Waking Up the Boulevard’s Past and Future
photo courtesy of Ken Carbone
Work crews prepare the building that used to house the Flying A gas station. The site will soon host a coffee shop in addition to the Olive & Finn clothing store and Canyons Barbeque
Older buildings on the Boulevard have been getting restored over the last few years. The latest is a plan to open a Philz Coffee later this summer on a site that previously was the site of a gas station, a local newspaper, and eventually a dry cleaner.
Local businessman Ken Carbone announced the addition of Philz last Wednesday during an update meeting of the Castro Valley Specific Plan. The San Francisco-based coffee chain signed a lease this month that will put them at the corner of Castro Valley Boulevard and Wilbeam Avenue, tucked in between women’s clothing retailer Olive + Finn and Canyons Barbeque.
“We look at this corner of town as a historical site that was a hidden gem that will now improve the community experience,” Carbone told the Forum. “We’re taking a forward-looking approach at Castro Valley's future, and these investments have to be made to make that happen.”
The future Philz site is historic for Castro Valley. Originally opened as L&W Automotive back in the 1940s, the site hosted a gas station called the “Flying A,” the C&H Motors dealership, and, at one point, The Daily Review newspaper offices. Years later, an additional building was constructed around the station, essentially encapsulating it. The street-facing entrance was converted into a cigarette store and dry cleaners until around 2020.
“When it came up for sale, it was concerning because if a non-Castro Valley investor had purchased it, it would have been profitable, but I doubt there would have been any changes to improve the site. We had to do something,” Carbone said.
The addition of a coffee house at the intersection is strategic, Carbone said, because residents could enjoy a hot cup of joe in the morning, then see the focus shift to the other parts of the corner in the afternoon and evening. In the future, Carbone said he would like the second paseo between Olive + Finn and the Joyful House restaurant to be developed into a meeting space similar to the one next to the Castro Valley Marketplace to the west.
The Wilbeam project is just the latest in a series of incremental improvements to the Boulevard in the central business section. The Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) recently approved plans for façade renovations of the building just west of the Castro Valley Marketplace, including new awnings and stylized signage.
The façade improvement program provided by the county’s Community Development Agency (CDA) also includes improved signage to Koyomi Japanese Cuisine and the opening of Crossroads Specialty Foods and the Wicked Gardens and Plant Studio along the Boulevard.
“I’m excited about the improvements that are bringing our community together, especially after a pandemic,” Castro Valley realtor Janella Anguiano told the Forum. “It will be a really cool place to hang out right there on the Boulevard.”
Future developments along the boulevard are also being discussed. The CDA is holding a series of informational and public input events in the next 12 months to draft a “Business District Specific Plan.” The plan outlines opportunities for change in four specific zones: the Medical Center area on Lake Chabot Road, Castro Village, and the Boulevard, the BART Transit Village, and the Rite Aid parcel to the east.
The next CDA meeting will be in June to update the public on existing business conditions, with another community workshop scheduled for this summer.
To see more maps and the meeting schedule, visit the plan’s website (cvgpimplementation.com).