I also liked his idea about having a big Gym there. Maybe a discount community Gym because all the ones around me are really overpriced for what you get.

And Joel- I can’t imagine Emeryville being signifigantly better than anything else. I specifically choose NOT to go to Emeryville because of that nightmare of an interchange on those five lanes of freeway that you have to cut across to get to the exit, the insane parking garage where if you’re lucky your car won’t get broken into, and the crappy selection of eateries like Fudruckers, PF Changs, and whatever other sticky and sweet Americanized eateries happens to be there. Oh- they DO have a Williams and Sonoma and Banana Republic, but that’s really about it and I’m not about to spend $150 on a sauce pan. But… different strokes for different folks.

I can walk to the Alameda center, which is reason enough not to want to leave to go anywhere on weekends not to mention that gas prices are getting to make trips just for shopping purposes more carefully planned.

I have to add that it could also be a news outlet - an internet cafe as well as standard newspapers. It would also be fitting if it were a “BOX” stop -if ‘Bay area Organic Express’ is still around - (just checked –they ‘re gone, or now “spud”, more of an on-line food store w/ weekly delivery, I kinda liked the original style for several reasons) maybe ‘Ploughshares’ should set up an “Island OX”.

Needless to say this ‘old Safeway’ location could have much safer bike & pedestrian access via Willow.

What else should belong in a community center to draw families year-round, putting them in convenient proximity to so many other retailers?

So for me, improving the parking, as Joel suggested, is more vital than the artwork. Art is nice, but safety should come first. I discredit the PB for allowing Harsch to piecemeal this series of projects without first presenting the entire plan, and most importantly, I blame PB for allowing safety to be tossed to the back seat of the economic force driving the expansion. Because of the lack of organized traffic patterns and the lack of safe bicycle and pedestrian approach, I would prefer not to have my kids riding bikes there, so I can’t set that example either. Too bad the city doesn’t track how many pedestrian/vehicle accidents have occurred since this expansion was allowed.

If you think the linked image in #33 is funny - you should go back and read the local papers from those days, especially the stories regarding the “new” major developments. The sitting CC who swung the vote for this shopping center and the Otis development was also on the board of the local bank handling the loans for the project.

It was then that Gov Edmond Brown nixed the “Southern Crossing”, the trans-bay bridge local developers wanted to land in Alameda with an exit for South Shore Shopping Senter. That’s why South Shore never matured into the regional mall as expected at the time of design. I think the Harsch perception is that Alameda has always been a working class island and only will use ho-hum discount stores. Now we have even more ho-hum in a fancier package. Is it worth the investment? Thanks for the art.

Another idea for the old Safeway would be an activity center – part climbing gym, educational tutoring (like ‘SCORE”, or AUSD-based), digital film making classes with ‘rental’ equipment and something always being projected on walls, a Peet’s outlet, dog washing, childcare, and regular farmer’s markets, all evolving together under 1 roof would help make the mall more of a ‘community center’.

I am eagerly anticipating the opening of Borders and Zeytini Restaurant and Bar. (I once had an amazing meal at a restaurant called ‘Zeytini’ in Istanbul; hope, hope, hope that this ‘Zeytini’ has Turkish roots…

Thanks for your post about ATC. Mostly what you’ve heard in response to your post is on the negative side. I want to thank you for the new design because I like what you’ve done to the south shore shopping center. The stores will come and go depending on factors that are mostly outside the control of we who post here. My wife loves Mervyns but, I guess it’s slated to go. That’s fine, she’ll find another. But more importantly the stroll through the Centre in enjoyable where before it was merely getting from one bland storefront to another.

Keep up the good work!