The countdown has begun for the FIFA World Cup coming to Silicon Valley next year. Representatives from the Bay Area Host Committee and Santa Clara celebrated the one-year countdown to the World Cup Wednesday with speeches and a youth soccer clinic led by the San Jose Earthquakes. Levi’s Stadium will host six games in 2026,...
Santa Clara may add parking fees to city-owned lots
Santa Clara needs to bolster its city budget — and public parking fees could be on the menu. Small businesses aren’t on board and worry customer traffic could drop because they won’t want to pay. Although the proposed 2025-26 city budget anticipates a $9.3 million surplus, the following five years are projecting red ink. To...
Santa Clara residents say Agrihood apartments making them sick
Situated a stone’s throw away from the upscale Santana Row and Westfield Valley Fair shopping centers, the celebrated Agrihood Sustainable Community was promised to provide low-income and homeless older adults with a dignified place to live — complete with an 1.5-acre urban farm for residents to grow their own vegetables. Less than two years after...
Santa Clara data centers hit max energy capacity
Santa Clara leaders are raising concerns about how the city’s dozens of data centers affect residents and the environment. Santa Clara has more standalone data centers than any other California city — 55 in operation and three in the pipeline, according to the city. Demand is growing as more people use the internet and digitally...
Santa Clara isn’t spending taxpayer money on World Cup upgrades
The world’s largest sporting event — the FIFA World Cup — is coming to the United States in 2026, and Santa Clara is one of the only cities not breaking the bank to prepare, a data analysis by San José Spotlight shows. The games will be hosted across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Nearly all...
Ex-Santa Clara official appeals guilty verdict
Lawyers representing former Santa Clara Councilmember Anthony Becker filed an appeal Wednesday in his felony perjury case. According to the appeal, Becker’s lawyers are looking for a certificate of probable cause, challenging the guilty verdict jurors issued in December 2024. Jurors found Becker guilty of leaking a 2022 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report...
‘A true icon’: San Jose developer, philanthropist dies at 85
Barry Swenson, the groundbreaking developer who reshaped the city’s skyline and became a household name, has died at age 85. Swenson was the third generation leader of Swenson Builders, one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent construction and development firms, known for developing iconic buildings throughout San Jose. Those who knew him remember him for his...
Long-planned Santa Clara development still in limbo
Developer Related Companies recently finished two apartment buildings in Santa Clara totaling about 5.5 acres, but its 240-acre mixed-use project designed to change the city’s landscape has been stalled for years. Officials from Related Companies and Santa Clara celebrated the opening of The Clara and Ellore last week — two high-rises that will bring 508...
Santa Clara politicians turn to ChatGPT for advice
Santa Clara officials said they’ve used ChatGPT at two public meetings, sparking concerns about the use of artificial intelligence to inform decision makers. Artificial intelligence tools have been growing in popularity as cities like San Jose use it to improve road safety or translate public meetings. But the technology is still plagued with misinformation problems,...
Santa Clara approves another 1,000+ housing project
North Santa Clara is slated for more than a thousand new homes over the next few years, with whole neighborhoods under construction. The Santa Clara City Council gave its final approval March 25 on a 25.7-acre development at 2518 Mission College Blvd. The project will bring in 1,792 apartments, 268 of which will be affordable...