That will change now that the redevelopment agency has approved the mitigation plan for the demolition phase of the project. Fourth Quarter Properties, the developer, now has the green light to begin reshaping that part of Sunnyvale's downtown in July.

The mitigation plan is meant to protect Sunnyvale's downtown from negative effects of the multi-million dollar, 24-month development project. According to the developers, the end result should be an open-air shopping, business and residential complex, similar to San Jose's Santana Row.

Bankruptcy, lengthy court proceedings and bidding have delayed the project. In January, Fourth Quarter Properties--the company originally set up by Forum Development Group and former mall owners Lehman Brothers--got back on track. The project is finally getting underway.

The biggest concern with the project is that the dust, noise and traffic will deter visitors from patronizing stores at Town and Country Village and South Murphy Avenue. Many of those businesses are already suffering from the slow economy and the presence of an empty mall next door.

A half-dozen concerned business owners sat through the June 21 city council meeting to get to the redevelopment agency meeting that followed. In Sunnyvale, the redevelopment agency is composed of the council members.

Business owners were there to support a number of additions the city and the Downtown Association had requested to Fourth Quarter's construction mitigation plan--among them provisions for shuttles for shoppers and frequent street cleaning.

The redevelopment agency eventually approved the plan, with modifications by staff, unanimously.

Joe Antuzzi, owner of Il Postale and chairman of the Downtown Association, said his primary concern was letting people know that stores would still be open and operating during demolition and construction.

"We want people to know that the downtown is still here; we're just adding to it; we're not rebuilding it," he said.

Antuzzi and many other business owners are anticipating at least a 20 percent reduction in revenue during demolition, and many worry the loss of sales could mean their end.

"We're all pretty much hanging on by a string, and it would not take much to push us over the edge," acupuncture clinic owner Anne Dugan said. "It's a matter of survival."

To combat the business problems, the approved plan includes an increase in marketing, which would include more directional signs to get visitors downtown--something the area has long been fighting for--and newspaper advertisements to keep residents updated on progress.

The original mitigation plan called for two full-page ads in The Sunnyvale Sun and one half-page ad in the San Jose Mercury News, but a friendly amendment by Councilman Otto Lee increased that to six full-page and six half-pages ads respectively that would be in the newspapers during demolition.

In addition, the plywood fence that will surround the construction site--meant to contain dirt and debris--will feature notices from the developers on project progress. There may also be advertisements letting people know businesses are open.

"We're going to have plenty of [fencing] up, so it might as well serve a purpose other than just blocking off the project," project manager Jane Vaughan said.

Council members also suggested getting local school children to decorate the fence.

Business owners sought a shuttle system to ferry patrons around construction sites, a plan Fourth Quarter opposed.

When the Mozart buildings were under construction on Mathilda Avenue, the city implemented a pedestrian shuttle system to get visitors from parking lots to downtown, but it was underused.

Councilman Ron Swegles suggested the shuttle would help both senior visitors and business people on their lunch breaks. But Vaughan maintained that the distance from the parking lots to stores was not enough to warrant transportation. She said it would only create problems downtown by bring more vehicles to the area.

The approved mitigation plan also calls for Fourth Quarter to construct a temporary parking lot west of Macy's to handle the influx of shoppers during the holiday season.

With the plan approved, Vaughan said demolition should begin by mid-July, and end sometime around Thanksgiving, before the beginning of the shopping season. After the developer gets construction permits and after the holiday season, construction could begin in March or April.