”
Strengthening downtown as the gathering place, a connecting
force, the social and activity heart of Morgan Hill, is the
overriding aspiration of (the Downtown Specific Plan)
– a place where residents from all segments of the community can
live, work, meet, shop, dine and participate in public
celebrations, and share in the richness of Morgan Hill’s community
life. It will be a place like nowhere else – a place with its own
scale, character and uses.
”
That is a quote from the Downtown Specific Plan, adopted by the
city council in 2009. And, it’s a perfect description of what our
downtown should strive for.
“Strengthening downtown as the gathering place, a connecting force, the social and activity heart of Morgan Hill, is the overriding aspiration of (the Downtown Specific Plan) – a place where residents from all segments of the community can live, work, meet, shop, dine and participate in public celebrations, and share in the richness of Morgan Hill’s community life. It will be a place like nowhere else – a place with its own scale, character and uses.” That is a quote from the Downtown Specific Plan, adopted by the city council in 2009.
And, it’s a perfect description of what our downtown should strive for. But the overall effort to revitalize downtown has been going on much longer, and it’s time to get the ball rolling.
After a year-long unsuccessful negotiation with Barry Swenson Builder, the city has begun exclusive negotiating with two other developers in the hopes of kick-starting downtown redevelopment.
Santa Ana-based City Ventures will talk with city staff about purchasing and developing two downtown sites – the Royal Clothiers building on the 17300 block of Monterey Road, and the “Depot Center” property housing BookSmart and other businesses at the corner of Depot and Third streets.
And Stephen R. Pace, of Lonestar Development, will negotiate a possible purchase and development agreement of the former site of Simple Liquors at the corner of Monterey and Third streets.
Two of the properties – Simple Liquors and Royal Clothiers – were purchased by the redevelopment agency in 2008, and transferred to the EDC when the nonprofit corporation controlled by the city was created earlier this year.
City Ventures has proposed building a 10,000-square-foot, multi-screen cinema on the Royal Clothiers site – a specific goal identified in the city’s downtown plan.
On the Depot Center site, City Ventures has proposed building a multi-level structure with at least 25 residential units and 6,000 square feet of retail space. Lonestar Development, based in Santa Clara County, has proposed building a mixed-use, multi-story retail and office building on the former site of Simple Liquors, city staff said.
Could those projects have been completed years ago? After decades of meetings, studies and plans seeking perfection for downtown, have we squandered opportunities?
Let’s fast-track the process, get the plans approved and shovels in the ground for these projects. Once completed, they’ll jumpstart the remaining projects, just as the Third Street Promenade has done and will continue to do.
