In the heart of Silicon Valley, local policies and laws, especially on land use and the economy, shape our way of life. But key policy discussions don’t always happen in public. Despite a global pandemic shuttering in-person meetings for more than a year, a data analysis by San José Spotlight found lobbying remains to be...
Post
Charles W. Davidson dies at 90 and leaves an altruistic legacy
Lifelong Silicon Valley philanthropist and legendary housing developer Charles W. Davidson died this week at age 90, but his legacy of giving lives. Friends and colleagues say Davidson, the city’s affordable housing champion, extended his unyielding generosity until his last moments. In addition to building low-income housing projects across the city, Davidson is perhaps most...
Post
Historic or racist? San Jose lawmakers debate new designation
An effort to create a new historic district in an affluent part of San Jose is raising concerns the city is memorializing segregation and racism. Elected leaders voted 4-1 at a City Council committee meeting this week to nominate a new historic district near downtown called The Alameda Park/Schiele Avenue Historic District. Councilmember Dev Davis championed...
Post
San Jose development leaves residents, local groups wanting more
Renee Heymann, owner of K9 Keep Fit, a dog daycare across the street from the Cambrian Park Plaza in San Jose, relies on the plaza’s iconic carousel sign to tell customers where her business is. “It’s nostalgic,” Heymann said of the plaza. “Everyone knows this place. It has a quaintness to it.” A massive redevelopment of...
Post
San Jose commission delays decision on flea market development
With hundreds of flea market vendors holding their breath, a San Jose panel chose to pause discussions on a major development—at least for now. At the center of the debate is a plan to densify a portion of the iconic flea market on Berryessa Road in San Jose. The proposal seeks to approve up to...
Post
San Jose takes steps to get hospitality employees back to work
Losing her job at the DoubleTree hotel in San Jose during the pandemic meant Maria De Rueda could no longer afford to send her son to college. She got laid off after 21 years of service. “We had to tell our son that we could no longer afford his university tuition,” she said. “I want to...
Post
Winner revealed: A look at San Jose’s new iconic landmark
A worldwide contest to create an iconic landmark in downtown San Jose is over — and a winner has been chosen. After a lengthy public process, judges selected The Breeze of Innovation from nearly 1,000 submissions. Fernando Jerez, the director of SMAR Architecture Studio, which has offices in Australia and Spain, designed Breeze of Innovation....
Post
San Jose police expect rise in sexual assault reports as shelter in place lifts
As Santa Clara County moves into the less restrictive orange tier, San Jose police are bracing for an alarming uptick in reports of sexual violence. Police suspect many cases of sexual violence that took place in 2020 behind closed doors have gone unreported due to shelter in place orders. “When the COVID-19 pandemic began, there was...
Post
Local rent relief is on its way in San Jose
San Jose is one step closer to getting financial relief to landlords and tenants who’ve struggled to pay their bills during the pandemic. The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously accepted $30,379,739.90 in emergency rental assistance from the federal government. San Jose is divvying the funds between community-based organizations to reach residents that state...
San Jose responds to wage theft allegations, safety hazards at homeless housing site
San Jose leaders will withhold payment on a homeless housing project after a San José Spotlight article revealed widespread allegations of wage theft and safety violations. The city also launched an investigation. The project, located at Monterey and Bernal Roads in San Jose, is one of three emergency housing sites citywide created for homeless residents...