As cases and hospitalizations from COVID-19 have increased in recent days, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday is again closing businesses in California counties that have seen the worst spikes. For the next three weeks, Newsom ordered indoor operations for restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, family entertainment, zoos, museums and card rooms to close in 19 counties...
Business
Business
Carl Guardino’s next move finally revealed
After Carl Guardino announced in January he is stepping down as CEO of Silicon Valley Leadership Group, speculation swirled about the powerful business leader’s next move. “I truly do not know what is next, as I did not believe it was appropriate to start searching in any way while I was still being entrusted to...
Vulnerable Californians place coronavirus fears ahead of the economy: survey
As the region begins to reopen, the threat of the coronavirus remains firmly among the top three worries for many of the most vulnerable people in the Bay Area, according to a recent survey. The survey, commissioned by nonprofit health foundation, The California Endowment, polled 813 Californians who are people of color, Spanish speakers or...
Retail returns in Silicon Valley, but challenges and changes loom
Long before the coronavirus spread, retail was changing as big box stores’ popularity sank and experiences became the new must-have. But the pandemic flipped the industry on its head in a new way. Those changes are being felt across businesses in Silicon Valley, a region with several shining examples of retail hotspots that serve as...
Downtown task force pushes San Jose to help businesses survive post-coronavirus
Downtown San Jose community leaders this week gave city officials a to-do list to help the groups limping back to an economic equilibrium following the coronavirus shutdown. The nine recommendations, compiled by a 40-person coalition of downtown business, arts and community organizations, ask officials to create a new marketing program, extend free parking in the...
San Jose lawmakers extend eviction moratorium, expand Wi-Fi hotspots
As the county’s shelter-in-place order extends into its third month and many industries remain closed, San Jose lawmakers extended an eviction moratorium Tuesday to help renters facing hardship from the COVID-19 pandemic. The City Council voted unanimously to extend an eviction moratorium until Aug. 31 for tenants who cannot afford to pay rent because of income loss...
Despite outbreaks, officials say Silicon Valley construction sites are safe
Across Santa Clara County, restrictions on a wide-reaching shelter-in-place order are loosening, employees are getting back to work, residents are dining out again and new buildings are rising. But the slow reopening of the region — a constant balancing act between mitigating the damage of keeping the economy shuttered versus reducing the spread of the...
The land of inequality: New research highlights Silicon Valley’s wealth gap
San Jose State leaders on Tuesday called on tech companies and other institutions to address white supremacy and inequality, which are seeped into nearly every aspect of Silicon Valley life, according to new research unveiled this week. A new report, called the Silicon Valley Pain Index, is shedding a glaring spotlight on wealth and income...
Black-owned restaurant patronage up in Silicon Valley, but surge fading
The surge of Black Lives Matter support has lifted area minority-owned restaurants despite the drag of stay-at-home orders, but the boost will not last without more equitable and lasting opportunities, some business leaders say. The sudden demand overwhelmed some establishments. When to-go orders spiked for lamb tibs, gomen, doro wot and traditional injera flatbread from...
San Jose lawmakers approve new fee caps for developments
If developers have one nemesis, it’s uncertainty, and San Jose lawmakers this week tried to battle that foe by capping some development fees. The 8-3 vote Tuesday did not raise or lower fees for developers, but it froze infrastructure fees in most parts of the city and set a maximum for fee increases in the...