When dozens of service workers at Hilton’s Graduate Hotel in downtown Palo Alto were suddenly laid off in April, some were told it was because management planned to close down the restaurant on the ground floor. To the surprise of former employees, the hotel’s restaurant is still bustling and staffed — with temporary contract workers....
Bay Area immigrants struggle with housing and healthcare
Lack of affordable housing and dwindling access to healthcare are the top issues plaguing the lives of both Bay Area immigrants and citizens, according to a recent report. Services, Immigration Rights and Education Network (SIREN) and the San Jose State University Human Rights Institute conducted a recent survey of about 300 immigrants and those in the...
Mountain View to tackle downtown office vacancies as rate tops 30%
As Mountain View enters the third year of a 10-year plan to revitalize the local economy, the city is seeing retail vacancies trending down in the heart of town, while downtown office vacancies are increasing. The retail vacancy rate in the downtown area was 6.1% in April, down from 8.5% two years ago. In contrast, the downtown...
State budget shortchanges Santa Clara County homeless response
At a time when the U.S. is reeling from social safety net cuts, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget makes it even more challenging for groups to effectively address homelessness in Santa Clara County, nonprofit leaders and advocates said. The governor’s proposed budget includes $500 million for Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) statewide for the...
World Cup watch parties to take place across San Jose
San Jose officials are bringing World Cup celebrations into neighborhoods across the city through a series of free watch parties in cultural business districts, hoping to unite residents while driving visitors to local businesses during the tournament. San Jose’s “Kick Off in the Districts” World Cup watch party series begins Thursday with a free viewing...
Santa Clara County sues to stop planned ICE facility
Santa Clara County leaders and California Attorney General Rob Bonta are suing to stop the construction of an ICE facility near Gilroy, after this news outlet first reported on the federal government’s plans and obtained blueprints showing the building would hold and process detainees. Officials announced the lawsuit Wednesday, naming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement...
San Jose passes budget with millions of dollars in service cuts
The San Jose City Council passed a $5.5 billion budget Tuesday, balancing a $50 million deficit by tapping into reserve funds and making wide ranging service cuts — but no layoffs. Over the course of the four-month-long budgeting process, San Jose leaders have warned the city may need to resort to painful fiscal trimming. However, in...
Santa Clara’s special event zone helps businesses, not vendors
Soccer fans from around the world are expected to flood Santa Clara this weekend for the FIFA World Cup, bringing team chants, fan marches and crowds to Levi’s Stadium — but outdoor merchants and food vendors may not benefit from the event at all. Santa Clara has created a “special event zone” to temporarily restrict sidewalk...
Proposed Palo Alto office complex sparks debate
As Palo Alto prepares to create a new residential community along San Antonio Road, city leaders are confronting a question that had dogged prior planning efforts: How much office space should the new neighborhood accommodate? The focus on the debate is on what’s known as the CTI subarea next to U.S. Highway 101 and just...
Super Bowl 60 pumps $195M into Santa Clara County
South Bay officials are touting a new economic analysis of Super Bowl 60, which found the game drove $720 million in total economic activity throughout the Bay Area, $195 million of which went to Santa Clara County. The report, released Friday by the Bay Area Host Committee, may bolster the case from leaders in San...