As I noted at the end of last week’s post, this week I indeed spent some time across the freeway, checking on how the demolition of the old Century Park 12 Theatres building was going. Unfortunately the crews weren’t actually working when I was there, and although it appeared that they had made some progress since last week, it wasn’t substantial. Still, the building is continuing to come down:

Since there wasn’t any actual activity to watch, I instead walked onto Inner Bair Island and looked at the project from the rear. There isn’t much going on back there, but I at least was able to get some pictures for posterity. I’ll check in again next week…

The big news this week came about when my wife and I drove down El Camino Real towards Menlo Park. As we passed the Five Points Center (just north of Woodside Road), we caught a flash of orange on the former Bed, Bath and Beyond store. Thinking that perhaps it was simply being transformed temporarily into a Spirit Halloween store, I didn’t think much of it. However, I paid more attention as we returned to Redwood City, and was surprised to see that no, in fact it is becoming the new home of AutoZone, which you may know currently operates out of this stand-alone building at 901 El Camino Real:

What makes this move so interesting? Well, one of the large Gatekeeper Process projects is intended for this site (the entire block, in fact; it would also replace the old Yumi Yogurt shop and the taqueria on the corner of El Camino Real and James Avenue). Although the 901 El Camino Real/920 Shasta project has yet to be approved by the city, it did go before the Architectural Advisory Committee back in May. Ultimately it’ll need to gain approval from the Planning Commission, but the project has yet to be put on one of that commission’s agendas. In any case, I’m guessing that AutoZone is planning ahead and moving on their own terms, rather than wait for the developer to get project approval and then force both AutoZone and the taqueria to move.

The 901 El Camino Real/920 Shasta project is, as the name kind-of implies, a two-part project. The larger part would be a six-story, 305,000-square-foot office building with space for a teen center and a small public plaza on the side away from El Camino. Over on Shasta Street, at the corner of Shasta and Buckeye, the existing SecurePro self-storage business would be replaced by a five-story, 100-unit apartment building in which 99 of the units will be made affordable at some level (the remaining apartment would be for the building’s manager). The apartment building is currently planned to look like this:

Few of us ever travel along Shasta or Buckeye streets, and likely wouldn’t see this particular building (except while driving along nearby Woodside Road, I suppose). The office building planned for the corner of El Camino Real and James Avenue, on the other hand, is in a very prominent spot. Unless significant changes need to be made in order for the project to gain city approval, it should look a lot like this:

In any case, the fact that the project has yet to be reviewed by the Planning Commission means that nothing will be happening on this site for some time, other than AutoZone moving. And as for that, here is where they are going:

Oh, and if you are looking for Spirit Halloween, you’ll find it in Sequoia Station, in the empty space previously occupied by Old Navy:

In other news, the construction of the replacement McDonalds restaurant on Woodside Road is coming along nicely. The building’s exterior looks nearly complete:

By peeking over the fence I was able to get a glimpse of the work going on inside:

And of course a lot of work is being done to create the two-lane drive-thru, which is a key feature of this particular restaurant:

For the McDonalds fans among you, it shouldn’t be long now…

Finally, I don’t know how long they’ve been there, but as I passed 1802 El Camino Real earlier this week I realized that the building that has been empty for a while now has quietly been occupied by Swing Central Golf Club (they don’t have much in the way of signage, at least not yet).

Apparently they have golfing simulators that let you practice your swing without having to go to a driving range or golf course. And they’ve applied for a liquor license, so apparently you’ll be able to do more than golf there. So for those of us who enjoy swinging a club from time-to-time (or taking our kids to do so), you might want to check them out.

Really finally, before I close, I should note that Maizz — in the old Signarama building on El Camino Real between Broadway and Winklebleck Street — opens tomorrow (October 12). By next week I hope to have tried them and will report back. Based on their menu, though, if you like Elotes (Mexican corn), you’ll like this place.

Next Saturday, October 19, from 12 – 3 p.m. the city will be hosting its Halloween Spooktacular at the Red Morton Community Center (1120 Roosevelt Ave.). This event is for kids aged 1 – 10 years old (two parents or guardians can accompany each child for no extra cost). Tickets are $10 either in advance or at the door. The event is slated to include “some Cool Carnival Games, Muah-ah-ah Monster Maze, Creepy Crafts, Spooky Photo Back Drops, Mini Pumpkin Patch, Prizes & FUN!” For more information, and a link to purchase advance tickets, go here.