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...
Should East San Jose vaccination site reopen?
At least one city official believes a major vaccination site in East San Jose was shut down too early, but local community leaders aren’t so sure. Rolando Bonilla, chair of the San Jose Planning Commission who nearly died of COVID-19, is sounding the warning call about the growing number of positive coronavirus infections in East San Jose...
Will San Jose’s Vietnamese Heritage Garden ever blossom?
When a group of Vietnamese leaders came up with the idea of a heritage garden almost 40 years ago, the vision was grand. The Viet Heritage Garden in San Jose was supposed to be a cultural oasis featuring mini-replicas of different historical Vietnamese landmarks, a reflection pond and a pathway to a community center. Today, the garden...
Water shut off for East San Jose tenants without warning
Tenants at Foxdale Village Apartments in East San Jose went without water for two days after management failed to tell them of a ruptured water main. According to several residents, taps went dry at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Saturday with no notice for when they could expect to bathe or flush their toilets. Mayra Peterson, director of asset...
San Jose’s Vietnamese community struggles with its political voice
In a city with the largest Vietnamese population in the nation, Vietnamese Americans are still struggling to find their voices in politics. The lack—and loss—of Vietnamese representation in San Jose politics is the result of a number of factors, community leaders say, including an inherited distrust in politics and a generational and ideological division in the...
New proposal calls for investment in East San Jose businesses
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...