A new analysis shows downtown San Jose is reeling economically from the pandemic – more than its neighboring suburbs. According to the report, presented at a council committee Monday, the downtown’s recovery has been grim and economically lagging because many of its driving forces, including commercial projects and events, have not returned to pre-pandemic levels....
The Biz Beat: San Jose’s Holy Cannoli is a heavenly experience
The name “Holy Cannoli” is more than apt for a café and bakery in downtown San Jose: the eatery’s cream is as light as a cloud in Heaven. The thin, crisp shell gives the dessert some crunch, but the ethereal cream is a miracle of sweetness with a smooth rich texture. With two sizes, nine...
Downtown San Jose residents renew special property district
Property owners in downtown San Jose are saying yes to more taxes over the next 10 years. Nearly 89% of residents and businesses in a special district have voted in favor of renewing the downtown property-based improvement district (PBID) tax. Collected funds contribute to services such as cleaning, security and business development. The tax ranges...
A new high school is coming to downtown San Jose
A Los Gatos high school is expanding into downtown San Jose, breathing new life into two historic buildings. Hillbrook School, an 87-year-old private school, is leasing the Moir Building, located at 227 N. First Street, and San Jose Armory, located at 240 N. Second Street, for at least 25 years. The move allows the Junior...
San Jose’s Breeze installation may change locations
For more than a year, San Jose residents have awaited news on a proposed downtown landmark on public park land. The latest update has the location shifting to a more urban environment. In a presentation to the city’s Neighborhood Services and Education Committee last week, Nicolle Burnham, deputy director of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services,...
Omar Torres lead remains steady in San Jose District 3 race
Last updated 5 p.m. on Monday. The next update will be 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Omar Torres and Irene Smith remain ahead of the other three challengers — Joanna Rauh, Ivan Torres and Elizabeth Chien-Hale — in the open seat for District 3, replacing Councilmember Raul Peralez who terms out in December. With 94% of...
San Jose church faces lawsuit over fatal 2020 stabbing
Two people are suing a local church and its associated homeless shelter in downtown San Jose over a 2020 stabbing that killed two residents and injured three others. The lawsuit, filed last week in Santa Clara County Superior Court, comes from a survivor and a widow of one of the deceased. The duo, represented by San...
UPDATE: Affordable housing approved near San Jose’s Roosevelt Park
An affordable housing development near San Jose’s Roosevelt Park will finally break ground after years of delay—with financial help from the city. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to accept roughly $56.5 million in state grants and loans from multiple sources for First Community Housing to start construction on a 79-unit affordable apartment complex. The...
The Biz Beat: San Jose feed store caters to every anteater and zebra
With its roots anchored in agriculture and old-style customer service, Sam’s Downtown Feed & Pet Supply has served San Jose for more than 30 years. Advertised as “feeding anteaters to zebras,” the store provides livestock and chicken feed, beekeeping supplies, grain, hay and zoological feed. In addition to feeding llamas, alpacas and flamingos, it also...
San Jose residents clamor for a good night’s sleep
Silence is golden for downtown San Jose residents. Since 2018, residents, politicians and the city have worked with Union Pacific Railroad to negotiate a partial quiet zone from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. along the Warm Springs rail corridor, which passes through Japantown and the Hensley Historic District of San Jose. It finally went into...