San Jose’s local businesses have faced a whirlwind of economic shocks in recent years. A growing number of small business owners want to find their footing by banding together through the formation of new business improvement districts. The City Council on Dec. 16 advanced proposals for two such districts — one covering the Alum Rock-Santa...
Silicon Valley grocery prices rank as No. 1 rising cost, residents say
Supermarket sticker shock is top of mind for Bay Area residents, according to a report by think tank Joint Venture Silicon Valley. It takes first place, ahead of other categories hit hard by inflation including housing costs and utility bills. In response to a survey asking, “Which of the following do you think have increased...
‘A charming little place’: Willow Glen dog boutique is closing
Willow Glen’s main drag is about to lose its bark, and dog lovers are devastated. Gussied Up Dog Boutique, at 1310 Lincoln Ave., will be closing once the store’s inventory is gone. The store’s landlord declined to renew the lease, citing major plumbing repairs. “Hearing all the stories, how much this store means to people,...
Beloved 40-year-old East San Jose restaurant to close
La Perla Taqueria in East San Jose has for decades pushed its tables together for family meals, birthdays and even baby showers. That will all end before January. Owner José Huitron has tried to reconcile his staggering overhead costs with the restaurant’s duty as a neighborhood mainstay. The crowds aren’t as big as they used...
San Jose to ring in new year with business tax amnesty
The new year will bring with it a chance for San Jose’s 96,000 registered businesses to square their overdue tax bills with the city — without paying a late fee. Beginning Jan. 1, the city will roll out a year-long business tax amnesty program. For businesses making late payments under the program, the city will...
Silicon Valley’s wealthiest skip their own backyard
Silicon Valley’s wealthiest residents are steering billions of dollars to national and global causes instead of investing in their own backyard — a trend that’s persisted for at least five years. The region’s richest donated $1.52 billion to philanthropy this past year, according to a recent report from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. But just...
Campbell sales tax among highest in state after Measure A
Santa Clara County’s hospital lifeline sales tax increase won’t affect Silicon Valley residents equally. The temporary five-eighths-cent increase, approved by voters last month as Measure A, will bring the sales tax rate to 10% or higher in three cities where voters have already approved existing local tax measures: Milpitas, Campbell and San Jose. Los Gatos...
Silicon Valley real estate development lowest since 2013
It is the best of times and worst of times for commercial real estate and development in Silicon Valley, according to the newest quarterly report from economic think tank Joint Venture Silicon Valley. The good news is Silicon Valley developers completed 5.6 million square feet of new office and industrial space in the first nine...
Where to find a free Thanksgiving meal or food box
People struggling with food insecurity will still be able to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal thanks to Bay Area nonprofits. High food prices and a delay in CalFresh food benefits — California’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — have left an increasing number of people having to choose between paying for food, health care...
Santa Clara County nixes rezoning on horses and wineries
Santa Clara County leaders have slammed the brakes on a rezoning plan that South County farmers, winery owners and equestrians warned could threaten their businesses and the future of Silicon Valley’s iconic — but vanishing — rural vestige. After hundreds of written letters of opposition, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously voted to order...