As community distrust of data centers grows, San Jose is considering banning councilmembers from signing confidentiality agreements that bind them from publicly discussing development projects. The Rules and Open Government Committee on Wednesday unanimously voted to have the city manager create a policy to ensure transparency with developments, including data centers. The committee — comprised of five members...
The Biz Beat: San Jose market specializes in meat skewers
A few months ago, puffs of smoke began wafting from a shopping center in North San Jose. The source: Chinese barbecue meat skewers being cooked in the parking lot. One Step Food Market, a small specialized grocery store in Pacific Rim Plaza II, served up the skewers as a temporary advertisement for the shop’s February opening...
Housing planned for former San Jose school campus
A former South San Jose elementary school is poised to become housing. True Life Companies purchased Glider Elementary School, a 9.5-acre site, from Oak Grove School District to redevelop it with 80 homes — a combination of townhomes and single-family houses. The San Jose Planning Commission on Aug. 26 voted unanimously to recommend the project,...
San Jose official ordered to pay $54K in attorney fees
An unusual scene unfolded in the San Jose City Council chambers on Tuesday as a man approached the dais and served District 5 Councilmember Peter Ortiz with legal documents. The incident, which has raised eyebrows online and in City Hall, is part of the fallout from an anti-harassment suit that Ortiz lost earlier this year....
San Jose event celebrates Chicano identity and history
For some Mexican Americans, identifying as Chicano means carrying the history of a civil rights movement that challenged war, discrimination and police brutality. For others, it is a way to reconnect with Indigenous roots, honor family histories and build solidarity with their communities. Multiple generations of San Jose residents reflected on what the identity means...
Redevelopment plan draws backlash in South San Jose
Residents of a South San Jose neighborhood are organizing against plans to redevelop a single-family lot, accusing the developer behind the project of misusing state housing laws. Opponents fear the precedent the project might set if it’s allowed to move forward. An LLC linked to Redwood City-based development firm Samara has filed permit applications to demolish a...
New fire station opens in downtown San Jose
One of San Jose’s busiest fire stations has a new, state-of-the-art facility in downtown that will better serve its firefighters and residents. The San Jose Fire Department, city leaders and neighborhood residents on Thursday celebrated the opening of Fire Station 8 at 601 E. Santa Clara St. The previous fire station, located a few blocks...
Audit shows San Jose struggles to manage affordable housing
San Jose’s lack of oversight on its affordable housing portfolio has led to repeated property violations and some families making above the income limit, a city audit has found. The City Auditor’s Office found that the Housing Department didn’t complete one-third of its annual compliance reviews in 2024 and 2025, and property inspections have a...
San Jose rally to commemorate Chicano history
For more than five decades, an anti-war protest known as the Chicano Moratorium has remained a touchstone for activists who fought for greater recognition, equality and an end to discrimination against their community. This weekend, San Jose organizers will once again bring that history to the city while drawing attention to the federal detention of...
Kayak tours highlight San Jose river’s restoration
Years of neglect and festering pollution problems have left San Jose’s Guadalupe River with a toxic reputation among locals. But one former councilmember says the best days are still to come for the long-benighted waterway — and he’s leading by example. Local entrepreneur Carl Salas has been waging a quiet crusade over the past half-decade...