercial development (completed), Big League Dreams Sports Park (completed), an 18-hole championship Public Golf Course (Phase 2), and a commercial office development(Phase 2). The 43-acre (170,000 m2) site commercial development has over 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2) of new high quality commercial retail space. The commercial area includes a Target, Home Depot, Fresh & Easy, Petsmart as well as various other specialty shops and restaurants. Big League Dreams Sports Park features batting cages, a multi-use pavilion that can be used as a soccer field, ice hockey rink, and can be rented out as a hall. It also has 6 high quality ball fields that replicate sporting landmarks like Yankee Stadium, Tiger Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium and Edison Field. The Big League Dreams Sports Park is a City park. It is owned by the City and maintained and operated under contract by Big League Dreams. Phase 2, The 18-hole championship golf course and Corporate office buildings are both currently in the entitlement stage of development.
Another project is the ongoing major renovation and expansion to Westfield West Covina. It Includes both cosmetic and structural renovation and expansion to the inside and outside of the mall that will include a new 45,000-square-foot (4,200 m2) Best Buy (completed), 32,363 added square feet of restaurant and retail space (under construction), XXI Forever Luxury Store (completed). The renovation is expected to be completed in the spring of 2011 and will bring a new assortment of shops, restaurants, and high-end stores to Westfield West Covina.
A new 2½ star hotel is under construction, The Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott is a five-story, 110 bedroom hotel covering 57,028 square feet (5,298.1 m2), located at 3211 E. Garvey Avenue. Completion of the hotel was anticipated for 2010, however the site remains incomplete as of March 2011. The McIntyre Square is an existing shopping center on Citrus Ave. that consists of 60,470 square feet (5,618 m2) of retail and restaurant space on 6.37 acres (25,800 m2). It has been undergoing a facelift with additional landscaping since 2008. As of 2011, most of the center remains vacant.
West Covina has many health care facilities including the main hospital Citrus Valley Medical Center - Queen of the Valley Campus also known as Queen of The Valley Medical Center. Citrus Valley Medical Center — Queen of the Valley Campus is a comprehensive, full-service health care facility, well-known for its Family Birth & Newborn Center, with more deliveries than any other health care facility in the East San Gabriel Valley. The Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has cared for more than 15,000 babies since opening in 1972. The Queen's Mammography Center provides low cost mammography screening and breast health education. "Queen of the Valley Campus" Emergency Department is one of the busiest in Southern California, with nearly 54,000 visits annually. Other services include an 18-bed Pediatrics Unit, Cardiac Services, a 12-bed Rehabilitation Unit, state-of-the-art MRI and CAT-scan machines and Lithotripsy.
There are many other private medical practices and clinics that serve the city of West Covina. Kaiser Permanente operates both the West Covina Medical Offices and West Covina Behavioral Health Offices. East Valley Community Health Center is a large, free clinic for low-income families, focused on family planning and counseling services into a comprehensive health care provider and some free medical services. East Valley accepts all public health insurance such as MediCal (also known as Medicaid), Medicare, and Healthy Families (also known as SHIP), as well as private health insurance such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, among others. Most importantly, if one's family is not covered by any health insurance plan, the East Valley Center will provide services according to one's ability to pay.
The 2010 United States Census[2] reported that West Covina had a population of 106,098. The population density was 6,594.3 people per square mile (2,546.1/km²). The racial makeup of West Covina was (15.3) White, (4.5%) African American, (1.0%) Native American, (25.8%) Asian, (0.2%) Pacific Islander, (21.3%) from other races, and (4.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were (53.2%).
The Census reported that 105,424 people (99.4% of the population) lived in households, 351 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 323 (0.3%) were institutionalized.
There were 31,596 households, out of which 13,670 (43.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 17,650 (55.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 5,402 (17.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,308 (7.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,664 (5.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 202 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4,795 households (15.2%) were made up of individuals and 2,164 (6.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34. There were 25,360 families (80.3% of all households); the average family size was 3.68.
The population was spread out with 26,075 people (24.6%) under the age of 18, 11,326 people (10.7%) aged 18 to 24, 28,860 people (27.2%) aged 25 to 44, 26,974 people (25.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 12,863 people (12.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.0 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
There were 32,705 housing units at an average density of 2,032.7 per square mile (784.8/km²), of which 20,703 (65.5%) were owner-occupied, and 10,893 (34.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.8%. 70,474 people (66.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 34,950 people (32.9%) lived in rental housing units.
February 2011 voter registration statistics from the Secretary Of State shows the city's likely voters to be: 2010: Democrat 47% and Republican 28%
Many locals in West Covina recall it being a Republican stronghold in the decades before, but now due to changes in demographics, it has become a city with a distinct Democratic edge.
The city of West Covina strives to combat crime in numerous ways from texting the WCPD to rewarding residents with $100 for reporting graffiti vandals with the capture from local law enforcement.
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Pomona Health Center in Pomona, serving West Covina.[3]
West Covina is mostly served by the West Covina Unified School District, which has eight elementary schools, two middle schools, one intermediate school, two high schools, one continuation high school (Coronado Alt. High); and one adult school. Approximately 35,000 students were enrolled in West Covina public schools during the 2001–2002 school year.
Some portions of West Covina are also served by the Covina Valley Unified School District and Rowland Unified School District. Half of the residents of the affluent South Hills neighborhood of West Covina have the option of choosing either West Covina Unified School District (WCUSD) or Covina Valley Unified School District (CVUSD).
South Hills High School, Traweek Middle School, and Mesa Elementary School are located within the city limits of West Covina, but are administered by CVUSD.
Edgewood High School is a newly opened International Baccalaureate Candidate high school in West Covina Unified School District. It is located on the NE side of the Edgewood Middle School campus. 2010–2011 is the first opened year of EHS and is continuing on building forward.
Residents of the Woodside Village neighborhood are covered by Rowland Unified School District. These schools include: Nogales High School, Rincon Intermediate School, Giano Intermediate School, and Hollingworth Elementary School.
West Covina High School is 52 years old and South Hills High School is 42 years old.
International Polytechnic High School (I-Poly), a public school located at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, is also available to high school students who go through an application process.
ITT Technical Institute is the sole post-secondary institution located within city limits. There are also several colleges and universities within a few miles of the city limits including Azusa Pacific University; Citrus College; Mt. San Antonio College; the Pasadena City College; Whittier College; University of the West; and the California State Polytechnic University at Pomona.
As part of the pro-active redevelopment efforts of the city's business districts, it has successfully attracted many popular restaurant chains, retail stores, and other companies such as The Home Depot, Regal Entertainment, Hooters, Elephant Bar, XXI Forever, Sephora, Audi, and more.
There are also many major auto dealerships in West Covina, most of them located in the West Covina Auto Plaza and Citrus Auto Row. West Covina Auto Plaza: Toyota, Honda, Hummer(Closed), Chevrolet, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Smart Car and Audi. Citrus Auto Row (south/City of West Covina): Mazda, Nissan, Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac (closed, part of Buick/GMC lot), GMC, GMC Trucks. Citrus Auto Row (north/City of Covina): Acura, Kia, and Volkswagen.
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[4] the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Citrus Valley Medical Center - Queen of the Valley Campus | 1,744 |
| 2 | West Covina Unified School District | 1,223 |
| 3 | City of West Covina | 510 |
| 4 | Target | 479 |
| 5 | Macy's | 265 |
| 6 | J. C. Penney | 241 |
| 7 | San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group | 229 |
| 8 | Concorde Battery | 198 |
| 9 | BJ's Restaurant & Brewery | 197 |
| 10 | Progressive Management Systems | 158 |
There are 3 major shopping centers in West Covina; Westfield West Covina, Westfield Eastland (both of which are owned by Westfield Shoppingtown), and The Heights at West Covina.
Westfield West Covina is a large, major regional mall that has 208 shops, stores, and restaurants. The mall is two levels and is anchored by Macy's (180,000 sq ft.) to the east, JC Penney (193,963 sq ft.) to the south, Sears (137,820 sq ft.) to the west, Best Buy (45,000 sq ft.) to the north, and the newly-opened XXI Forever flagship store, also to the north. There is a food court on the second level as well as other restaurants, and food and drink kiosks. The mall is known for its many fashion shops and high-end fashion boutiques. The mall is also undergoing major renovation and expansion.
Westfield Eastland is a two level enclosed shopping center or power center. Uniquely, the power center is two levels, with parking for the lower level on south side of the center and parking for the upper level on the north side. It has many larger dept stores like Burlington Coat Factory, Dick's, Bed Bath & Beyond, Babies "R" Us, and more. Eastland Center is anchored by Target 122,000 sq ft (11,300 m2) to the east.
The Heights at West Covina is a new 340,000-square-foot (32,000 m2) retail shopping center located just south of Big League Dreams Sports Park. It is anchored by The Home Depot to the north, and Target to the south. The center has many stores and restaurants, some of the other major stores are; Staples, Petsmart, Fresh & Easy, and more.
This is a list of the other larger and important shopping centers in West Covina and some of there major stores, restaurants, shops, and services.
There are many dining options in West Covina, from burger joints, fast food, and diners, to more casual dining. West Covina has been attracting popular restaurant chains that are opening all over the city like, Norms, Elephant Bar, BJ's Restaurant & Brewery, and Hooters. There are 3 major casual dining Centers/plazas, The main ones are:
The Lakes Entertainment Center conatains an Edwards Cinema 18 and a Cold Stone Creamery. Club Spice is on the other side of town. Theres also the Brunswick West Covina Lanes that has Cosmic Bowling, and The newly opened Big League Dreams Sportsplex. West Covina is home to an Emazing Lights store. Definitely the most rowdy club acclaimed has to be Tina's Tavern rated by many citizens to be a wild experience.
There are many levels of lodging in West Covina, The main hotels located in the city are; Courtyard by Marriott, Hampton Inn, Clarion Hotel, Best Western, Days Inn and coming soon Fairfield Inn by Marriott.
There are many large beautiful parks in West Covina including Ridge Riders Park and Big League Dreams. South Hills Country Club is located in the eastern side on the city in the South Hill neighborhood, it is a private golf course, plans are underway to build a public 18-hole championship golf course on the hills above the city in the coming years. There also many tree lined walking paths in the city, one goes along Walnut Creek and the others are in Woodside Village.
The City operates the Go West shuttle system, 3 routes GO WEST that provide transportation to several West Covina destinations. The City also provides a free shuttle to the Baldwin Park Metrolink station.
Roenicke appeared in 27 games in his first season with the Orioles in 1978. A year later, in his first full season, he had perhaps the best season of his career, appearing in 133 games and hitting .261 with 25 home runs and 64 runs batted in. He even made the top ten in at-bats per home run, with one home run every 15.0 AB.
West Covina has one sister city:[5]
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