San Jose has cleared the last legal obstacle facing the construction of thousands of homes in the north part of the city. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a settlement with Santa Clara County, ending a decade-long legal dispute that has blocked San Jose from pursuing housing developments in the northern...
San Jose tees up massive golf course development
The San Jose City Council has opened the door for a developer who wants to build thousands of homes on a massive former golf course on the East Side. In a unanimous decision this week, the council voted to loosen traffic impact policies and pave a path for possible development on large parcels of private recreation...
These towers will reshape block near San Jose City Hall
Two major high-rise towers are slated to go up kitty corner from San Jose City Hall, reshaping a low-slung block with hundreds of apartments and more than half a million square feet of office space. The Icon and Echo towers from San Jose real estate firm Urban Catalyst gained unanimous approval from the San Jose...
San Jose approves high-rise to replace historic restaurant
A high-rise tower with hundreds of residences will spring out of the ground in downtown San Jose on a less than one-acre plot, following a green light from city leaders. The San Jose City Council unanimously approved plans Tuesday from Canadian developer Westbank for a 30-story luxury tower, including 540 residences at 409 and 425...
Policy change paves way for San Jose golf course redevelopment
San Jose officials are considering changing an obscure policy that could kick open the door for development of a massive plot of land on the city’s east side. The 114-acre former Pleasant Hills Golf Course has been closed for nearly two decades, and can’t be permitted for development without a special exception under current city rules. But a...
San Jose BART extension could grab land from property owners
Jose Landin has co-owned Mexico Bakery’s downtown location since 2003, and the chain has become a staple of San Jose’s foodie scene. But this beloved location—and several of Landin’s neighbors—could all be gone soon. That’s because VTA plans to build a ventilation system and emergency exit for the forthcoming downtown San Jose BART station on the...
San Jose landowners stir up Coyote Valley concerns
About one year after the San Jose City Council took action to shield more than 300 acres of Coyote Valley land from development of massive distribution warehouses, several landowners are now proposing a major energy facility. Former San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed represents a group of three property owners pushing early plans to accommodate an electricity transmission...
Santa Clara approves contentious affordable housing project
After considerable pushback from residents and uncertainty among Santa Clara councilmembers, city leaders are greenlighting a controversial multifamily housing project on Civic Center Drive. The Santa Clara City Council voted 6-1 Tuesday to build a five-story apartment project with 108 affordable units managed by Charities Housing. Councilmember Kevin Park was the lone dissenter, saying he opposed...
San José Spotlight defends reporting amid legal threat
Following San José Spotlight’s reporting that revealed Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor lobbied the governor to help a major real estate firm save money on a massive project months before it cut big checks to support her reelection campaign, attorneys for the developer are pushing back. In a letter sent to San José Spotlight this...
Downtown San Jose gets Google — and a power grid
Google is coming into San Jose and bringing its own electrical grid. The tech behemoth is opening a massive complex in downtown San Jose and wants to construct its own electric distribution system, or microgrid, to power the 80-acre site. By the end of this year, San Jose will approve a business plan to make...