Prime real estate. Would be nice to have shops that draw people downtown, or homes that help the supply shortage. Plus, both of those would actually pay taxes and help Mountain View.

St. Joseph is also a wonderful parish with a very diverse community, so I hope this helps them continue their mission in our city. The parish school has been operating successfully for 50 years or more and it's nice having a few churches in our downtown area.

Four stories at Church and Castro? That's far high. Two stories maximum and two SUV-sized underground parking spaces for each townhouse. And, just as importantly, will any of that "abundant" parking be public parking, which is in very short supply? It's high time that Old Mountain View residents say "No Mas!" to our City Planning Commission's and our City Council's insanely grandiose plans to turn Mountain View into a high rise urban ghetto.

I hope the developer will improve the street scape on both sides of the church. Remove the awful asphalt under the trees in the park strip and add new planting all around.

"Plus, both of those would actually pay taxes and help Mountain View."
Will they? Or will the church property tax exemptions be extended to these housing and office developments?

Another office building? Will there be retail/services on street level? Will there be setbacks with some public space (similar to Fenwick & West building). I hope the new building does not tower over the church but I fear it will. That would be unfortunate. Saint Joseph's is a historic building and should be treated as such. Probably the oldest building in Mountain View. I suppose we should be happy that they are not going to bulldoze it like much of the rest of Mountain View. Nothing is sacred anymore (no pun intended) and I mean that in a secular way.

As part of the deal they should have the developer include funding to maintain Saint Joseph's historic pipe organ, built by the world famous Murray M. Harris Company, who also build the original pipe organs at Stanford Memorial Church. Love it when they pull out all the stops! I am sure many Mountain View residents have no idea we have such a beautiful historic instrument in the middle of downtown! Web Link

Actually it's the church that owns the property. If they are concerned about the church on the property, they can communicate that concern to the developer they handpicked.

From the top parking level of the Kaiser-Permanente facility I was surprised to see that the new 4 story building on Church and Castro does not even come to the top of the roof of the church (let alone the tower). The picture with the article seems to be taken from between cars parked in the church's lot, so the tower is hidden.
I hope the architect can preserve some of the "church" view when looking down Church Street from Castro.

Don't take away the parking, make sure there's setbacks, don't obsure views to the church, four stories is too high, make it all condos...no wonder nothing gets built here!

"Four stories at Church and Castro? That's far high."

The four story building on the opposite side of Church Street along Castro is just being completed.

And the buildings on the opposite side of Castro from those are four and five stories.

I hope the proceeds allow them to continue, if not grow their good work in the community

I'm personally very excited to see this development. I'm curious, does this plan touch the Kaiser building at 565 Castro? Is that property in active use? It looks very run-down and I've never seen anyone go in or out.

The Pope recently said that taxes should be paid on any Church property that is not being used for the poor or for religious purposes should pay property taxes. Will this new building be paying full property taxes?

Web Link