Posted by Palo Parent, a resident of the Green Acres neighborhood, on Sep 6, 2012 at 12:37 pm

Alma now looks like some left the boxes that JCC came in there.

Posted by Who voted?, a resident of the South of Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 6, 2012 at 2:44 pm

Who voted for this project? It didn't just happen on its own.

Posted by Midtowner, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 6, 2012 at 9:45 pm

It is disheartening how Palo Alto allows ugly, ill-conceived projects to be built. JCC, the ugly IKEA like Mitchell Park library, and Alma Plaza (among others). I agree, it is sad to have to dry buy the new Alma Plaza with a mostly blind wall (the back of a building?) abutting the street... Why can't we do better than this?

Posted by Crescent Park Dad, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Sep 7, 2012 at 11:18 am

I drove by there for the first time in about a year. Geesh - who thought that this was the best way to utilize the site?

There is nothing about the look of this project that says, "C'mon on in, there's a great new market here." In fact, you can't even see the market.

Just dumb.

Posted by Palo Parent, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Sep 7, 2012 at 11:36 am

I'd bet you a doughnut that the developers build right up to the lot line in areas like that (future HSR expansion or widening of Alma) so that the city cannot "take" any of their property through eminent domain.

Posted by Huh, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Sep 7, 2012 at 1:08 pm

What does "building up to the sidewalk" have to do with avoiding eminent domain?

Posted by Palo Parent, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Sep 7, 2012 at 1:15 pm

Because if the government needs to take away 20 feet of only landscaping, that's a lot easier to accomplish through eminent domain than say a portion of your main building.

Posted by love the jcc, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 7, 2012 at 8:52 pm

Thank goodness the JCC was built. It gives the local whiners something to complain about. After all it replaced the lovely Sun campus and the KFC that was at that location. And the poor neighbors that live next to the JCC (oh wait, there are no people living next to the JCC). But that will not stop the whining. I wonder if we would hear the same number of complaints if it was a Christian-related building

Posted by shameful councilmembers, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Sep 8, 2012 at 12:57 pm

love the JCC--are you saying the the constant bashing of the JCC may have to do with the fact that it is a jewish run place? Do you have any proof? Just because a number of years ago the mayor did an abrupt about face and opposed the establishment of the eruv in town in the face of an outcry by anti-semites??? Not sure that most people in the city are like her.

Posted by Anymouse, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 8, 2012 at 2:09 pm

@Love the JCC

Um, it is an UGLY building, PERIOD. I haven't been inside, I recieved from the JCC many invitations to their gym, when they opened. I just could not bear to look at that drab building. No, I'm not Jewish, (in case you wondered), but I'd really like a good deli in or around the Peninsula. And, NO, Max's doesn't compare to SoCal or NY delis.