Max Shandeh has been frequenting Santana Row since it opened more than two decades ago to enjoy a cup of coffee or a delectable meal. When he came for his late afternoon run to a French-style bakery, he was surprised to find parking would no longer be free.
“I’m not happy with it. We come here and now it’s an extra cost,” Shandeh, 79, told San José Spotlight.
Santana Row implemented a parking fee after people shopping at Westfield Valley Fair across the street took advantage of the free parking and filled up the garages. Valley Fair rolled out parking fees in 2022 to control the number of people using its lots to park their cars elsewhere, Valley Fair management told San Josè Spotlight. They also claimed individuals were using the mall’s parking facility to avoid long-term parking fees when traveling out of Mineta San Jose International Airport.
Valley Fair employees protested when the charges were implemented and said the cost of parking took a bite out of their paychecks. It was left up to the retailers to decide if they would pay for employee parking.
Two Santana Row retail employees told San José Spotlight their employer plans to cover the costs of their parking passes, though they don’t know if that’s the case for everyone.
The first two hours of parking will be free. After that, every hour costs $2, with a daily maximum of $10. Federal Realty Investment Trust, principal owner and developer of Santana Row, is offering workers a $20 monthly rate or $2 per day.
“Introducing paid parking at Santana Row is a strategic decision to address the increased number of Valley Fair employees and customers using our parking spaces,” Federal Realty Investment Trust spokesperson Collette Navarrette told San José Spotlight. “By implementing these measures, we ensure that our guests and employees have better access to parking, enhancing their overall experience.”
Shandeh, who hails from Iran and moved to San Jose four decades ago, said he comes to Santana Row a few times a week to sip coffee or to meet with friends since he’s retired. It’s a way to fill his life with some color.
“I’d rather come here than to stay at home and watch TV,” he said.
Not everyone was upset about the new parking fees.
“I think it’s about time,” Jackie Hale, 72, told San José Spotlight. “Every garage in Sacramento charges.”
Hale, who lives in Sacramento, was spending time at Santana Row with her daughter Telissa Martinez. Martinez comes to Santana Row about twice a month from Morgan Hill to enjoy the restaurants and shopping.
“If you can afford to be shopping in Santana Row, you can afford to pay $2 to $4,” Martinez told San José Spotlight. “It’s not going to break anyone.”
Santana Row opened in 2002 as an upscale, mixed-use development of retail, restaurants and housing. It resembles a European city in design and features popular stores such as Lululemon, Madewell, Tesla and Kendra Scott. A farmers market happens every week there, along with live weekly concerts in the summer.
So far, paid parking has been implemented in one parking structure, with the rest to follow. It features ticketless technology that recognizes license plates and calculates the time spent at the Row.
Contact Joyce Chu at [email protected] or follow @joyce_speaks on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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