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- T 0 -- : .. .,: '�*'."fir+. "• — y -- ' S C K 3H a� Record photo by CALIXTRO ROMIAS GROWING WEEDS: This 1-acre lot, bounded by Center, EI Dora- city has waited for environmental health to approve its cleanup do, Sonora and Lafayette streets, has been sitting idle while the plans for the spot where Arroyo's Cafe used to stand. Gateway waiting for cleanupplan OK By Arty Starnes mental health to approve the Record Staff Writer "We are getting to the end of it, but it has been cleanup plans. Sivell said he Stockton officials hope to free really frustrating." hopes the work will be done in the long-awaited Gateway project a few weeks, enabling him to go in April from six months of — Bob Sivell, before the Redevelopment delays and environmental snags. Stockton's enterprise-zone manager Commission in April to seek Residents watched for weeks permission to tum the land over as bulldozers ate away at two- to developers. thirds of a block of downtown to the developer at the first of Workers discovered one previ- "We are getting to the end of buildings. The buildings and the year at the latest;' said Bob ously unknown tank as graders it, but it has been really frus- equipment are gone, but the Sivell, Stockton's enterprise-zone were finishing work on the block tracing: first the lawsuits and fenced-off lot, scheduled for a manager, last fall. The city was able to then the first tank and the sec- project to beautify and econom- Delays are nothing new when remove it fairly smoothly with and tank," Sivell said. ically recharge one prominent it comes to the Gateway project. oversight by San Joaquin Sivell said he doesn't think the, Leeway exit, is growing weeds. It languished for years behind County's environmental health delays have harmed the devel- City officials originally predict- two lawsuits. One was brought division. opers' side of the project in ed they would be able to clear by disgruntled hotel tenants who "We were ready to tum over terms of contracts with future the acre bounded by Center, EI felt they should be compensated the property to the developer tenants. Dorado, Sonora and Lafayette more for their loss, In the end when (an) additional tank was "We don't believe we are hold streets by October or November they were. The other was discovered," Deputy City ing them up other than they and turn it over to Stockton launched by the owners of Manager Roger Storey said. would like to get to this as Gateway LLC for the creation of Arroyo's Cafe, a longtime, family- But this time, the ground much as we would," Sivell said. a gas station and at least one owned Mexican restaurant, who beneath the tank appeared to be Kevin Dougherty; a partner in fast-food restaurant. didn't want to leave their build- muddy, perhaps contaminated Stockton Gateway LLC, could not The project, however, snagged ing. The restaurant has since with fuel, and the environmental be reached for comment Friday on two unexpected underground moved to Stockton's north side. health division required a more- afternoon. fuel tanks late last year, and The project is called the extensive report on how to clean there it has sat. Gateway project because it is the site appropriately, Sivell said. ■ To reach reporter Amy Starnes, "We obviously would have intended to beautify one "gate- The report is complete, and phone 5464252 or e-mail hoped to convey that property way" to Stockton's downtown. the city is waiting for environ- astames®recordnetcom