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Community leaders are calling for San Jose to invest in economic development of the east side, which they say the city has neglected for years. Rolando Bonilla, chair of the San Jose Planning Commission, spearheaded a proposal in June that asked the City Council to purchase vacant retail buildings in East San Jose and then give them...
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...
Vaccination site that served hard-hit East San Jose closes
While Santa Clara County remains optimistic about its vaccine goal, some vaccination sites around the South Bay are closing down—including one in Mexican Heritage Plaza. The walk-up clinic, which first opened in late January, has been an essential vaccination site for East San Jose, an area hit harder by the pandemic than any other part of Santa Clara...
Education leader announces bid for East San Jose council seat
Peter Ortiz spends his days walking down the Alum Rock business corridor, talking to small business owners. Next year, he hopes to walk the top floor of San Jose City Hall. Ortiz, who serves as a Santa Clara County Board of Education trustee, announced Thursday he is running for the San Jose City Council District 5 seat,...
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...
Plan aims to revitalize East San Jose small businesses
Small businesses in East San Jose struggled more than most during the pandemic, but a new plan aims to invest in the community and support local merchants. Representatives of San Jose Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco’s office and small business leaders announced the East San Jose Rescue Plan Friday outside Infante Wireless, a family-owned smartphone business along Alum Rock Avenue. Carrasco...
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...