One of downtown San Jose’s most prominent office towers, known as 50 West, or the KQED building, is set to sell to developer Jay Paul Co. in a deal that industry insiders say will break records and set a new high-water mark for commercial space in the city’s urban core. “It certainly as recognizable a...
San Jose: Major Alum Rock development spurred by unusual zoning law
For years, San Jose has taken a hard stance against using commercial land for housing — despite the region’s excruciating housing shortage — to bolster economic activity in a city desperately seeking to shed its image as a “bedroom community.” But in a East San Jose neighborhood whose streets are lined with minority-owned businesses, those...
New retailer to move into vacant San Jose building after community pressure
After nearly four years of being dark, an abandoned San Jose building that attracted rats, crime and blight will finally reopen after residents piled pressure on the landlord and City Hall. The shuttered Nob Hill store at 7076 Santa Teresa Boulevard will reopen as a Grocery Outlet next fall. “There hasn’t been anything there for a long...
Plan to turn old San Jose hospital into urban village criticized
A plan to revitalize a sleepy roadway is getting pushback from residents. Santa Clara County’s newest project aimed at creating a livelier neighborhood is underway, after lawmakers on Tuesday approved a mixed-use urban village at the former San Jose Medical Center site, but the plan is being sharply criticized for lacking retail or sustainability concepts....
San Jose: Tech Museum of Innovation unveils new name and vision
The former San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation has been reborn. It’s new name and vision: The Tech Interactive. “The world was calling us,” Tim Ritchie, President and CEO of The Tech Interactive, told San José Spotlight. After 20 years in operation, the beloved downtown technology museum is being rebranded and reopened to offer expanded...
Say goodbye to San Jose Joe’s and The Brit at San Jose’s airport
San Jose Joe’s and The Brit are officially taking off from the Mineta San Jose International Airport – and they won’t be coming back. On Tuesday, the San Jose City Council voted unanimously to award contracts – or “packages” – to three concessions groups that would bring 14 new restaurants to the airport. The city received...
Google in San Jose: Dozens of East San Jose residents ask ‘What’s next?’
More than 100 residents gathered at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in East San Jose on Wednesday to ask one burning question: “What’s next?” for Google’s new mega-campus headed for downtown San Jose. The meeting focused on demands for the tech giant and a candid conversation about what’s best for the city as it embarks on...
Two iconic San Jose restaurants forced out of airport
In an effort to freshen up the look and feel of San Jose’s airport, airport leaders are proposing drastic changes to its restaurants — but the move will push out two of San Jose’s most iconic and beloved establishments. If San Jose elected leaders approve the changes at the City Council next week, travelers will have to say goodbye to...
San Jose’s Camera 12 still dark as development plans stall
Nearly three years after announcing plans to get Downtown San Jose’s Camera 12 Cinemas back up and running, developers are still stuck in limbo. And now the beloved theater remains dark — it’s anyone’s guess for how much longer. Development plans have stalled in part because of the building’s incredibly expensive maintenance needs. “I think...
Ex-Silicon Valley Community Foundation employees appeal to George Lucas over Emmett Carson hiring
Twenty-three former Silicon Valley Community Foundation employees and allies on Monday sent a letter to famed filmmaker George Lucas and the board of his prestigious Los Angeles museum expressing “dismay” over the museum’s hiring of the foundation’s ousted CEO Emmett Carson. “We, the undersigned former employees of Silicon Valley Community Foundation as well as local...