Showing posts with label san jose midtown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label san jose midtown. Show all posts

Saturday, February 24, 2024

New proposal for a Midtown San Jose Hyatt Place

We have some new renders for a six-story Hyatt Place in Midtown, just a few minutes by car or bus to Downtown San Jose. It appears to replace a parking lot and single-story building at 1470 W. San Carlos Street.

The design actually looks really nice for a midrise building. It's nice to see some color being used besides beige and gray. Given it's location and brand, this will likely be a moderately priced option for San Jose visitors.

With the Signia's second tower converting hotel rooms to student housing, we need all the rooms we can get close to Downtown San Jose for conventions and to support major events (Super Bowl, World Cup, etc.). 

Source: Silicon Valley Joe from Skyscraper City





Thursday, January 25, 2024

Chick-fil-A proposed near Downtown San Jose

Yet another Chick-fil-A is planned for San Jose. This one is technically in Midtown but is just a few blocks away from Downtown San Jose at 1301 West San Carlos Street. This was once the site of a Burger King with a drive-through. Several years after the restaurant closed the building was razed and turned into a parking lot.

Most of the restaurant would be on that empty parking lot, but one building with Taqueria Eduardo and two other small businesses would have to be torn down to make way for the Chick-fil-A if the project is approved.

The popular chain is also trying to open a new restaurant in Evergreen at the corner of East Capitol Expressway and Silver Creek Road in a Target parking lot.

Sunday, September 24, 2023

Updated design for 1881 West San Carlos in Midtown San Jose

1881 West San Carlos is a seven-story mixed-use project that replaces four 1-2 story buildings on a 1.23-acre lot. It's a prominent location facing San Carlos which is the core street that connects Downtown San Jose to Santana Row/Valley Fair.

The building will have 61 condominiums, 137 assisted-living senior apartments, and 109 memory-care senior apartments. Each floor has a nurse's station and activity room. For the condominiums, there will be a studio, 16 one-bedrooms, and 44 two-bedroom units. To support the new units, there is parking for 113 cars and 75 bicycles.

The ground floor has 6,000 SQFT of retail spread across four units. It is less than what will be torn down to build the project, but at least they are keeping retail as a component of the project. 

I really like the tapered design allowing for balconies in the rear of the building away from San Carlos Street. While it cuts into the possible square footage for the project, it looks a lot nicer and adds a practical amenity for residents. Midtown is such a key corridor that I wish they pushed the height limits a bit more, or at least used the roof of the building as amenity space. 

This is one of the few areas of San Jose that can support urban development without encroaching on suburban single-family areas. It also has easy access to transit with a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) station a 4 minute walk away and a normal bus station a block away. Either of those bus stops go to Santa Row/Valley Fair or Downtown San Jose (connecting with Light Rail at the Convention Center). 

This is a great improvement for the area and I'm hoping future projects will continue to raise the bar and density for the Midtown area.

Source: SF YIMBY








Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Affordable housing coming to Buena Vista neighborhood in Midtown San Jose

259 Meridian Avenue is the current site of a few 1-story commercial buildings built in 1958 that are tucked away behind W. San Carlos. This is the Buena Vista neighborhood or Midtown between Downtown San Jose, and Santana Row/Valley Fair (Uptown).

Developer Milestone Housing Group is proposing to build a 154-unit six-story project on this site. This developer specializes in affordable homes and teams with nonprofit organizations. The housing they build is typical for individuals and families that have a wide variety of specific needs, including veterans with disabilities, senior housing, and permanent housing for the unhoused.

This was just filed with the San Jose Planning Department, and there is no official ETA.

Source: The Merc




Wednesday, July 12, 2023

237 new apartments proposed for San Jose's Buena Vista neighborhood

Buena Vista is a midtown neighborhood that has not gotten much development love over the years. However, that might change with a proposed midrise on 1.3-acres encompassing an abandoned car rental business with three vacant commercial buildings and eight older homes.

The project backed by Urban Villas LLC would have 237 apartments (8 affordable), 17,000 SQFT of retail space on the ground floor, and 199 parking spaces. It would be designated as an urban village and include a 30-foot-wide paseo connecting it to another project with up to 256 apartments to the east.

It still has to go through all the proper city approvals and there is no ETA at this time.





Friday, June 9, 2023

Viva CalleSJ - Downtown Westbound

Viva Calle SJ is back for it's 2nd event of 2023! Miles of city streets will be completely shut down to let people walk, run, bike, unicycle, or skateboard down the streets of San Jose. 

Viva Calle Downtown Westbound features three activity hubs which are basically festivals-within-a-festival that highlight the local area. This time the activity hubs will be at San Carlos, Roosevelt Park, and SoFA. You can expect live music, vendors, food, activities, bike parking, and good times at all four hubs. In between the activity hubs you will still find all sorts of interesting stops, hydration stations, and stores. Up to 100,000 people attend this event, but it never feels crowded given how spread out it is.

Viva CalleSJ 2022 takes place on Sunday, June 11th from 10am to 3pm (streets are closed until 4pm). There is no beginning or end and the traffic flows in both directions. It's completely free and you can use the handy map below to locate the routes and festivities. For more info, head over here.








Sunday, May 21, 2023

Midtown Immersive Night Parties

Midtown San Jose is not typically an area where you see community events. The Abierto initiative is looking to change that with Midtown Immersive Night Parties. For the next four Fridays on a small tract of land in an industrial area you'll find Moveable Feast food trucks, a beer garden, a maker market, and live music.

This is a great way to discover a part of San Jose off the beaten path that is just minutes from Downtown San Jose and Santana Row. Again, it happens every Friday until June 16th from 5-9pm at 245 McEvoy Street. You don't need to RSVP, but you can to show your support over here.



Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Planned Developments along Stevens Creek Blvd.

CTA25 from the San Jose Development Forum created a nice map of all the development projects that are in progress along Stevens Creek and West San Carlos. This goes to show that the development boom is extending well outside of Downtown San Jose. Now all we need is a hyperloop or some other form of mass transit running along this corridor.

Click on the image below for the full resolution.


Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Hapa Brewery opens at Midtown Arts Mercantile

San Jose just welcomed its newest craft brewery, conveniently located at the Midtown Arts Mercantile (460 Lincoln Ave.). Hapas's Brewing Company is kicking things off with three different beers: a blond ale, and IPA, and a mocha porter. You can sample all three in their 1,000 SQFT taproom and outdoor patio. Eventually the selection will grow to eight beers and Hapa's is planning to bring in food trucks on weekends.

The taproom is open Wednesday-Thursday from 4pm-9pm, Friday from 3pm-9pm, Saturday from 11am-9pm, and Sunday from 11am-6pm. While you are there you can also check out Chromatic Coffee, Good Karma Bikes, and Terra Amico Studios. For more details, have a look at the full press release below or visit the Hapa's Brewing Company website.


Hapa’s Brewery, Inc. joins city’s robust brewing community

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Adding to a burgeoning craft beer scene in San José, Hapa’s Brewing Co. will celebrate the official opening on Saturday, Feb. 25 of its brewery and taproom inside Midtown Arts Mercantile – the former cannery turned artisanal “maker space” in the city’s Midtown neighborhood. The opening ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. at the facility, 460 Lincoln Ave.

The 7,500-square-foot facility is the brainchild of childhood friends Derek Tam and Brian Edwards, who started brewing in Edward’s mother’s Los Gatos home a couple of years ago as a hobby. As they worked to hone their craft, it didn’t take long to home in on a business opportunity.

“There were breweries popping up everywhere, and we realized San José is developing an active brewing ecosystem,” Tam said. “We said it would be so cool to come back to the area where we grew up and turn this hobby into an actual business.”

The pair joined up with experienced Sonoma County brewer Peter Burrell, with Edwards leaving his tech job to work full time alongside Burrell. About 18 months ago, the team signed a lease with San José-based SWENSON for space inside Midtown Arts Mercantile. The 40,000-squarefoot facility was designed from the ground up for manufacturers, artists, and creative retailers. Other occupants include Chromatic Coffee, Good Karma Bikes, and Terra Amico Studio.

San José Economic Development staff assisted the developer of Hapa’s Brewing with project review, seeing a chance to preserve a historic industrial building for modern “maker” uses.

"We know there's lots of demand for industrial uses throughout San José, and Hapa's arrival at Midtown Arts Mercantile shows these older buildings can be a perfect fit when creatively retrofitted," said Kim Walesh, Economic Development Director and Deputy City Manager for the City of San Jose. "We're happy to welcome Hapa's Brewing to the midtown neighborhood."

Hapa’s Brewing kicks off with three brews – including a blond ale, an IPA, and a mocha porter - as it ramps up to a planned eight taps. The facility comprises a 1,000 square foot taproom and an outdoor patio, complete with roll-up doors. While it doesn’t offer its own food, Hapa’s plans to bring in food trucks on weekend afternoons. For now, Hapa’s is focused on the taproom experience, and is researching wholesale agreements with local bars, restaurants, and grocers.

“Hapa’s is exactly the kind of tenant we are seeking for Midtown Arts Mercantile: A unique local business that will provide the neighborhood with a fantastic social gathering space,” said Forrest Cerrato, portfolio manager for real estate developer SWENSON.

Hapa’s joins a small but growing ecosystem of craft beer and other craft drink-related businesses in San José. In the last two years, San José’s venerable Gordon Biersch has been joined by Strike Brewing, Hermitage Brewing, Santa Clara Valley Brewing and Coterie Cellars. Last year, GigaYeast – which makes liquid yeast for commercial and home brewers – opened on Qume Drive.

For more information on Hapas Brewing, visit hapasbrewing.com.

About San José Office of Economic Development
The San José Office of Economic Development is committed to a vital, competitive San José
economy that increases prosperity for people and companies. OED guides the city’s economic
strategy, provides assistance for business success, connect employers with trained workers, and
provides art and cultural resources to our community. For more information, go to
sjeconomy.com.

About City of San José
San José, Capital of Silicon Valley, is the largest city in Northern California and the 10th largest
city in the nation, with an ethnically diverse population of more than one million. San José was
founded in 1777, once served as the state capital of California, and encompasses 180 square
miles. The City’s website is sanjoseca.gov.
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Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Midtown Art Mercantile bringing more "coolness factor" to San Jose

A 40,000 SQFT building at 430 Lincoln Avenue that was previously used as a canning plant and furniture warehouse has been transformed into a "maker space" for San Jose artisans. A third of the building is already leased to Chromatic Coffee, Hapa's Brewing, Good Karma Bikes, and Terra Amico Studio. It has the potential to become a trendy spot where people can shop local, have a pint of microbrew, and caffinate-up on the way out. Visit the source link for more info and photos.

Source: SJ Economy Blog



Monday, September 12, 2016

Viva Calle SJ 2016 is going down this Sunday

My favorite event in 2015 is returning this year with several improvements. During Viva Calle SJ, miles of city streets will be completely shut down to let people walk, bike, skateboard, or dance down the streets of San Jose. The route has changed a bit this year. Instead of extending to East San Jose, it will go to Japantown and Midtown instead and there will be even fewer intersections where the streets are not fully closed.

In 2016 there are four different "Activity Hubs," all of which are in new locations. These include the Arena Green in Downtown San Jose, W. San Carlos (Midtown), Willow Glen, and Japantown. Each hub has food, drinks, live music, vendors, and all-around good times. Last year I also noticed several stores and organizations were also setting up booths outside of the hubs. Try to visit as many as you can.

The event takes place Sunday, September 18th from 10am-3pm. It is completely free and has no designated beginning or end (it's not a race). You can use the handy map below to locate the routes and festivities. For more info, head over here. Hope to see you there!


Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Micro-apartments coming to West San Carlos Street

Could tiny apartments be a way to lower housing prices and quickly increase the housing supply in San Jose? Shad Design is planning to build 81 micro units on just 0.4 acres at 1470 West San Carlos Street (currently a used car lot). This area is halfway between Downtown San Jose and Santana Row, most commonly referred to as Midtown.

The plans call for three levels of apartments sitting on top of 7,200 SQFT of retail. Each floor would have 27 apartments. The units would each be 573 SQFT split across two floors--379 SQFT on the main level, 162 SQFT on a loft, and each come with a 32 SQFT closet. While small by San Jose standards, that is much larger than most micro-unit projects which can be as minuscule as 200 SQFT if you can imagine that. Ceilings will be 15 feet tall in the living room.

Rent will cost about 30% less than a typical San Jose apartment, yet these units will have a full kitchen, bathroom, and even a washer and dryer. It is an interesting project and I'm sure there will be substantial demand from young workers if this gets built.

Source: SVBJ


Monday, January 12, 2015

Two New Midtown Projects in the Works!

Robertee from the San Jose Development Forum discovered a couple new Midtown San Jose infill projects that are in the planning stages. Both are by the same developer which explains the similarities in design and are quite dense for the area. Check out the drawings below:

740 W San Carlos - 6-story residential building with 63 units and 3,130 SQFT of retail on the ground floor. Looks like there is a small park and hot tub on the podium as well as a terrace on the top floor.



777 W San Carlos (270 Sunol St.) - 5-story building with 148 residential units and 2,000 SQFT of retail on the ground floor. There is a swimming pool off to the side and terraces on the top floor and plenty of units with balconies.



Thursday, April 24, 2014

Indian Motorcycle Opening Up Shop in San Jose

A new Indian Motorcycle dealership clocking in at 8,988 SQFT is schedule to open at 460 Meridian Avenue this summer in a space that used to host a Diddams party supply warehouse. The location will carry both new and used Indian and Victory brand bikes, parts, apparel, and will also have a service shop.

When it opens, it will be the only Indian Motorcycle franchise in San Jose and one of two in the Bay Area. The grand opening weekend is schedule for June 28-29 and they will be celebrating with food, music, prizes, and test-rides.

Source: SVBJ


Monday, March 17, 2014

Another Apartment Project Proposed for Midtown

Fairfield Residential is proposing yet another dense project for midtown over at 800 W. San Carlos where the Cheim Lumber Yard used to be. Unfortunately there has not been much movement on previous projects such as the Ohlone (with 800 units). This new proposal is still in the very early stages, but they are shooting for 315 apartment units. You can't make out too much from black and white drawing below, but it does look like the design will be more eye catching than many of the apartment projects that have been recently built. It kind of reminds me of The Pierce which will go up in Downtown's SoFA District.

The plans also include a respectable and appreciated 23,500 SQFT of retail/restaurant/office space on the ground floors oriented along West San Carlos. Lightrail will also be nearby, providing plenty of transit options thanks to a quick connection to Diridon. I really hope to see this come to fruition soon instead of linger like some of the other midtown projects.

Source: SVBJ



Thursday, January 16, 2014

BASIS Private School Coming to San Jose

BASIS is responsible for some of the highest ranked charter schools in the country. There operate a dozen for-profit charters across DC, Arizona, and Texas. However, it looks like there are branching out to the private school system and are launching their first two in San Jose and Brooklyn.

The Silicon Valley campus will be located in Midtown San Jose (1290 Parkmoor) and will eventually accommodate 800 students. The plan is to offer education from grades 5 through 12, with tuition clocking in at $22,000 a year (wow, private schools are getting expensive).

The San Jose site was chosen deliberately so that they could be in the "heart of technological innovation." It seems like their culture will mesh quite well with Silicon Valley, which comes closer to a meritocracy than any other region in the world. BASIS does not believe in the traditional "elitist model of private education," there will be no boards made up of influential parents/donors, and there will be no fundraising efforts. The curriculum is heavily STEM-focused (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). 8th Graders have access to nine different math options and the curriculum will be both challenging and based on international standards.

This sounds like a school right up San Jose's alley! They are even constructing it in an office campus ;).

Source: SVBJ


BASIS Independent Silicon Valley will renovate this building at 1290 Parkmoor.
1290 Parkmoor


Monday, December 9, 2013

The Ohlone Project in Midtown is Put on Hold

Developer Green Republic--which is a combination of Barry Swenson Builder and Republic Urban Properties--has withdrawn plans for a 3-tower high-rise project in the Midtown area of San Jose (between Downtown and Santana Row). The point of contention seems to be the density and height of the project and a new park the developer would be required to build to service the neighborhood.

It doesn't seem that Green Republic could get this project financed as a hi-rise project, and instead would like to lower the density of the first phase and make it a mid-rise. The city reluctantly agreed and also conceded on retail and financing requirements, but would not budge on the requirement to build a four-acre park. That seems to be what is blocking the scaled down version of this project from moving forward.

This is still some hope. The developer and city both seem to want this project to happen, and this is more of a negotiation on terms than anything else.

Source: SVBJ

The proposed Ohlone development in San Jose's Midtown neighborhood is on hold as the developer says it can't make the project pencil out given conditions it agreed to earlier.


Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Meridian Mixed-Use Retail Tenants

It looks like some of the retail for the Meridian Mixed-Use project in Midtown San Jose is already spoken for. Based on the image below the project will have:
  • Chase Bank
  • Chipotle
  • Five Guys
  • Subway
  • A Yogurt Shop
  • A Day Spa

Not too shabby for a five story apartment building. In the past a project like this would have likely not received any retail at all.

Source: credit goes to an anonymous poster, speak up in the comments if you want the credit =)


Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Buena Vista Midtown Senior Apartments

Construction is now well underway for the Buena Vista apartment project in midtown. I don't believe that I have mentioned this project before. Buena Vista will have 95 units available for those that are 55-years-old and and meet income qualifications. The community will have several amenities and activity programs to serve residents, and the locations is right between Downtown and Santana Row. The project should be ready by next summer and you can see the full construction schedule below.

Thanks Mark for sending this in!


Hours of Construction

The City of San Jose has issued permit approvals for this development requiring that construction activity and deliveries occur Monday - Friday,  7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Additional notification and City approvals may be provided, for specific activities to be conducted outside of these hours such as on Saturdays.

Project Schedule & Sequencing

Construction will begin Thursday, May 9, 2013 and complete in approximately September of 2014.

Dates are approximate. For more detailed notifications and updates, sign up for Email Updates.
1.  May 9-17, 2013: Demolition
2.  May-June 2013: Mass Excavation (The process of digging the subterranean garage), with approximately 1-2 weeks of compaction, subject to change.
3.  Summer 2013: Concrete Pumps and Pouring
4.  Fall 2013: 1st Phase of Underground Utilities- Equipment in the streets and compaction
5.  September 2013 - January 2014: Framing the Building, cranes and manpower, delivery of prefabricated framing
6.  December 2013-June 2014: Finishes - Building in full swing with various trades (plumbers, electricians, drywallers, etc.)
7.  Summer 2014: 2nd Phase of Underground Utilities
8.  Summer 2014: Final touches, paving, landscaping, cleaning 

Truck Routes (Deliveries & Hauling)

All large equipment and trucks will be directed to enter from the southeast corner of the site and exit by continuing west on West San Carlos Street; they will be directed through signage not to turn north on either Buena Vista or Willard Avenues. The northern-most lane of W San Carlos Street will be closed during construction and pedestrian detours will be posted.

Closing the traffic lane adjacent to the site maximizes the "buffer" of distance between construction activity and the residences to the northwest, north, and northeast.

A roadway easement has been issued during construction allowing Fiesta Lane, adjacent to the Senior Apartment Site, to be used during construction for staging or equipment, as long as access is afforded to Townhome residents and visitors at all times.
Picture

Parking

Core Builders will instruct subcontractors arriving on site to park throughout public streets in a 2 block radius around the site in order to avoid parking inundation to any single area. The subterranean garage will be available to accommodate some construction parking when it is completed by late 2013.

Construction Informational Meeting

This meeting was held on May 2, 2013 at 6:00 p.m., and 17 attendees signed the sign-in sheet at the meeting. Download the
Agenda/Handout from the May 2 meeting below.

construction_meeting_handout_5-2-13.pdf
Download File

Contact Information

The Site Superintendent is Joel Hannagan of Core Builders. If you have questions or concerns regarding the construction of Buena Vista Midtown Senior Apartments on West San Carlos Street, please contact Joel at 408-373-0444 orjhannagan@thecorecompanies.com.

Main Point of Contact for Neighbors
Joel Hannagan, Site Superintendent: 
jhannagan@thecorecompanies.com, Cell: 408-373-0444 
Pieter Joosen – Project Manager, pjoosen@thecorecompanies.com Office Ph: (408) 293-9728 x36
Crystal Madeiros – Project Administrator, cmadeiros@thecorecompanies.com, Office Ph: (408) 293-9728 x17
Jim Feeley – Vice President of Construction, jfeeley@thecorecompanies.com, Office Phone: (408) 293-9728 x38

Mailing Address: Core General Contractor Inc.
dba CORE Builders
470 South Market Street
San Jose, CA  95113-2819

Monday, December 3, 2012

The Meridian Mixed-Use Project Has Broken Ground!

Barry Swenson and Republic Urban Properties have broken ground on the Meridian project in Midtown San Jose. This is going to be a massive project for the area with 218 apartments, a park, and 15,800 sqft of pedestrian-oriented retail divided into 8 different units. The corner retail unit seems to be reserved for a restaurant. Total price tag is going to clock in at $68M.

While it only rises to 5-stories, it will add quite a bit of density to Midtown and help better connect the Downtown San Jose area with Santana Row. Another bonus is that this project is close to transit.

Build out is going to take 2 years and one of our readers that lives across the street has reported that most of the site has already been leveled, including the Meyer Appliance building.

Sources: SJBJ, Heather