Old Mervyns’ Site in Hayward Eyed for Multi-Family Project

By Alex Girda, Associate Editor

A long-vacant department store in Hayward is on the radar of a developer that wants to transform its site into an upscale residential property, but the plan could be in for some choppy sailing. Closed since 2008, the 335,000-square-foot Mervyns on Foothill Blvd. would be demolished to make way for a $150 million, 570-unit multi-family project with 10,000 square feet of retail, MercuryNews.com reported..

Newport Beach-based Integral Communities would retain a parking structure on the site and develop the residential properrty around it. An Integral executive told Bay Area News Group that the company hopes the city will hold hearings on the project this summer. Twelve to 18 months later, Integral would start a year of construction on the project.

However, Integral’s plan faces some powerful critics. Hayward Mayor Michael Sweeney told MercuryNews.com that the parcel is a “prime retail and commercial site.” Although Integral contends that the project would benefit the area’s current retail tenants, Sweeney advocates additional stores on the Mervyns site to enhance the surrounding area’s offerings. Opponents also cite concerns about traffic and the proposed complex’s number of units, which they say would diminish the property’s upscale character.

Image courtesy of user  Mercurywoodrose via Wikimedia Commons