News

VIDEO: And the walls come tumbling down...

Old California Craft and Floral building to make way for new offices

The long-abandoned California Craft and Floral building on Alma Street, near Forest Avenue, is abandoned no longer. This week, a major portion of the dilapidated building at 657 Alma St., was reduced to rubble by a construction crew from Redwood City-based W. F. Butler Construction, Inc.

The company is demolishing the gray structure to make way for a new, two-story office building, which would house about 10 offices, according to Michael V. Butner, the company's superintendent.

Butner said his company would build the foundation for the new office building, including bathrooms, a lobby and an elevator, while the actual offices would be constructed later. The project is expected to take about 10 months to complete.

The new building will also come with a new address: 101 Forest Ave.

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Gennady Sheyner
 
Gennady Sheyner covers the City Hall beat in Palo Alto as well as regional politics, with a special focus on housing and transportation. Before joining the Palo Alto Weekly/PaloAltoOnline.com in 2008, he covered breaking news and local politics for the Waterbury Republican-American, a daily newspaper in Connecticut. Read more >>

Follow Palo Alto Online and the Palo Alto Weekly on Twitter @paloaltoweekly, Facebook and on Instagram @paloaltoonline for breaking news, local events, photos, videos and more.

VIDEO: And the walls come tumbling down...

Old California Craft and Floral building to make way for new offices

Uploaded: Tue, Apr 28, 2009, 4:32 pm

The long-abandoned California Craft and Floral building on Alma Street, near Forest Avenue, is abandoned no longer. This week, a major portion of the dilapidated building at 657 Alma St., was reduced to rubble by a construction crew from Redwood City-based W. F. Butler Construction, Inc.

The company is demolishing the gray structure to make way for a new, two-story office building, which would house about 10 offices, according to Michael V. Butner, the company's superintendent.

Butner said his company would build the foundation for the new office building, including bathrooms, a lobby and an elevator, while the actual offices would be constructed later. The project is expected to take about 10 months to complete.

The new building will also come with a new address: 101 Forest Ave.

Gennady Sheyner

Comments

ChrisK
Southgate
on Apr 28, 2009 at 7:06 pm
ChrisK, Southgate
on Apr 28, 2009 at 7:06 pm

So ... what changed that caused this eyesore to finally come down?


bike commuter
Ventura
on Apr 28, 2009 at 9:46 pm
bike commuter, Ventura
on Apr 28, 2009 at 9:46 pm

I remember shopping there in the mid-80's and then it closed before the big quake in '89. 20 years is a long time to rebuild. Who owns it?


Amy
Old Palo Alto
on Apr 28, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Amy, Old Palo Alto
on Apr 28, 2009 at 9:47 pm

Nice job on the video Tyler.


Smells like a rat
Crescent Park
on Apr 30, 2009 at 8:41 am
Smells like a rat, Crescent Park
on Apr 30, 2009 at 8:41 am

I ran by that place last night, after it was knocked down. The smell of rat excrement was overpowering. There must have been legions of rats living in there. Whoever owned it didn't care much about it.


Gennady Sheyner
Downtown North
on Apr 30, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Gennady Sheyner, Downtown North
on Apr 30, 2009 at 2:59 pm

Bike Commuter,

I was told by the construction superintendent that the building is owned by Steven Dwyer.

Cheers,

Gennady


Jim H.
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 30, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Jim H., Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 30, 2009 at 10:08 pm

Wonder if the city will make them build housing for any of THOSE workers. Or is that only Stanford?


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