As San Jose struggled to build tiny homes for the city’s growing homeless population, one man decided to take matters into his own hands. Hector Garcia, president of Sleeping Bags for the Homeless, grew tired of waiting for the government to help end the suffering on the streets of Silicon Valley. So he decided to...
In pricey Silicon Valley, homebuyer perceptions — not prices — have changed
Silicon Valley’s notoriously expensive residential real estate sales may have seen a slump in March and April during the region’s restrictive shelter-in-place orders, but industry insiders say it’s still a seller’s market. The major change in the market during the pandemic has been perception by those hoping the novel coronavirus has helped to plunge sky-high...
Affordable housing: San Jose fee deadline may get pushed amid coronavirus
San Jose has been transitioning the way housing developers contribute to affordable units for years, but the coronavirus may stretch the process out even longer. The South Bay city has been working to move from a fee-based system to one that promotes actually building low-income units whenever possible and often comes with higher fees for...
CityView Plaza project gets key San Jose approval as some work to save a piece of history
Massive plans to redevelop CityView Plaza in downtown San Jose are a step closer to reality. The San Jose Planning Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to send Jay Paul Co.’s 3.8 million-square-foot office development proposal to the City Council with a recommendation to approve the project, which would rise on about 8.1 acres in the...
San Jose Diridon Station plan forges ahead as planners adapt to COVID-19
Developments across the region may be slowed due to the novel coronavirus, but some of the biggest land use plans in the South Bay are still inching forward, including San Jose’s Diridon Station Area Plan and Google’s Downtown West project. The two plans were originally set to get a final vote before the end of...
San Jose home sales slip in April amid coronavirus restrictions
Real estate agents are optimistic for a rebound now that they are again able to show homes to potential buyers, but long-range forecast remains uncertain
Controversial Vallco project can continue under SB 35, judge rules
Cupertino’s controversial Vallco Shopping Mall redevelopment is set to move forward after a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge on Wednesday ruled against a group of residents opposing the project. Judge Helen Williams instead ruled in favor of the city of Cupertino, which approved Palo Alto-based developer Sand Hill Property Co.’s Vallco Town Center development...
Silicon Valley real estate at ‘a turning point’ as construction resumes
The worldwide coronavirus pandemic has been felt in all industries, but one of the most stark representations of the virus’ impact is in the empty office buildings and rolling tech campuses in busy, work-obsessed Silicon Valley. Ripple effects of staying at home appear in small, nuanced ways in a new report, released by Joint Venture...
Construction unions lobby Santa Clara County leaders to loosen restrictions
Statewide and regional stay-home orders have passed the one-month mark, and nearly all businesses are hurting as many employees remain unable to work, upending their finances despite a $2 trillion government stimulus package. Now, a local construction and trades union is asking the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to recommend the county to relax...
Real estate experts talk COVID-19 impacts on tech, government and economy
The coronavirus changed how — and even if — Silicon Valley works following statewide and regional orders to stay home. But real estate insiders say it may change the way employees work long after the outbreak, too. “I truly believe the biggest change coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 will be the downsizing...