Great to hear the opening is close. I wonder what type of place will the area "- they can take full advantage of a landscaped, tree-surrounded courtyard behind the building, with tables and chairs for reading and relaxing" be? Is it part of the grocery store? or some other place for people to hang out?

Also, thought Yelp was going to move in, now there is no mention of them. Change of plans?

"public won't have access to the rooftop garden " - Great, we can feel good about the rooftop garden while we sit in the traffic caused by the 45,572 square feet of office space. But no worries, Palo Alto got 8 affordable housing units. But as long as it is "transit-oriented" we should love it, right?

I hope the grocery store accepts Cal-Fresh EBT for those families who live there and around Palo Alto and need a healthy well of food choices to draw from.

Exclusive roof-top garden only for business's to enjoy not low-income family residents????

Yelp changed its plans back in January.

We are eagerly waiting for this center to open and the market to serve our needs in college terrace.

regards

Surprising that this article doesn't mention an important distinction: This is the certainly the ugliest building in Palo Alto - it might be the ugliest in all of CA. My children (yes, even children) thought the name of the construction company was an apt description of the design: BLECH!

Its great that with subsidies the city was able to keep the "small market viable". Now how about a plan to keep the retail stores on California Ave viable. An improved parking plan to provide more "short term parking" for retail customers would help.
Thus far the renovation of California Ave has been a boom to the restaurant business by allowing more tables but the retail businesses have had no relief. Many retail shoppers can only shop during their extended lunch hour and parking is difficult to find where 2hr, 3hr and permit parking are given preference.

I just wonder if they had an architectural "committee" or changed architects mid-stream because the new buildings represent so many different styles of architecture. Wondering what the "back story is" since originally it was supposed to be occupied by YELP and then that dissipated. My curious gene has emerged. Thanks

Something wrong about an article singing the praises of a wonderful rooftop garden that none of us will likely see.

Really nice perk for the office workers.

My sympathies to the people who live nearby who cannot avoid seeing that garish screaming tasteless color. The building is awful, at least it should be painted a quiet color.
Those of us who drive by can avert our eyes.
It seems good taste is an outdated concept.

Please repaint the outside, the golden color hurts my eyes.

People sure like to crab about things. Architecture is bad, color is bad, grocery store is questioned, rooftop garden isn't for public, traffic generation. And that's just in the first couple of hours of comments.

This is the 2nd ugliest building in Palo Alto. The first being the corner of Alma and Homer. I still can't believe that this passed the architectural review board. This in now way blends in or add any quality to the beautiful of Palo Alto. It looks like something from a strip mall in a new suburan development. Eye sore. At least please change the colors. please.

I live in College Terrace. I must say that I like the look of the new place. Uplifting and bright (not depressing). Garden on top. Outdoor veggies. And it got rid of that messy block that was there, before.

Thank you to the new owners and Blach Construction!

@2nd ugliest building -no way, this is way uglier! Both the awful color, and the cheap construction.

This building is an incredible eyesore - how did this travesty get through the Palo Alto process. Once again City leaders are asleep at the switch. Does anyone think this building represents the character of Palo Alto? When are we going to get some sort of design parameters for El Camino so that it has a somewhat consistent look and feel, instead of a hodge-podge of disjointed ugly buildings. What a horrible design!

Actually, City Hall is the ugliest building in Palo Alto. But we'll never be able to get rid of it.

I chuckle at the nominations for the Ugliest Building. Apparently those nomiating haven't seen the Ken Hayes debacle on El Camino at the north end of El Camino way.

Looking toward the building from Cambridge the first thought that came to mind were what a hulk.. My second thought is that's what I'm going to call it. The Hulk. I am told First Republic is going to be the tenant and they want to repaint it their colors.

Hope they have an open house for the neighborhood so we can have a look at the roof garden.

The public plaza is behind the grocery store on the corner of Staunton and Oxford.

We are excited to see the project come to fruition and looking forward to the new market. The development includes public outdoor space on the corner of Staunton and Oxford. Is it normal for office buildings to allow the public to freely enter a building to lounge, let alone on a roof? Would any of us want the public passing freely through our office space?

Wow! This is an excellent improvement for the previously tired and run down block.

It will be great to have a grocery store again. The rooftop garden sounds delightful -- natural insulation while providing butterfly and hummingbird habitat. I'm glad there will be a garden, even if I never get to see it. As for the design -- it seems a bad joke. And people complain about the "brutalist" building nearby!

Strangely enough, as I read the article I assumed that the rooftop garden was going to be adjoining a restaurant or something. I was actually looking forward to a visit to the restaurant to check it out. We don't have many rooftop restaurants on the Peninsula (if any) so I thought it was a great idea. Then when I read it was only for office workers, I was disappointed.

Just my perspective on the article.

This is a hideous project - and the color clashes
terribly with the Shell station next to it compounding the visual assault. This is so out of
context with its surroundings - in that sense
like the Cheesecake Factory on University Ave
also approved by the ARB. When you drive around
Palo Alto it looks like a city that has no design
review, no land use planning, no zoning control-
just more signs and more paint all over the streets
is what we get from our city government.

Yes I nominate this building as the Ugliest Building based on design & color in Palo Alto! It's spin-off from the cheap "tacobell" houses.....reminds me of something you'd see central valley area.

Palo Alto Online: I think the comments above are super interesting (to some of us, more interesting than a private roof garden). Why not write an article about this and broaden the discussion?

PS And yes, I agree with those commenters who find this design and color to be atrocious

This building is a major improvement to what was there. People who have the time to comment predominantly are from the "complain segment" of our town. First is steel and glass, now it is the color and roof tops that are not accessible to all. I am looking forward to visit the market daily, because I can walk to it. Change can be good!

If you don't like this result, speak out now on the mammoth Mike's Bikes redevelopment proposal. Let's hope Miki's (II) can make it. If not, it's three strikes and you're out for small grocery stores in Palo Alto. Either that or we blame the pimiento paint color, but never our own failure to frequent the business! I look forward to trying it out.

I too was shocked by how ugly the color of the building was. I think the clocktower is a replica of one above a Safeway I've seen before. Through the rumor mill I've heard they are repainting it so it may improve! Stay tuned.

How nice that there is a rooftop garden. Unfortunately it is open to only office workers. It should be open to the public, at least those nearby (Barron Park and College Terrace).
I hope the new market will have a good meat counter. When JJ&F closed we lost one. Each neighborhood should have a good meat counter with butchers present so that they can cut a smaller piece if needed and the ground meat and sausage done on premises.
JJ&F family knew the business and ran an excellent shop until the landlord refused to repair the roof.

In one breath, this project is very exciting and positive for the the community. In a second breath, it's sad that the article spins the project facts to cause backlash from the community. Are we that uneducated that we can't read between the lines? In a third breath, the negative community comments only validate that a Palo Altans behavior is no different than an entitled millenial. Show some class people!

"It will be great to have a grocery store again."

That's what we Edgewood neighbors have been thinking for almost a decade. We hope you have better luck over there. In the meantime, keep some grains of salt handy, to take with any promises you might get.

Reliable sources say that the outside paint is not permanent yellow.

Can we start with our expertise and Name that Paint contest?

Stanford colors
Town and Country colors
Blue?
Red?
Black?
White?

respectfully

Greystone Property Development is not the owner, they are a financing firm. Shoddy reporting here.