More over priced high density apartments? How luxurious can it be, if your windows face out to Starbucks, Chipotle, and soon to be Panera?

It was purchased in January 2012 (nearly 16 months ago), and the fire department used it for training exercises about eight months ago. So what's the hold up in tearing it down? I'm surprised it took this long for someone to light a match to it.

@Jose: First, Mountain View is still way short on housing. Second, those ammenities across the street sound pretty good to me :-)

@Betty: I agree on the time, but to be honest, everything around here takes forever to be built, mainly due to permits, envirionmental reviews, nimbys, and other hold ups. If you look around there are a LOT of properties on El Camino in limbo. What about the former foster freeze/dairy bell (can't remember which) that is STILL abandoned over there after years and years.

I do miss the good old days when the Dead would play at Shoreline and all the hippies would stay at the Tropicana.

@Ron

"First, Mountain View is still way short on housing."

Uhhh...ok...so how will building more housing address the shortage? You can build 5,000 new apartment units and still be 'short' on housing. It just creates traffic issues, increases crime statistics and makes the place less livable. If you want to live in a crappy, high-density apartment across the street from fast food, then please move!

"I agree on the time, but to be honest, everything around here takes forever to be built, mainly due to permits, envirionmental[sic] reviews, nimbys, and other hold ups. "

Oh, gee.. It's absolutely terrible that builders have to spend extra money to make their work safe for residents. They should be allowed to buy a lot and next day throw up something that will fall down at the first tremor... Also, they have to put something that fits within the neighborhood...they can't just put up a 10 story grey slab of concrete to maximize profit. How terrible!

@Jose: I live in the neighborhood across El Camino. Across the street from the Tropicana project at 1581 ECR they are building 26 units for developmentally disabled individuals. So not all high end housing. The new Panera is welcome in our neighborhood. And we have the best Starbucks in the area. Check out this link for more info on new projects.

Web Link