Downtown San Jose to add two-floor music venue

San Jose’s downtown core is about to get more lively with a new late-night concert venue and bar in the works.

The City Council has unanimously approved permits for Pete Be Center, a more than 10,000-square-foot building located in the SoFA District at 439 South First St. with two newly-built mezzanines that can hold 1,142 people. The music venue is expected to open later this year.

San Jose Downtown Association CEO Alex Stettinski said property owner Richard Burke called the Pete Be Center the most significant project to be proposed in the SoFA district in the past decade.

“It is rare that someone tries to bring a new concert venue into the district,” Stettinski said at the Feb. 11 meeting. “The size of this project will allow the booking of prominent acts that can help bring vibrancy and nightlife to downtown.”

The venue named after owner Pete Be features three bars that will be serviced by more than a dozen bartenders. Be, whose son owns Tiki Pete in downtown, said the event center will be one of the largest privately owned music venues in the area, adding his business could help increase the popularity of downtown.

“For a long time, San Jose has been a tier 2 destination, a far cry away from the tier 1 view of San Francisco. We need to bring San Jose back into the fold,” Be told San José Spotlight. “We have the airport, we have the convention center. The only thing that’s missing is we don’t really have the proper business structure.”

@sanjosespotlight

San Jose’s downtown core is about to get more lively with a new late-night concert venue and bar in the works. 🪩🕺🏻 The City Council has unanimously approved permits for Pete Be Center, a more than 10,000-square-foot building located in the SoFA District at 439 South First St. with two newly-built mezzanines that can hold 1,142 people. The music venue is expected to open later this year. Learn more at SanJoseSpotlight.com. #musicvenue #concerts #livemusic #bars #bayarea #sanjose #siliconvalley

♬ original sound – San José Spotlight

Be said he’s glad city officials view his business as a potential draw for downtown. He plans to book musical acts that might typically skip San Jose on multi-city tours.

About one-third the size of the San Jose Civic Center, the Pete Be Center’s hours will vary depending on the event. General hours will range from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m., with all entertainment ending at 1:30 a.m.

Uproar Brewing Company previously occupied the SoFA district location until 2021.

“The project will occupy a currently vacant commercial building, generate city revenue and create jobs,” San Jose Planning Director Christopher Burton said. “The project will also enhance pedestrian activity and improve customer convenience as the project site is located within walking distance of several other restaurants and businesses.”

The music venue conforms with San Jose’s Envision 2040 plan for future downtown growth, city leaders said at the meeting, adding that approving the permit was an easy vote. They said nightclubs should be encouraged throughout the downtown core to promote a diversity of uses.

Earlier this month, councilmembers unanimously approved the Levitt Pavilion, another future music venue in nearby St. James Park, slated to open in 2027.

Newly-appointed District 3 Councilmember Carl Salas visited the Pete Be Center and voted in favor of allowing the music venue to open, seeing its potential. But he said that doesn’t exclude concerns from nearby residents, including noise complaints that might force them to move.

“We need to figure out a balance, and that’s a fine (line) priority for me,” Salas said.
As Be plans the music venue’s official opening, his goal is to attract locals, visitors and companies deciding where to hold their next event.

“When Google wants to have an event, they should be thinking about San Jose. When LinkedIn one wants to have an event, when Meta wants to have an event — and the list goes on,” he said.