Week in Review: 'World's Fastest Bike' For Sale; What Can We Do With the Daughtrey Building?

Here’s a brief look at the three most-read stories on Castro Valley Patch this week:

Serious cyclists gathered at Eden Bicycles in Castro Valley last week for the unveiling of what its makers are calling the "world's fastest bicycle" -- the Propel Advanced SL. This 14.2 pound machine, easily lifted in one hand, is designed and built by Giant, a Taiwanese firm that is one of the big three bicycle brands. Eden owners Chris and Erin Padavana held the reception to show off some of the first of these new bikes to go on sale in the United States. The new bicycles sell for about $6,000 to about $10,000.

TJ MAXX Coming To Castro Valley?

Castro Valley could soon be home to a TJ MAXX. On Monday the Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) recommended in favor of a developer's proposal to put a 25,000-square-foot store behind the Castro Village shopping center at Jamison Way and Redwood Road. TJ MAXX is known for selling brand name clothes at discount prices. According to the MAC agenda the developer will have to demolish three small residences and a manual car wash, located at 3543, 3577, 3579, and 3597 Jamison Way respectively, to clear space for the project. County planners, however, say they'll take a look at residents' concerns about traffic and other issues before moving forward.

Could Castro Valley Turn The Daughtrey Building Into A Market?

A new Facebook page aims to find and organize community members interested in buying the Daughtrey building on Castro Valley Boulevard and turning it into a community market. Daughtrey's opened as a department store in 1948 and closed more than 20 years ago. The 30,000 square foot eyesore was purchased by the Alameda County Redevelopment Agency in 2010 for $2.8 million. But the state has abolished redevelopment agencies and the future of the property is even more clouded now that the county lacks the tax-funding powers that had previously enabled such local agencies to get involved in property makeovers. In any event, some Castro Valley residents are thinking of ways to make use of it. What do you think?