I’ve been a Hayward resident for 15 years (since I was 10), not sure if I’ll make it tomorrow, but the downtown area has never been inviting. I’d personally love to the old bank on Main and B turned into a legitimate music venue that’d showcase local talent and have national touring acts. I’ve been to many a venue and it truthfully is the perfect building for it. The only issue is finding someone who’d want to invest $100000 in lighting and sound to an area that rarely becomes vibrant.

All: Has anyone consultede with Ms.Audrey LaPell, Presidentt of ‘CAT’s” for life She and SHYMAN lOUIS LED THE PACK,during the reign of ‘Bertie’ IN defeating the 238 ByPass.
A Street to D Street between Foothill and Mission is wrapped in a flow of traffic, and much like the prey of a large python, what remaining life there is in the downtown area, it will soon be ‘squeezed’ to death.

The ‘underpass’ along Jackson will soon be extended to a point east of Mission. The dullards of HAPA have won…. or, quoting a famous expression from the long ago comic strip “POGO” “we have met the enemy and they is us!”

Downtown does have some life, it’s better than nothing. Gotta love the festivals and the farmers market. Wish downtown will have just as much people there on a normal day or weekend.

Attract more people in the area, including Cal State and Chabot students. Have the Cal State shuttle to the BART station go more thru downtown with stops along B Street. I’m a student at Chabot, and met people in the area who didn’t even know that Hayward had a downtown.

Have more youth/family friendly places, especially around Cinema Place. Look at Union Landing, Hacienda Crossing, or Bayfair have restaurants and places to hang out on a friday night or the weekend. I agree with Mary about a music venue in the old bank buliding, sounds like a good idea. Will go good with the Bistro across the street.

Bring some life around the City Center area. Tearing down Centennial Hall and the closure of the Mervyns Headquaters have made the area look more abandoned. What happened to the plans for the hotel and reopening of the City Center?

Best of luck to the improvents, hope they will bring some more improvements and pay for itself!

Ms.Blair;

Not too many years ago I had a ‘My Word’ Piece printed which explained what had happened to the concept of ‘Downtown’ when developers CREATED LARGE SHOPPING CENTERS IN SUBURBIA,

iF YOU EXPECT RETAILERS TO RETURN TO HAYWARD’S OLD DOWNTOWN… FORGET IT! EVEN MERVYN’S COULD NOT SURVIVE AT SOUTHLAND AND IT WAS sOUTHLANDS WHICH HAD IMMEDUIATE AFFECT UPON OUR OLD, OUTDATED CENTRAL RETAIL AREA.

If you think that the downtown can survive the traffic influences when RTE 92 drops its load onto Foothill, I wish you luck and am unable to resist asking the question… ‘what are you using…?

What ought occur is development of fairly dense condominium housing above some condominium type first and second floor professional offices above below grade parking. What will follow, hopefully is a few more separated but not closely located eateries. We have enough ‘entertainment’ facilties and if the ‘porn shop’ is still on Main St bewteen ‘A’ and ‘B’ then some investor must be convinced to buy and evict that tenant. There are a couple or three troublesome bars in that area. ‘Boot ‘em’ Light low alcohol content fresshments at eateries is ok. but ‘wateing holes’with dance floor and not much else are discouraging neighbors and I would not care o opena small businees near them.

Finally, if Salvation Army is moving away, that area if accessed from Main or B might make a great common market place for craqfts of the home decoration type in ‘open arket’ Much like Olivwera Street in Los Angeles ( which I have not visited in 40 years or more but still posess favorable memories.

I did a lengthy “My Word Piece” on the subject of downtown… perhaps Mr.Kurhi can dig it out and reprint it or even use it for a basis of his own story.

I think Mayor Se=weeney’s outburst of critcism directed to property owners is / was misplaced.

Central leadership in a ‘commission’ consisting of property owners,Developers, Civic and business leaders and City’s planning DEPARTMENT IS NEEDED.

What we do not need is deep involvment of elected leadership. Particpation is one thing but specific desires of elected officials is the last thing to occur. Even then it should be limited to one or two choices.

All:

Mike Sweeney and the Downtown saga

Unfortunately, there seems no end to discussions revolving around ‘down’ town Hayward’. Some may recall the ‘My Word’ Piece, which I authored and saw published on the opinion pages of the Review appearing in the Daily Review a few years ago. I expand upon it herewith.

Mayor Sweeney has been criticized for his public utterances which appeared in the print media a few days ago. I empathize with our Mayor and understand his frustrations. Unfortunately, there is no way for the individual property owners, as stand alone entities or as a group, to cure the problems of ‘Down Town’ Hayward’s downtown area by individual owners. Their personal interests stand in the way of cohesive action; even as a group enterprise at attempts to revive our old, downtrodden ‘down-town’, there simply is insufficient personal wealth or group borrowings capacity to do the needed redevelopment work which, to be successful, will require INVESTMENT of substantial money sums necessary for a redevelopment of the entire area. Only A and D Streets would remain under the concept displayed here. Which does not mean that new vehicular pathways would not be developed.

A substantial area would need be included; something on the order of complete razing from First street to Main initiated at north side of ‘D’ and extending northerly to Watkins along First street to San Lorenzo Creek, doubling back to Main along McKeever then along a line 100 feet north of A Street to meet a point along an extension of Watkins, Thence southerly to Library Park. The old, empty, useless City Hall would have to go as would all else but the Veterans MEMORIAL BLDG.

Unfortunately Governor Frown has wrecked the concept of Redevelopment Agency! HAD HE NOT DONE SO, I WOULD USE Redevelopment money to raze old worn out Downtown within the boundaries described above. Once razed I would abandon Main Street as it lays within the above described area. The empty space thus created would be available for creation of a Master Plan in which it would seem desireable to create four to five story structures of condominium residential units above Commercial condominium units at grade level with parking in as much basement area necessary to accommodate the residential condominium units.

There are examples of what I suggest along the El Camino Highway in Sunnyvale and environs along areas of the lower southern areas of the SF Peninsula.
There is nothing advantageous in ‘preserving’ Hayward’s old downtown. It is definitely a “down town” but has great potential as a ‘live/ work business office center’( with servicdes such as a dry cleaner etc.. Acquisition of the existent buildings and land parcels with complete demolition of all the current commercial buildings save only the Veterans Memorial building and the firehouse and the parking at Watkins Garage, the Post Office and newer commercial spaces facing north on B Street . The presence of upwards of 500 residential condominium uses above recessed, open spaced Office Condominiums would create something highly conducive to economic success, beyond the scope or imagination of Our City Fathers or Chamber of Commerce as it presently exists.

Of course it would depend initially upon creation of the concept and use of redevelopment money which the State of California is destroying under current leadership.

One thing for certain is the fact that, unfortunately, very few in this City possess capability of understanding the above discussion.

Moore;

Really inteligent! Demonstrates what I say above at last sentence of # 9.

What is the point?

All;

At # 12 above, IGNATZ has spoken once again! All hail to Ignatz!

Qodrn;

(I Guess Iam confused…. (I thought the one way direction on Foothill and the ‘widening’ of mission was precipitatede by te folks of HAPA!

Who can forget the President for life of CATS? THE ‘LOOP’ WAS REPUREDLY THE ‘BRAINY IDEA’ 0OF T6HE LADY WHO WAS pRESIDEENT OF cats FOR LIFE; SHE DID AND SAID AND DID, ON CUE, AT THE DIRECTION OF SHYMAN lEWIS THE FAMOUS PROFESSOR AT CAL STATE

IF YOU VOTED AGAINST THE 238 BY-PASS…. ENJOY THE TRAFFIC ON MISSION! tHE FORD dEALERSHIP ON MISSION WAS ONCE THE SECOND MOST SUCCESSFUL OF THE FORD DEALERSHIPS IN SF BAY REGION and would have continued as such had it the benefit of being idenhtifiable from the 238 Bypass. At time of it’s closure it had too much competition ftom dealers whose point of sales was visible from the Freeways!

In the parlance of successful retail outlets… ‘location, location, location’!
So now we suffer the loss of sales tax on large sums involved with auto sales.

Get it? Blame the folks of ‘the olod highlands area’!

Ms. Blair;

in the past 50+ years since moving to Hayward, I have lost track of the number of meetings which were sponsored by the City. They tend to cover much the same ground as was seen on previous subjects of interest.

Personally, I have become blase` and believe other long time residenhts have fallen into the same attitude. It is not as though we fail to recognize need…… but talking about a subject repetitiously leads to dullness.

Changes in the make up of staff tends to lead us into repetition just as though a new subject is being brought up. Down town fell apart with the opening of Southland Mall.

My wife tends to visit the mall in Pleasanton which is not to say that she avoids Southland Mall. It is just that female friends and relatives are also attracted by a larger operation than what is found at Southland. Ifr they do not attend together then they are on the phone and planning to shop at Pleasanton.

Personally,I am turned off by Southland, wespecially at Christmas shopping time. While attending school I had a part time job at Capwell’s in Oakland. It wsas a classy place with several storuies at or above grade as well as with escalators and elevators.Women dressed up to go shopping in those days… today,it seems to me that Southland has become ‘declasse’.

For example the Penny’ws store, the clotyhing racks are too close, wshoppers pull out garments positioned upon hangers which are tyhe left on top of the racks so that employees might replace tyhem whenj and if they have time. The Shoe Dept at Penny’s at Christmas time is a disaster with shoes taken out of boxes and left on the floor… a mess which turns me off!
Macy’as not too bad but Penny’s turns me off completely. Sears operates with short staff also.

Purchasing power in Hayward is also suffering… much blue collar unemployment…. to say nothing of the fact that Hayward (and Oakland) have a dispro- portioinate number of paroled and probationer types…. whom I suspect add to Southland’s problem.
There is recessed area on the nOrth side of Southland Mall, Near Mac Donald’s, where I have seen three card monte games being played by scruffians.
NJow I heaar that A/C transit buses no longer make their stop on the Northside…. been relocated to an area on the Southeast side, somwewhat awqat=y from the buildings apparently inj the belief that they damage the paving….. hell if you are going to use A/C Transit, why not use Bayfair Mall or the new Bart Station in Pleasanton… near the mall?

Have you read #9 above?

GOOD NEWS!

1/4 burger on Mission opened yesterday. Yay!

Moore;

Your inflated opinion of yourselfr seems to say…” I speak for all others who attended the Saturday meeting which revolved around the ‘down town’ problem.” I know of no elected COUNCIL PERSON WHO WOULD HAVE SPOKEN THE WORDS YOU SUGGEST THEY SPOKE. bECAREFUL LWEST YOU CREATE A SELF IMAGE WHICH OUGHT EMBARASS YOU FOR THAT WHICH YOU STATE YOU OBSERVED.

POOR MR. MOORE… THEN YOUR LONG RESIDENCY IN HAYWARD WOULD HAVE SEEN YOU AT THE LAST OR PREVIOUS TIME THE SUBJECT CAME UP AT A PUBLIC MEETING. was that in the early 1990′s?

IN EARLY YEARS OF THE ’90′S DECADE A PUBLIC MEETING WAS HELD AND I ENTERTAINED FOLKS WITH THE THOUGHT THAT PLACING THE PROPOSED CITY HALL AT IT’S PRESENT LOCATION WOULD AID THE DOWNTOWN AREA …. WHICH IT DID TO SOME EXTENT.

THE HOUSING IMMEDIATELY SOUTH OF THE CITY HALL AND FACING WATKINS STREET WAS BOOSTED AT LEAST TO SOME LEVEL OF ACCEPTANCE BY MY OPEN COMMENTS AT A MEETING REVOLVING AROUND PLACEMENT OF CITY hALL AT IT’S PRESENT LOCATION.

If it was ‘the ‘CATS’ of HAPA who were pleased by my absence….then that speaks to their extreme concern for trivia….as you seem to do!

Pray tell us, LITTLE MAN,just what was accomplished when all present were overwhelmed by your OWN SIZABLE presence?

SURELY YOU HAVE AN OPINION OF YOUR OWN THAT YOUR NATURE URGES UPON US? DID YOU AT LEAST LISTEN IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO TAKE NOTES?

COME ON ‘TINY’ what advice did you offer?

Moore;

Have you brought your advice to the attention of BANG?

You carry a lot of weight in that sector,….right?

In today’s mail:

The Lone Tree Cemetary wants me, dead apparently.
They are having a 50% off special “in select locations.”

Anyway, with the discount a double grave (dug four feet lower than a single) costs $4,997. A single side by side costs $3550 (I assume per plot). Niches for your jar of ashes go for $1187. There is a 10% discount with cash.

I can’t afford to live; I can’t afford to die either. Guess I better pay more attention to those old folks life insurance commercials.

Lone Tree really needs to start a collection to fix up the William Hayward memorial area on the side of the hill. It’s kind of wrinkled.

Eric. Please don’t remove Big Mike from the Hayword header.

I see no reason to destroy things that others find of value just because some don’t. Big Mike is important to many including the Hayward Historical Society.

Even if a vote were taken as Mr. Kyle suggests, and if the majority did not want to preserve Big Mike, in our country a minority of one is valued. Didn’t we see enough of the destruction of whole cultures in our history?

Personally, I think forgetting that principle, believing everything has to be a competition with winners and losers is what is leading us to a lack of compassion for each other and a consequent lack of respect for individual human rights. The only result can be a very nasty kind of group-think.

Ms. Blair;
Relative to our differing viewpoint on the subject of ‘Big Mike….’
Perhaps it is poor analogy but a ‘spin’ on your comment might lead to cancellation of the ‘supporting arguments’ for the existence of a CITY’S PLANNING DEPT. The purpose of the planning Department, in a broad view, is to assure not only a supply of decent safe and sanitary housing which complies with adopted standards of safety in construction, but to also assure a certain measure of compliance in what some see as an intrusion into design of a structure. In short, would you accept introduction of something akin to San Jose’s mystery house if the opportunity for such arose at a location in close proximity to your own investment in a home?
There are times when our City Fathers disagree amongst themselves in which case we come to understand why that august body has an odd number of participants. No tie votes which only delay ‘the process’.

I RECALL AN ARGUMENT, DURING THE CITY COUNCIL’S REVIEW OF A PLAN DEPARTMENT APPROVAL INVOLVING A PROPOSED SUBDIVISION WHICH WAS TO CONTAIN A LARGE COUNT OF HOMES BUT WHICH INJVOLVED ONLY ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE BASIC FLOOR PLANS INVOLVING TWO STORY CONSTRUCTION FOR EACH.

One council person argued extensively against the window arrangement and their sizes as planned for the front (street Side) elevations. He thoroughly disliked the window arrangement. Thought that it lacked balance in size etc etc. argued for a reduction of the area which was to consist of glass, wanted the large windows at lower level with smaller ones at top etc etc.
It had to be explained, in some time consuming detail what the California State building code proscribed as to the ratio of floor space to window area etc. etc. Developer’s spokesman went into great detail about the window area ratio minimums which are tied to floor area, etc etc. The tail twisting by developer’s advocate went so far as to state, that the home model in question was one of the most popular in applicant’s developments at other locations within other communities Further, the required ratio of glass to floor space had to be met…..California has window space to floor area ratios which must be met, even down to areas which must be ‘operable’
Well perhaps I am too argumentative, I PERSONALLY WOULD NOT HAVE CHOSEN THAT PLAN HAD I BEEN IN A POSITION TO NEED A HOME IN THAT LOCALE….SOME OF THOSE WINDOWS REQUIRED AN INTERIOR USE OF A LENGTHY LADDER AND MY WIFE, BEING THRIFTY AS WELL AS POSSESSED BY A FEAR OF HEIGHT ON A LADDER WOULD HAVE PASSED THE EXPENSIVE LABOR PROBLEM TO ME… AND BEING REASONABLY JEALOUS OF MY PERSONAL TIME, WOULD HAVE PASSED ON THAT PARTICULAR PLAN.
I SPENT 30 OF MY FORTY YEAARS IN THE BANKING BUSINESS Laboring as Real Estate Appraiser. I was not confined to appraisal of ‘cookie cutter housing’ but spent better than half my time delivering appraisal numbers as well as a critique of land value trends within a reasonable distance to the subjects of commercial, industrial and special purpose properties.
So my attitude, such as it is, is to do what the early Christians feared most, a thumbs down from the mob at the arena!
Poor mike, your era has passed, my thumb points down rather than up!
I suspect Mike’s new owner will be met by negativity when or if a permit for re-installation is requested.

Ms. Blair

Wonder how Paul Bunyon the forest woodsman made it to the muffler Biz?

If he returns will he be associated with a particular biz?

Perhaps a ‘bouncer’ at a bawdy house?

I support leaving Big Mike on the header…He was and is a part of Hayward history.