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...
Silicon Valley Democrats demand candidate drop misleading mailer
The Santa Clara County Democratic Party is accusing a local candidate of using misleading campaign flyers to make it appear he has the party’s endorsement—when he doesn’t. Party Chair Bill James issued a cease-and-desist letter earlier this week demanding San Jose Planning Commission Chair and District 5 City Council candidate Rolando Bonilla stop using logos...
San Jose opens door to airport connector proposals
Getting to Mineta San Jose International Airport from downtown is difficult on public transportation, but that might change in the future. San Jose officials are opening up the possibility of a transit link between the airport and Diridon Station. The city Department of Transportation is accepting bids to develop a transit project spanning the three miles...
San Jose’s Measure B will increase voter turnout, supporters say
Latina leaders want one San Jose election to change its date, which they say would level the playing field for political equity and access for people of color. Local politicians and community leaders wearing Rosie the Riveter red bandanas held a rally Tuesday to urge the city’s Hispanic residents to vote “Yes” on Measure B for the...
San Jose reimagines park near the city’s largest homeless camp
San Jose is moving forward on plans to reimagine and rename Columbus Park, near the location of the city’s largest homeless camp. Through public meetings and surveys, residents are helping shape development of the 12.5-acre site, located at Asbury and Irene streets in San Jose. On Thursday, residents requested beautification, safe bicycle paths leading to...
Path to planned downtown San Jose landmark unclear
An anticipated landmark in downtown San Jose isn’t going to be a breeze to install. The City Council unanimously voted last May to install an iconic landmark, dubbed “The Breeze of Innovation.” The design beat out nearly 1,000 submissions in an international competition launched in 2019 for creating a new landmark at Arena Green, where the...
San Jose, Vietnamese residents mourn loss of community leader
The South Bay is mourning the death of a community leader who dedicated years of his life to uplifting the Vietnamese community and revitalizing downtown San Jose. Thang Do, CEO of San Jose-based architecture firm Aedis Architects and co-founding member of the Progressive Vietnamese American Organization (PIVOT), died Sunday due to health issues at the...
Google refreshes San Jose residents on downtown plans
For the first time in roughly two years, Google held an in-person community forum for San Jose residents to learn about the tech company’s plans for a campus that will dramatically change downtown. On Saturday, residents browsed colorful poster boards and spoke with Google representatives at an event near the SAP Center. Sheela Jivan, Google’s director of...
The Biz Beat: San Jose’s Con Azucar Café serves specialty coffee
The first thing you see entering Con Azucar Café is a swing hanging from the ceiling and a neon sign reading “Siente el Pedorro” framed by artificial flowers and foliage. Don’t pay attention to Google’s translation of the phrase, warns co-owner Alejandra Gonzalez—the literal translation is different than what the slang term means: “sit your...
San Jose church sees slow process for landmark status
A group of congregants at the nearly century-old Grace Baptist Church in San Jose want to secure its status as a landmark, but the timeline is uncertain. On Wednesday, the city’s Historic Landmark Commission deferred its decision to grant the church historic landmark candidacy until a more thorough assessment is completed. The commission had been set to make...