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...
UPDATE: San Jose extends deadline to clear its largest homeless camp
San Jose officials are asking the Federal Aviation Administration for more time to clear out the city’s largest homeless camp as a June deadline approaches. The site sits under the Mineta San Jose International Airport flight path, and the FAA has threatened to withhold millions in federal funding if it isn’t cleared by June 30....
San Jose remembers fall of Saigon through stories, volunteering
Dressed in black áo dài dresses and Vietnamese heritage flag accessories, more than 200 people gathered at San Jose City Hall Saturday to commemorate the anniversary of the fall of Saigon. Known among the Vietnamese community as “Black April,” the ceremony is a somber reminder of the more than 2 million people who died during and...
San Jose mayoral candidates discuss future of SAP Center
San Jose’s leading mayoral candidates gathered at the SAP Center to take questions about the future of the arena amid downtown’s burgeoning developments. The Wednesday night forum featured Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez and San Jose Councilmembers Dev Davis, Matt Mahan, Raul Peralez, and Jonathan Becher, president of Sharks Sports & Entertainment. Former San Jose Police...
Strict rules at San Jose Flea Market drive out vendors
Behind the colorful booths, lively music and tantalizing smells of local Mexican foods at the San Jose Flea Market are tears and heartache. Vendors greet patrons with a smile, but mask a world of pain and anxiety many are feeling regarding future development. A 2021 San Jose City Council vote allowed flea market operators to...