Construction starts at Jan's Valley Inn site in Portola Valley Construction starts at Jan's Valley Inn site in Portola Valley (December 31, 2003)

By David Boyce
Almanac Staff Writer

Future archaeologists, should they have a mind to, will have trouble providing physical evidence of the 1970s-era existence of Maloney's Bar and, later, Jan's Valley Inn in Portola Valley. Any beer cans and coasters that might have worked their way into the dirt are probably gone now.

The 1,820-square-foot one-story building that used to be at 888 Portola Road -- next to Al's Nursery -- is being rebuilt from the ground up. The building, constructed in the 1920s, was torn down in August 2001 and had been unoccupied since Jan's Valley Inn closed in 1998.

The old building had a long list of problems: dry rot, termites, a cracked foundation, bad wiring and damage to the floor and walls, said town planning manager Leslie Lambert.

The new building will look much like the old one. The property owners -- Michael and Lisa Douglas of Woodside -- decided not to change the design so as to ease the permit process, Ms. Lambert said. The one big change will be a basement to avoid putting the heating and air conditioning equipment back on the roof.

The shell of the ranch-style building is expected to be completed in eight to 12 months, leaving the interior unfinished until a tenant is found, Ms. Lambert said. The dark brown textured plywood siding of the exterior will be compatible with buildings in the Village Square shopping center next door, she said.

The interior design firm Miller Dolezal Design Group had plans to move in, but has since decided to stay in Ladera, senior designer Bob Miller told the Almanac recently.

Town law requires commercial tenants to serve primarily the local community.

The owners recently sent a letter to the town offering the building and an apartment on the property as temporary quarters for town staff, Ms. Lambert said. The current town offices are in the process of being relocated away from an earthquake fault.

The town is likely to go ahead with its plan to put the staff in a 3,000-square-foot temporary building at the Town Center, Ms. Lambert said.

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