Just a few portions of the walls are all that stood of the Downtown Mall in Morgan Hill the morning of Oct. 7.
Crews were busy operating cranes and other heavy machinery, demolishing the structure after owner Frank Leal spent the last several weeks saving what materials he could from the interior and facade. Leal, the owner of Leal Vineyards in Hollister and Willow Heights Mansion in Morgan Hill—among other hospitality service properties—plans to reuse some of the old building’s materials in the new Granada Hotel that he plans to build on the Downtown Mall site, and other properties he is currently in the process of renovating or rebuilding.
The four-story Granada Hotel—to be built where the vacant Downtown Mall currently sits—will consist of a steakhouse, floral shop, market hall and lobby with a wine bar on the first floor. The second floor will house conference and banquet space, a pool and spa. The third and fourth floor will each house 30 guest rooms.
Shops on the first floor will also complement Leal’s existing hospitality enterprises. These include his first venture, Leal Vineyards in Hollister, as well as Willow Heights Mansion in west Morgan Hill. These sites are popular event venues, especially for weddings and nonprofit events.
Leal is also in the process of renovating the Granada Theater, just next door to the Downtown Mall, as a versatile event venue.
The demolition and construction are a major part of the city’s and the development community’s effort to revitalize downtown Morgan Hill with new destinations for visitors and residents, as well as improved infrastructure.
