The building that once housed Simple Beverages liquor store, and has sat vacant for the last six-plus years on the corner of Third Street and Monterey was reduced to a pile of rubble Thursday afternoon.
Developers Ken Rodrigues and Don Imwalle, who purchased the property from a post-Redevelopment trust fund last year, plan to build two new buildings housing four restaurants with a strong emphasis on outdoor patio dining.
The restaurants coming to the downtown site—which has been cited as one of the most important properties for the future of the neighborhood—are owned by The Opa! Group, and include Opa, a Greek restaurant; Mo’s…the Breakfast & Burger Joint; Willard Hicks (steaks and American food); and Tac-Oh. The restaurants have other locations in the South Bay. Three of the four restaurants (excluding Tac-Oh) are located in downtown Campbell in a project similar to that proposed in Morgan Hill.
Rodrigues said construction of the two buildings will take about 10 months, and outfitting the new restaurants will take another two months. He said he plans to be able to open all four restaurants simultaneously by Aug. 1, 2017.
At least one resident is upset that a mature coast redwood tree located in the middle of the parking area in front of the former liquor store building is tagged for removal. Scribbled in red magic-marker ink on the notice for removal, which was taped to the tree April 29, is the message, “Trees are our protectors” and “Move the concrete.” There is also a yellow ribbon tied around the tree, and another sheet of paper with the handwritten message, “Help save this tree.”
When asked about the informal protest, Rodrigues replied, “Unfortunately, that’s not going to be possible” to leave the tree standing. “We looked really hard at it. Every tree is important to me as an architect. This one was right in the middle of the (proposed) patio and the main walkway coming from the garage.”
The new Downtown Garage is located behind the property, and includes a pedestrian walkway leading directly into Opa! Group project.
The city’s municipal code has a detailed process for the removal of “significant” trees on public and private property. Anyone seeking to remove such a tree or trees requires a permit, which can be gained only after the proposed removal has been posted and the public has been given a chance to formally comment.
The Morgan Hill Redevelopment Agency purchased the .45-acre property for about $1.9 million in 2009, and since then City Hall has planned to work with a private developer to build a mixed-use or retail/dining project that will attract more visitors and sales to downtown. The state of California closed the RDA in 2012, and ultimately sold the Third Street property to Rodrigues/Imwalle for $525,000 in 2015.
The parking lot located on the property is fenced off during construction and permanently closed to public vehicles. Customers for the new restaurants will be urged to park in the new garage.
