September 27, 2012

Dear Safeway Neighbors and Others:

We are almost there. The construction fencing is down, the parking meters are restored, the last of the landscaping is going in, and inside the store the shelves are being stocked. With just over a week to go, Safeway employees and the construction crews are working long hours to get this store ready for business.

The hiring has been completed and new employees are receiving training in the store this week. We are fortunate to welcome Kimberly as the new store manager. She is a veteran manager who is moving over to Berkeley from Martinez. She is excited to be in a "new" store, and looks forward to meeting the Henry and Vine Street neighbors.

This final week before re-opening will see the completion of landscaping on Henry St., including at the southwest corner and in the space along the southern wall of the store. Crews are still painting and stucco'ing exterior walls, exterior lighting is being finalized, trellis work wraps up, and landscaping will be completed in the next seven days.

I am posting pictures of inside and outside the store on the website at www.safewayonshattuck.com . The store will be open to the public after 8am on Friday, October 5th. After that, store hours will be 6am to midnight every day. While the driveways are currently open, there is still a lot of construction activity in the parking lot and garage so please wait until next Friday before you drive onto the site.

While this project was technically a remodel, nearly everything in the store is brand new except for the roof and a few walls. We hope you will enjoy both the inside shopping experience and outside benches and eating areas as an enhancement to the whole North Shattuck neighborhood and shopping district.

I hope you have found these updates useful. Please continue to let me know if you have concerns or questions about this store or others.

Sincerely,

Elisabeth Jewel

Consultant to Safeway

September 5, 2012

Hello Everyone: 

As you can see, we're in the final stretch of construction of the rebuilt store.  In the next week, the construction fencing on Shattuck will be removed and you'll be able to really get a feel for how the new store will look as you travel down Shattuck Avenue.

In the coming week, the Shattuck side will have a new sidewalk in front of the store, stucco application will be completed, and stucco will be painted.  The parking area will see concrete poured in front of the store doors, and landscaping work will continue.  Stucco painting on some sections of the front will be completed.  Landscaping at the Bank of the West parking lot near the Shattuck entrance will also begin.

Henry St neighbors will see cement pumpers out again pouring a new sidewalk for the next 4 days.  Stucco application will continue, along with stucco painting.  Scaffolding will come down in the next 10 days or so.  Landscaping of the bioswale (between the surface parking and Henry St) will begin this week or soon after.  Crews are working now in the loading dock spraying an acoustical coating that absorbs truck noise.

Garage painting has begun now that the overhead lights have been installed. Numerous groups of workers are busy in the garage finishing work in the elevators and mechanical rooms, installing bike lockers for employees, and finishing installation of the extensive IT equipment.

Inside, workers continue to set freezer and refrigeration cases, install overhead lighting, and build out the pharmacy, produce, deli and meat departments.  The floral kiosk is done (including wood pergola and tin counters).  Today I saw the bakery ovens on as equipment testing has begun.

It's hard to believe this will all come together in 30 days, but soon the Safeway merchandisers arrive and the store will begin to fill up.  The store will be open to the public the evening of October 5^th.

Check the website for pictures at http://www.safewayonshattuck.com/.  Call or write if you have any questions.  My cell is 510 914 5211.

More later, Elisabeth

August 16, 2012

Dear Safeway Neighbors and Others:

The end is near!  We are in the home stretch now of getting this store ready to re-open at the end of September.  It may look like we still have a long way to go, but hundreds of workers are on site now to meet our six week deadline.

Check out the website at www.safewayonshattuck.com where you will see pictures of what the interior of the store currently looks like.  Tile floors have been laid in the center of the store, which is now covered by freezer cases waiting for installation.  Produce cases are being set in place as workers build out the pharmacy, bakery, deli, and meat departments.  Nearly all the windows are now installed.  The new store is filled with natural light that flows through the barrel ceiling between the northern and southern walls.  Check out the beautiful skylight that floods the garage stairwell with light.

Cash registers and self check-out will be built out this coming week.  The store is getting a huge electronic upgrade with a new T1 line that will bring an enormous improvement in data handling.  Painters are still working on the ceiling and soffits, and electricians should be installing low pendant lighting fixtures in the next several weeks.

This week will see lots of progress on exterior finishes.  Henry St. neighbors will see the stucco being applied, which requires trucks and pumping.  It shouldn't be nearly as noisy as the cement trucks.  There will be traffic diversion around the trucks and some noise from the pumps.  Crews have also turned their attention to building out the garage.  That means installation of mechanical equipment and continued work on ventilation.

Exterior materials are being installed on the front of the store, including the attractive slate tiles across the front.  Tree grates will come in soon.  Landscaping comes last.

What you don't see is the planning going on away from the store.  Safeway is currently working with AC Transit to get free bus passes to all employees.  Another Safeway team is planning for the enormous task of stocking the store during a very narrow window from when the construction is done and the doors open. Safeway HR is busy hiring and training all the employees who will welcome you   that first day.  Another team is planning the opening celebration.

Please bear with us these last frantic weeks of pulling this all together before the big day.  Call or write with any questions or complaints.

Thanks for your patience, Elisabeth

Elisabeth Jewel

Safeway Community Affairs Consultant

Monday, April 30, 2012

 

Dear Neighbors and Others:

The mostly dry weather has been a welcome change, allowing crews to do their work unimpeded by rain and wind.  While you can chart their progress by watching the additions take shape, much of the work taking place now is invisible within the store and garage.

This project may look and feel like brand new construction, but technically it's a remodel.  Most of the exterior four walls will remain, along with the barrel roof structure.  That means there is extensive structural work being done to strengthen the existing walls before any build out of the interior can take place.  This is the "invisible" work that is occurring throughout the building that you may hear, but you won't see.

What you can see is walls going up on both sides of the site, and the ramp to the garage nearly complete.  The parking lot asphalt continues to be removed and ground into small pieces.  Noise for the Henry and Vine St. neighbors continues, along with the traffic controls on Henry.  This week you will see PG&E crews on Henry replacing electrical wiring on a telephone pole.  This project requires some trenching that will narrow Henry St. to one lane during construction hours over two days.

We have been working closely with neighbors to keep construction vehicles off Henry St.  Please call me if you have any concerns about that, or any other subject.  We are working as fast as we can to get this done.  We try to minimize the impact as much as possible, but we know it's not easy to live nearby.  Thank you for continued patience and understanding.

Elisabeth

Interior Progress 4-11-2012

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Henry Street Progess 4-11-2012

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Monday, March 26, 2012

 

Hello Safeway Neighbors and Others:

The store shutdown went smoothly last week.  I hope you all got lots of bargains as the shelves were emptied.  Within hours, the inside of the store was dismantled and demolition of interior walls, fixtures and structures is now proceeding quickly.  The perimeter fencing is up as the entire site is now a construction area. 

The Shattuck side will soon be fitted with a pedestrian tunnel to keep pedestrians and bicyclists safe as construction on the expansion area continues.  The beams are up, along with structural steel.  You'll see the masonry wall construction continue, along with the outside walls and roof structure.

The Henry St. side is also busy.  The southwest expansion will have its concrete slab poured this week.  Structural steel and masonry walls come next.  Henry and Vine  St. neighbors are undoubtedly getting used to traffic controls as trucks come and go during the day.  There is also activity in the garage.  Crews are constructing masonry walls for machine rooms that house refrigeration units and utility equipment.

Now that the store is closed, activity on the site will pick up.  There will be lots of workers on both sides of the site, and inside the store.  We are committed to maintaining our early September re-opening, despite the abundant March rains.

Don't forget to check the website if you want more info on how the store will look.  Go to www.safewayonshattuck.com for details, or monitor construction on the live web camera at http://oxblue.com/pro/open/safeway/691berkeley. 

And call or write to me with concerns or questions.

Thanks, Elisabeth

March 12, 2012

 

Dear Berkeley Safeway Neighbors and Others:

The BIG news this week is that the store will close this Friday, March 17^th.  While this will undoubtedly be inconvenient for many neighbors, it will allow the crews to swarm the site and finish the project as quickly as possible.  We are committed to a September re-opening, which is achievable if all the sub-contractors are allowed to get inside the store and start the demolition and rebuild at the same time the crews continue building the expansion areas.  In the meantime, we encourage you to visit the Albany Safeway which is very close by on Solano Avenue.

After the doors close on Friday, you'll see lots of activity in the parking lot as Safeway trucks remove store products, and the demolition teams remove all the shelving.  The sub-contractors will arrive next week to start the interior work.  The job site will be entirely fenced off, including the surface parking lot.

Work continues on the Henry St. expansion. You can clearly see where the new ramp leads to the underground parking.  The expanded area at the corner near Vine is also slowly taking shape.  Next week PG&E will be on site in front of 1430 Henry to run new gas lines across the street into the store.  This involves some jackhammering and trenching across Henry St. You can expect some intermittent traffic control as the crews will need to close one lane to get the job done.  This project is expected to last about 3 days.  The trench will be covered during non-work hours with metal plates.

Structural steel and overhead beams have gone up on the Shattuck side.  Safeway will be building a barrier soon between the street and the construction area to protect pedestrians during this phase.  We are currently working with the City of Berkeley on the plan for routing pedestrian traffic in this area.

The coming rain may inhibit some of the exterior progress, but the interior work can begin in earnest.  Please let me know if you have any concerns or questions.

Until next week, Elisabeth

February 23, 2012

Dear Berkeley Safeway Neighbors and Others:

There is a lot going on this week on both sides of the store.  Let's start with the Henry St. side.

Henry St. neighbors already know that the street is being trenched this week and traffic restrictions are in place during the day.  The trench carries new utility lines into the store for power, phone, and data.  There should be only very brief problems with accessing driveways during this work.  If this isn't the case, please let me know.  You will also see concrete trucks coming and going fairly frequently for the next several weeks.  The crews will be spraying Shotcrete, which is a form of concrete, that is applied with a hose.  It goes on much faster, and also sets more quickly.  Shotcrete will be used in the pit dug for the elevator on the southwest corner, as well as for the walls that will form the outside of the ramp connecting the parking lot to the underground garage.  There will also be drilling in the elevator area through next week.  Expect noise and some vibrations for the next couple of weeks.

Inside the parking structure new overhead beams are being installed.  Crews are also building a masonry wall inside to house the machine area. 

On the Shattuck side you can see the structural steel work almost completed.  The scaffolding in the front is for the construction of the new masonry walls which form the north wall of the expanded store.  Overhead beams on the Shattuck expansion go up tomorrow or Monday as perimeter walls begin construction next week.  The dry weather has been an enormous help in keeping construction on schedule. 

Thanks for your continuing patience!  It will be worth it.  I went to opening of the new Pleasant Hill store last week.  (It's adjacent to Sun Valley Mall.) If you haven't been in one of the new stores lately, you're in for a pleasant surprise.  While the Berkeley design is more urban and in tune with the North Berkeley neighborhood, I was impressed by the number and variety of choices in groceries and the overall spaciousness and feel of the inside. 

Don't be shy about asking questions about construction or details about the new store.  And, as always, please call or email me if you have any issues or complaints about noise, traffic, parking - or anything related to the store.

Have a great week, Elisabeth

February 13, 2012

Dear Neighbors and Others:

There will be several traffic interruptions coming up on Henry St. that neighbors should be aware of.  The first happens tomorrow and Wednesday with EBMUD installing a new fire hydrant on Henry near the existing driveway.  This requires some trenching in the street -- which will narrow the street to one lane.  As always, there will be two flaggers directing traffic.

Next week the street will be trenched again to bring in "dry" utilities:  data and phone lines.  Again, expect the street to go down to one lane.  I will let you know what day to expect that trenching.

The crews are continuing to build the ramp that goes between the upper parking lot and the garage.  You can see the rebar going into the trench.  The cement walls come next.  In the corner expansion area the crews have dug a well for the new elevator that will carry employees between the store and their break area.  The pad compaction continues.  Expect noise, vibration and some dust for the rest of the week. 

Steel is going up on the Shattuck side.  Walls come soon!

Questions or comments?  Call or write.  Or go to the website at www.safewayonshattuck.com.

Until next week, Elisabeth

February 3, 2012

Dear Safeway Neighbors and Others:

The crews are plodding along, still making preparations for the expanded areas at Henry/Vine and out to Shattuck.  Not much happened this week on the Shattuck side due to an off-site delay in steel fabricating.  After the steel arrives early next week, you'll see the crews with fork lifts and welding torches putting it in place.  Then you'll get a clearer picture of what the finished building will look like as the walls rise near the existing Shattuck sidewalk.

By contrast, the Henry St. side is a beehive of activity.  Just to the north of the existing garage driveway you'll see an excavated section that is being readied for concrete walls that will support the new ramp connecting the surface parking with the underground garage.  Moving down Henry toward Vine finds the final demolition of the back wall in what will be the expansion into the former empty lot behind the store.  The new shiny red water line for fire suppression is finally in place.  Once the concrete debris is removed, the Henry St. side of that corner will be compacted and the pad readied for cement.  This work will take several weeks and includes vibrations from the compaction and noise from dirt moving.

There will be on going traffic interruptions as trucks load and unload on Henry.  We are proceeding on schedule with the help of such mild weather.

Henry and Vine Street neighbors have been extremely patient and understanding.  We thank you for that and will do our best to get this project done as swiftly as possible.

You can follow our progress at  http://oxblue.com/pro/open/safeway/691berkeley  or visit  www.safewayonshattuck.com  for information/new store drawings/city documents.  We are also posting some current pictures of the construction on the website.

Until next week, Elisabeth

January 26, 2012

Hello Everyone:

Rain was welcomed enthusiastically by all last week - except our construction crew.  One thing you don't do in the rain is pour cement.  As soon as the sun returned, the cement trucks arrived and the Shattuck side pad for the expansion was poured in a day.  Structural steel is being fabricated now for erection next week.  You'll see this portion of the project really begin to take shape in the next several weeks as the walls go up near the Shattuck sidewalk.

The Henry/Vine area work that had been stalled by a problematic water main has resumed.  The remaining tree stump has been removed and what was left of the old cement planters has been demolished.  New water pipes for fire suppression are being installed now in the Henry expansion corner.  Excavation continues for the building footings, and dirt grading in that area is being done to prepare the pad for a concrete pour in the next several weeks.  Henry and Vine St. neighbors will experience intermittent noise from excavation (digging) and grading (dirt smoothing) for at least the next three weeks before the walls start going up.

Henry St. neighbors will experience occasional traffic disruptions as trucks arrive and depart with loads of dirt.  The crews are working hard to minimize your inconvenience.  Please let us know if you are having any problems accessing your driveways, getting your garbage and recycling picked up, or have any other issue or concern.  You can always talk to Greg Harp from San Jose Construction at the site if you need something right away, or call or write to me if your need is not so immediate.

Finally, the store closure date has been changed - again.  The scheduled closure is now mid-March with a grand re-opening envisioned for mid-September.

Have a good week, Elisabeth

January 13, 2012

Hello Safeway Neighbors and Others:

We'll begin this week's report on the Henry St. side with the water main for fire sprinklers still causing delays for the Henry St. expansion.  The re-routing and expansion of the water main to serve the expanded store is expected to be done this week.  Completing that work allows the crews to finally pull the tree stump and prepare the pad for the new expanded area in the southwest corner.  The dirt mound (a combined pile of excavation from both the Henry and Shattuck sides of the project) should be completely removed within a week.

Work on the Shattuck side is humming along.  The crews are still building the concrete forms for the expanded store areas that meet the street.  There will be a substantial concrete pour in the coming week when the trucks arrive to deliver the concrete for the new pad.  Workers will be on hand to make sure that shoppers can enter and exit the parking lot.

While we have experienced some delays due to the water main and other peculiarities of an old building, the balmy weather has been a lovely gift in helping keep things on schedule.  Call or write with questions, complaints, concerns, gripes, grumbling, annoyances and irritations.

See you next week, Elisabeth

December 15, 2011

Dear Neighbors and Others:

The worst is almost over.  The demolition is nearly complete and the dirt compaction will be done tomorrow.  The pad for the foundation expansion at the southwest corner is nearly complete.  The next step is excavation for the footings.  The jack hammering through the existing walls is also nearly complete.

The water main for the fire line in the expansion area is also nearly completed.  There is one remaining stump to be removed that will be dug out by hand.  Cement pouring for the building footings will happen toward the end of this month.  Construction of the walls will begin next week through January.  The trenching for the underground utilities also begins next week.  None of these activities will be nearly as loud as the demolition or dirt compaction.

Next week you can also expect some demolition of existing walls on Henry near the loading dock.  Also, by the end of the year, the old utility area to the right of the garage entry will be demolished.  Before the demo there will be some shoring of the walls in that area.  This work will take a week, at most.

The Shattuck side hasn't changed much since last week.  More trenching for utilities and preparation for the foundation and footings.

We know it's been a rough week.  We really are almost at the end of this really noisy phase.  The next construction phases will have some noise, but it won't be nearly as loud as you've experienced the last several weeks.

As always, call or write to ask questions or express your frustrations.  And check the website at http://www.safewayonshattuck.com/.  

Thanks, Elisabeth

Watch our progess here:

December 9, 2011

Dear Neighbors and Others:

Lots of news this week.  Safeway will be closing the store at the end of February in order to accelerate the construction completion.  All of the employees will be temporarily relocated, and the new store is slated to reopen in late summer of 2012.  The Solano Avenue Safeway will be open during this time.

In the short term, there will be two 3-day weekends where there will be no construction activity.  December 26^th and January 2^nd will be quiet.  That will surely be welcome news to the Henry and Vine St. neighbors.

Parking restrictions on Henry St. have been lifted.  The sewer and storm drain work has been completed and the hole in the street has been paved over.  

Activity at the Southwest Corner (Vine and Henry)

Demolition work continues on the walls at the corner of the store.  This will continue through next week.  Expect continuing noise and vibrations. In addition, ground compaction begins to prepare the foundation for the expansion.  Beginning on Monday, there will be considerable noise and vibration for at least several days.  We know this is really difficult for Henry and Vine St. neighbors.  Please secure fragile items if you are feeling vibrations at your residence.

There will be continuing traffic restrictions for intermittent truck activity.  Flag persons will direct traffic as trucks arrive and depart throughout the day.

Other Henry St. Activity

Tree and stump removal is complete.  Preparation for cement retaining wall construction begins under the existing loading dock. 

Shattuck Activity

The mountain of dirt has been flattened and compacted to prepare for the expansion foundation. Surveyors are on site to mark the locations for the footings for the new building.  Trenches have been dug to prepare for new water mains and underground utilities.

Hang in there Henry and Vine St. neighbors.  The next several weeks are going to be tough.  Please call or write if there is anything you want to know or if you just want to complain. 

Elisabeth

December 5, 2011

Hello everyone: 

Construction activity is in high gear this week and last.  Henry St. neighbors got a heavy dose of noise and vibration, along with traffic restrictions, as a result of continuing work on sewer and storm drains.  This work will continue for the next 10 days or so as the utility reconstruction is completed and the water line for fire sprinklers is re-routed.  In addition, the arborists are back, working closely with the utility subcontractor to carefully prune the tree roots around the new utilities.

Work is also continuing on the southwest corner of the site where the building expands into the space behind the store on the Vine St. side.  Once the fire sprinkler line is in place, the remaining stumps will be ground in preparation for building the new foundation in that area and for installing the footings for the new walls.  The existing walls at this corner are being demolished fairly quickly by a cruncher (the machine that looks like a dinosaur with big teeth).  The cruncher makes less noise than jack hammers.  That work should be done by mid-December.  The wet sawing of the corner panel should be finished this week.

Also on the Henry St. side, construction of the new retaining walls below the loading dock will this next week.  The crews will be installing footings and building the forms for pouring new concrete walls.

Moving over to the Shattuck side,  the crews are continuing to prepare the pad for the new foundation in the expansion area .  Footings should be installed next week, and the plumbing contractor is beginning his work to lay new pipe in this area.

We know the Henry St. neighbors are really feeling the brunt of our work at this point in the project.  The crews are working as quickly and as safely as possible to get this part of the project done.  Please continue to call or email me with your complaints, questions or concerns. 

Thanks, Elisabeth

Websites:            http://www.safewayonshattuck.com/  information/new store drawings/city documents

                            http://oxblue.com/pro/open/safeway/691berkeley       watch our progress

November 3rd

Hello Safeway Neighbors and Friends:

If you've been to the store this week, you noticed that the tree work is nearly complete. Trees that were in the footprint of the expanded store have been removed. Many of the remaining trees got a long overdue haircut. The tree removal is now done and the trimming should be finished by early next week. Next week the stumps will be ground, so expect a few noisy days. There is lots of structural work happening now which is not visible to the public. Utilities are being upgraded and relocated.

We're happy to report that the bike rack was replaced in front of the store. It was relocated from the Shattuck side which is now fenced off. The parking lot in front of the store has been challenging as we get used to sharing space with the delivery trucks. The store is open and operating at normal hours.

Check in with your questions or concerns by emailing me. Check the website for the webcam and plans/drawings of the new store atwww.safewayonshattuck.com

Elisabeth

October 26, 2011

Dear Safeway Neighbors and Others: 

Tree work continued on both Shattuck and Henry, as well as on the south side of the building in the open space behind the store.  Banners went up on the front of the store and on the Henry St. construction fence to remind shoppers the store is open and direct people to the construction website.

Two important websites: 

• 1. http://www.safewayonshattuck.com/ (Sorry I forgot to include that last week.)
• 2. http://oxblue.com/pro/open/safeway/691berkeley This is a link to the webcam mounted at Rose and Henry that allows you to monitor our progress in real time. You can use the zoom function on the lower left corner of the screen to get a closer look. The camera will record the progress of construction until completion. Go take a look.

Please contact me with questions or concerns, and use the website for access to plans, drawings, city documents and more.

Elisabeth

October 20, 2011

Dear Safeway Neighbors and Others: 

Please forgive my inaccurate predictions of when certain work will occur. I can tell you with confidence that the tree trimming has been completed since that happened this past week.  I am also reasonably certain that tree removal will occur next week along with some cement removal on the Henry St. side.  Trees will be removed on Henry St. from the garage area south toward Vine.  There will also be several trees removed in the open space south of the store behind the chain link fence.  If you can avoid driving on Henry St. between Vine and Rose, that would be advisable.

The contractor and numerous sub-contractors continue to assess the building inside and out.  This is a complicated project due to the age of the structure (1964) and the fact that some of the building will be saved and some newly expanded.  All of the building will be thoroughly modernized including mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.  Like a home remodel, you're not always sure what you're going to find when you open things up.   That makes predicting what will happen each week a little tricky, but I'll do my best.

Don't forget to check the website to see drawings and site plans if you want more detailed info.  Call or write if you have questions.

Elisabeth

Traffic Management Plan - Henry

Traffic Management Plan - Shattuck