Small empty storefronts in a parking garage in San Jose
The four Moment artisan storefronts at San Pedro Square in San Jose are closed for construction. A $1.8 million art installation is planned for the Market Street parking garage scheduled to start Aug. 8. Photo by B. Sakura Cannestra.

San Jose is continuing to beautify its downtown with more public art projects, but at the expense of small businesses.

The city is installing another public art piece on the facade of the Market Street parking garage next to San Pedro Square, with construction expected during next year’s Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup games. Installation plans have forced the four Moment San Pedro artisan stores housed in the garage to close as of June 30. Moment is an incubator for small businesses, operating four micro-retail locations throughout downtown San Jose.

“It’s a real bummer,” Audrey Yeung, Moment program manager, told San José Spotlight. “We really love being there and we love working with the small businesses and it’s unfortunate (the San Pedro location had) to close.”

The San Jose City Council approved the $1.8 million art installation April 22 by artist Brian Brush. Once finished, the installation will feature an abstract composition of color and light interwoven with industrial materials and LED elements. Construction is scheduled to begin Aug. 8, according to a spokesperson for the city’s economic development department. The project’s website includes a timeline showing demolition is expected be finished before the 2026 Super Bowl, and the city anticipates completion of the installation by August 2027.

A rendering of the art installation planned for the Market Street garage overlooking San Pedro Square. Image courtesy of San Jose.

San Pedro Square is one of the city’s six entertainment zones, where certain curfew and alcoholic beverage rules are being relaxed for the events. A mural titled “Threads Woven” was painted over the length of promenade last June. It has dramatically changed San Pedro Square.

Yeung said they’d like to reopen the San Pedro locations by early 2027, but that depends on construction. Moment’s other micro-retail locations in downtown San Jose, including Post Street and Paseo de San Antonio, are unaffected by the closure. The four San Pedro spaces cost between $1,108 to $1,388 monthly, depending on the square footage.

She said Moment’s goal with the San Pedro location is to give small businesses a brick-and-mortar space in a highly trafficked area. Businesses in that location have a two-year maximum lease. Since opening in 2018, more than 20 different businesses have occupied the San Pedro storefronts. Three of the four businesses that closed due to construction didn’t complete their full leases, and could return when the space reopens — but Yeung said it’s too early to tell.

Mary Anne Batayola, owner and designer of Yours Truly, Mary Anne, said she knew she had a limited amount of time in the space, but she’s grateful to have had the opportunity. She sold art, clothes, stickers and other wares centered around mental health.

“I knew it was short term going into it so I really tried to maximize the time I had there, to know for sure what I enjoyed, what I don’t enjoy,” Batayola told San José Spotlight. “Even within the first two weeks or first month, I was like, ‘Yeah, I really love this. I don’t want it to end.'”

Batayola said the brick-and-mortar retail space gave her business more stability. She also sells her goods at artist popup events, including those organized by SJ Made, Moment’s sister company. Without the storefront, popup events are her main source of revenue, which can be inconsistent and volatile.

The storefront also gave her a place to host community events about the importance of mental health, which Batayola said is difficult to do without a physical space. She said she’s interested in reopening her store at the San Pedro location, as she was only there about four months before having to close.
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Jasmine Chan, owner of The Knotty Corgi, said she also wants to return to the San Pedro location after having to leave due to construction. But the renovation is so far out she’s unsure what might happen in the interim. She said without the storefront, she’s going back to relying on popup markets and online sales, which are less stable than having a brick-and-mortar.

Chan, who spent about four months in a San Pedro storefront, said it was a good opportunity to bond with people and bring in returning customers.

“It was a very positive experience, to know what it’s like to own something physical, and something a little bit more permanent,” Chan told San José Spotlight.

Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at [email protected] or @SakuCannestra on X. 

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