With a lack of tech workers and foot traffic, downtown San Jose became a ghost town during the pandemic, but five miles away high-end Santana Row flourished. These two destinations linked by San Carlos and Stevens Creek boulevards and Interstate 280 are worlds apart socioeconomically and the COVID-19 pandemic made that schism wider. Downtown was hit...
San Jose wants to cut parking spaces in downtown developments
San Jose officials want to cut the level of greenhouse gas emissions downtown. The city’s solution is to eliminate parking space mandates for developers. The downtown area is expected to experience dramatic growth over the next decades, and officials want commuters to lean more toward public transit. City officials are also exploring the use of...
Reviving downtown San Jose remains an elusive goal
Downtown San Jose looks like a ghost town. Boosters claim an economic revival is within reach for the heart of Silicon Valley. But those who live and work in the city’s core are skeptical. John Seol, owner of a small cellphone repair shop just blocks from City Hall, told San José Spotlight he hears about...
Art installation could bring economic growth to downtown San Jose
San Jose is counting on a new art installation to help spark economic growth downtown. City officials hope the Serpentine Pavilion, a curvaceous, temporary structure constructed of fiberglass blocks, will revitalize the downtown area by attracting art shows, speaker series and other performances. Originally designed by Bjarke Ingels for the annual Serpentine Galleries architecture competition in London, developer...
Downtown San Jose businesses eager for return of students
Students are coming back to campus at San Jose State University this fall, and they may bring the city’s economic recovery with them. A recent study shows the university, prior to the pandemic, generated $776 million in economic output annually for San Jose and $2.4 billion for the Bay Area. That disappeared with the onset of the...
Developments ramp up in downtown San Jose opportunity zone
High-rise developments are flowing through the construction pipeline in downtown San Jose, fueled by investor money and tax incentives—and it’s going to be that way for the next few years. The spur in development is due to opportunity zones, economically challenged areas where investors can receive federal tax breaks for putting money toward revitalization. While the pandemic...
Downtown San Jose bar owner resigns amid #MeToo accusations of sexual abuse
A prominent downtown San Jose restaurateur has resigned amid accusations of sexual assault, the latest in a sweeping #MeToo movement in breweries and bars. “My actions and gross misconduct in the past have hurt too many and my absolute apologies to ALL,” wrote Ryan Summers, owner of the beer bar and vegan eatery Good Karma...
UPDATE: San Jose council approves Google’s Downtown West project
After more than three years of community wrangling and negotiations, one of the world’s largest tech giants will have a home in downtown San Jose. The San Jose City Council Tuesday voted unanimously to approve Google’s Downtown West project, a multi-billion dollar plan by the company to expand into downtown San Jose. “Thousands of our...
Will downtown San Jose recover from office vacancies?
Office vacancies in downtown San Jose increased during the pandemic, but some say it’s only a matter of time before workers return. According to Silicon Valley MarketBeat, which analyzes commercial real estate activity, downtown vacancies rose during the beginning of 2021 from 14.2% to 17%—about 1.5 million square feet—compared to the first quarter of 2020....
Venture capitalist bringing green to downtown San Jose
The 96-year-old Bank of Italy building in downtown San Jose is one of the area’s most recognizable structures—a relic of Rennaisance Revival architecture in the middle of modern high rises. Soon, venture capitalist real estate developer Gary Dillabough, 58, will add a series of hanging gardens to the building’s facade. “We’re hoping to leverage experiences and...