After stepping over the pigeon droppings at the end of the Rite Aid (what a poetic name...it absolutely flows off of the tongue)store, I wandered down to Wolf Photo to have a look at some equipment. No more Wolf Photo. They've moved to the new Bernal location leaving another hole in the wall next to the defunct Lucky Store. Can't blame them, but the old center is looking more and more like a ghost town. Can Round Table, the video store and card shop survive? Not real likely. As for the bank, I suspect that Bank of the West might stay where they are because of IBM, but what's happening to that fine facility? Rumors of closings are rampant, but usually are.
My wife noticed a fairly substantial congregation of younger people and their vehicles in the darkened parking lot a couple of weeks ago and commented that this could well become a gathering place. Not that our kids are a problem at this time - and they ARE our kids, yours and mine - but there is a potential for problems. Just something to be aware of. Has anyone verified the fact that Lucky has some sort of a non-competitive clause in their contract for the property - meaning that the store site could remain empty for years? Of course, a storefront church could move in and effectively remove the property from the tax roles. (But that's another issue altogether.)
Perhaps it's time to plow the interesection under for housing of some sort. We lived here on Burning Tree when South San Jose was really out in the "boonies" and were glad to see the center built...but that was a long time ago. Is it time for a change?
Any thoughts?
Will Brecheen