After months of dreaming of Zanotto’s … followed by promises from Tesco … followed by months of waiting … now we get months of construction …

As originally reported by via Twitter, Contractors have placed fences and added modular office space on the long-vacant Albertson’s grocery store on the corner of Bird & Minnesota/Alma, future site of Tesco’s Fresh & Easy.

The WG Resident has added a story online at the SJ mercury News website (not in today’s print edition), revealing that only one as-yet-unissued building permit stands in the way of actual construction on the site:

Brendan Wonnacott of Tesco’s Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Market said renovations are scheduled to begin within a month at the Bird Avenue site.

Wonnacott said the site could open as early as next summer. The store is one of 18 that the chain plans to open in the Bay Area. News of the Willow Glen project moving forward came just after Tesco ended a three-month moratorium on opening any new stores in Southern California until the company could collect feedback from other Fresh and Easy locations.

… Plans are moving forward as scheduled, he added. San Jose building officials said earlier this month that the project was at a standstill in the building permit stage.

Edward Tolentino, San Jose’s chief building official, said all plans have been reviewed and the department is waiting on a special inspection form, which will name an inspector of welding and structural aspects of the building.

“We’ve been ready to issue it since June 2,” Tolentino said. “We are just waiting for that one piece of paper.”

Delays or otherwise, Summer 2009 remains the official target. We’ll see.