Santa Clara Seeks Developer to Rebuild Its Long-Lost Downtown

Santa Clara has released a request for proposals for a mixed-use project on roughly 4.8 acres of city-owned land at 900 and 1000 Lafayette Street. The site, near Santa Clara University, Caltrain, and the planned BART extension, is intended as the flagship property for a rebuilt downtown. Economic Development Director Reena Brilliot described it as a catalyst that can help restore the soul the city lost when much of its historic core was cleared in the 1960s for an urban renewal project that never materialized.

The RFP calls for at least 300 residential units, with 25 percent set aside as affordable, a two-story food and beverage hall, a town square, ground-floor retail, a theater that recreates the historic Santa Clara Theater, and additional community amenities. The requirements follow the city’s Downtown Precise Plan and Form-Based Code, developed after extensive community input. The current site includes Peddlers Plaza with several retail spaces and an older office building that would need major upgrades.

Brilliot noted that people often associate Santa Clara with Nvidia or Levi’s Stadium, yet the city has a deeper history. Restoring a walkable downtown with housing, gathering places, and cultural venues would give residents and visitors a central destination that has been missing for decades. The city is seeking a long-term ground lease partner and expects the selection process to take nine months to a year.

Proposals are due January 17, 2027. Interested developers must attend a mandatory pre-proposal conference on November 18. Details on the RFP and process are available through the City of Santa Clara website.

Source: SVBJ

Lazy Dog Brings Seasonal Comfort with Bold Twists to San Jose

Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar at 5305 Almaden Expressway has rolled out a seasonal menu that leans into fall cravings while adding unexpected edges. The San Jose location, with its lodge-style interior, fireplaces, and dog-friendly patio, started serving the new lineup on October 7. Menu availability can shift by location, so a quick check with the restaurant confirms what is on hand that day.

New dishes include Panko-Crusted Crab Cakes paired with an arugula and grapefruit salad, Hot Honey Black + Blue Flatbread layered with blackened chicken, bacon, blue cheese, and a hot honey drizzle, and Spicy Sausage + Burrata Rigatoni in a Calabrian chili cream sauce. Lomo Saltado combines pork tenderloin, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and fries in a soy-cumin sauce over rice. The Carolina Reaper Fried Chicken Sandwich brings extra heat with onion straws and coleslaw, and it also appears on the Happy Hour menu. Wagyu Beef + Bison Chili comes topped with cheese, sour cream, and housemade cornbread fries. Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake finishes the savory options for those who want a seasonal sweet.

A handcrafted TV Dinner of Three-Cheese Baked Rigatoni with garlic butter broccoli and strawberry butter cake is available as well. Cocktails include a Sour Apple Sloshie, Blood Orange Margarita (also offered as a shareable pitcher), and a Paper Plane. Non-alcoholic choices run to a Mango Matcha Tea Iced Latte and a Salted Caramel Cold Brew Iced Latte. The Honey Miso Chicken Bowl remains on the all-day Fireside Favorites menu, paired with a personal dessert.

Weekend brunch, daily Happy Hour, late-night service, and options for catering, takeout, and delivery round out the schedule. Details on current availability and reservations appear at lazydogrestaurants.com.

Muindi Foundation Hosts Free Community Art Auction Today at San Jose Clubhouse

The Muindi Foundation opens its third annual Community Art Auction today at the San Jose Clubhouse, 15480 Union Avenue. The free event runs noon to 8 p.m., with an open house until 4 p.m. and an auction party from 4 to 8 p.m. Visitors can walk through more than 100 original works by over 35 Bay Area artists, meet the creators, and see how an auction operates, all without any requirement to place a bid.

Proceeds from the auction support the foundation’s LearnNow programs. Those efforts expand academic support, tutoring, mentorship, and enrichment for under-resourced children and families in San Jose. The day includes complimentary champagne, wine, and appetizers along with live music. Online bidding, which opened October 16, closes at 8 p.m. today.

The San Jose Clubhouse, a historic Arts and Crafts bungalow built in 1910 and long associated with the We and Our Neighbors women’s club, provides an intimate setting for the gathering. Parking is available in the Union School District lot across the street. All ages are welcome, and admission remains free throughout the afternoon and evening.

Full catalog details, registration to bid, and additional information appear at MuindiArtAuction.auctria.events.

Supreme Crab AYCE Opens All-You-Can-Eat Seafood and Wagyu Spot at San Jose Market Center

Supreme Crab AYCE opened October 5 at 625 Coleman Avenue inside the San Jose Market Center, filling the former Sweet Tomatoes space next to Trader Joe’s and Blue Mango Thai. The roughly 7,500-square-foot restaurant seats 180 to 200 people and marks the concept’s third California location after Redwood City and San Francisco, with an additional site in Denton, Texas. CEO Queenie Chen signed a 15-year lease and hired 30 people across servers, chefs, and hosts.

The all-you-can-eat menu runs about $30 per person at lunch and $45 at dinner. Offerings include oysters, snow crab legs, wagyu, sushi, and a mix of Cajun-style seafood alongside other proteins. Chen noted that the format aims to serve full families rather than seafood specialists alone. “It cannot just be only the seafood, because the whole family, the kids, they're not going to like that much seafood, maybe, right?” she said. “They [can’t always] find a place to have both. We can say three plus: good sushi, good Cajun and good meat combinations.”

Demand has built quickly. Chen reported long lines, particularly at dinner, after the opening week. She added that customers from San Jose, Monterey, and Santa Cruz had already been driving to the earlier Peninsula locations. “In the beginning, we didn't think about expanding,” Chen said. “But after we opened, local customers liked it. They’re coming all the way from San Jose, Monterey and even Santa Cruz. I was surprised.”

The San Jose Market Center spans about 362,000 square feet and is anchored by Target, Sprouts, and Trader Joe’s. Other tenants include BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse and Chili’s. Slice House, the fast-casual pizza concept from 13-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani, is scheduled to open later at 685 Coleman Avenue in a former Blaze Pizza space. The center opened in 2006 under Cousins Properties of Atlanta and is managed by LaSalle Investment Management.

Details and reservations are available at supremecrabayce.com.

Source: SVBJ

South First Fridays Returns November 6 with Free Galleries and Live Performances Across SoFA

The November 6 edition of South First Fridays runs from 5 to 9 p.m. through the SoFA District and nearby blocks of Downtown San Jose. Galleries and museums stay open late with free admission for all ages. Street parking becomes free after 6 p.m., and city garages at South Third and San Carlos offer the standard 90-minute free window.

Anno Domini at 366 South First Street opens a tribute exhibition for Joseph Loughborough titled An Empire of the Lost. The London-based artist, who showed at the gallery multiple times over 13 years, died in June 2025. The works on view reflect his rapid charcoal process and interest in human figures drawn from expressionist and existential sources. KALEID Gallery at 320 South First hosts a reception for David Mejia’s solo show The Winter Solstice, a series of narrative pieces that draw on Northern European myths, shamanism, and a proto-Santa legend set in a mythic Stone Age.

MACLA at 510 South First presents Poetic Utterances by Viviana Paredes, using glass, light, sound, and organic materials to explore Indigenous and Latinx traditions alongside climate themes. Venezuelan dance group Dulce Tricolor performs during the evening. At the California Theatre, Opera San José stages free Opera on First from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., with live singing, the historic Wurlitzer organ, and a preview of the company’s upcoming Fiddler on the Roof. San Jose Jazz at 310 South First runs the SJZ Break Room Jazz Jam, opening with the U19s and Michael Webster Group before an all-ages open jam.

The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art at 560 South First shows Greg Ito’s To Give and Take and closes its silent auction with snacks, drinks, and music from 6 to 9 p.m. The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles at 520 South First exhibits Soft Structures: The Female Body as Labor and Resistance. In the Historic District, Chopsticks Alley Gallery and Works/San Jose share space at 38 South Second Street with exhibitions on food, migration, and housing insecurity, plus a 7 p.m. cooking-and-light presentation. Phantom Galleries at The Pierce features Eddie Ramirez’s Points of Perspective with live music by Mike Huguenor. Additional shows continue in the Martha Gardens District.

Full venue list and maps appear at southfirstfridays.com.

San Jose Leads Nation in Share of Jobs Exposed to AI Automation

A Business Journals analysis places the San Jose metro area at the top of a national ranking of cities where AI automation could affect the largest share of local workers. Nearly 29 percent of the total workforce in the area falls into occupations the study identifies as most vulnerable. That figure exceeds Washington, D.C. at 27.7 percent, Durham at 26.7 percent, Seattle at 26.6 percent, and Austin at 25.4 percent.

The ranking draws on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for occupation counts and wages, then filters those numbers against U.S. Census figures for total workers and for Gen Z workers ages 18 to 27. Occupations are weighted according to the Eloundou study scores that estimate how many tasks within a job AI can perform. Metros with heavy concentrations of professional services, technology, business, finance, computing, and information roles score highest. Those categories include software engineers, credit analysts, financial managers, database administrators, and writers. Cities built more around physical, service, or hospitality work rank lower because those jobs require in-person interaction that current generative AI tools do not readily replace.

San Jose’s position reflects its long concentration of knowledge-work roles rather than a sudden shift. The same analysis notes that Gen Z workers across the top 100 metros tend, on average, to hold positions less exposed to automation, often because many are still in retail, food service, personal care, or construction roles. New York-New Jersey shows the highest Gen Z exposure at 18.1 percent. Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Salt Lake City appear in the top ten for both overall workers and Gen Z workers.

Observers quoted in the coverage point out that the most exposed tasks tend to be repeatable, digital, and low-context work such as basic writing, simple research, scheduling, and routine administrative follow-up. Those duties once formed common entry points into office careers. Critical thinking, interpersonal skills, and the ability to identify questions others have not asked remain harder for current systems to replicate. Separate surveys of executives have found widespread AI adoption alongside limited measured effects on productivity or employment in the past three years. Local governments in other regions have begun placing limits on new data-center projects amid broader concerns, though San Jose’s economy continues to generate demand for both technical and support roles.

The ranking underscores how tightly the local job mix is tied to the industries building and deploying AI tools. Workers and employers in the area will continue to adjust task boundaries and skill requirements as the technology evolves. For now, the data show San Jose with the highest measured exposure among large U.S. metros.

Source: SVBJ

Fountain Restaurant at Signia by Hilton Hosts Thanksgiving Feast in Downtown San Jose

Families looking for a holiday meal without the full kitchen production can head to Fountain Restaurant inside Signia by Hilton San Jose for a Thanksgiving buffet on November 26. The hotel at 170 South Market Street is offering a spread that mixes classic holiday dishes with California ingredients. Adults pay $125, children ages 5–12 pay $62.50, and children under 5 dine free. Prices exclude tax, gratuity, and alcoholic beverages.

The buffet centers on citrus-brined roasted turkey served with California citrus-cranberry confit and herb and fennel stuffing. Slow-roasted bone-in prime rib arrives with Yorkshire pudding. Other savory options include pumpkin gnocchi with turkey sausage in a creamy pumpkin sauce, plus chef stations for sushi, sashimi, and a chilled seafood bar. A farmer’s market table holds artisanal salads, grilled vegetables, cheeses, and charcuterie. Desserts feature an assortment of holiday pies, cherry jubilee, bananas foster, and a chocolate fountain with fruits and treats.

Seatings run from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The hotel is also offering a special valet parking rate of $15 for the first three hours, then $2 per additional hour. Reservations are available through OpenTable.

The restaurant sits in the heart of Downtown San Jose, across from Plaza de San Jose and within walking distance of the San Jose Convention Center.

Apni Mandi Plans 24-Hour Grocery Store for Campbell’s Wing Center

Shoppers in the South Bay who already know Apni Mandi from its locations in Milpitas, Fremont, and Sunnyvale can look ahead to a larger presence in Campbell. The Indian grocery chain has advanced plans for a roughly 26,000-square-foot store at Wing Center on West Campbell Avenue, a space previously occupied by Big Lots. Campbell’s Planning Commission approved the conditional use permit in September 2026, clearing the way for 24-hour operations, off-site alcohol sales, a bakery, and an on-site butcher.

The project calls for a modest interior mezzanine of about 920 square feet along with exterior facade updates and parking lot adjustments. Once open, the store would join a growing cluster of specialty grocers serving South Asian communities across the region. Apni Mandi’s existing Bay Area locations already emphasize fresh produce, prepared foods such as chaat and curries, and round-the-clock access at some sites. The Campbell version is described as one of the chain’s more upscale formats.

A separate Apni Mandi opened in Dublin in late October 2026 at Fallon Gateway Center and also runs 24 hours. That opening brought the chain’s Bay Area count to four stores before the Campbell addition, which reports indicate could arrive as early as spring 2027. The Dublin store has drawn crowds for its combination of groceries and a prepared-food counter, a model the Campbell location is expected to expand.

The move fills a vacant anchor space in a multi-tenant shopping center near the intersection of West Campbell Avenue and South Bascom Avenue. For residents who currently drive to Milpitas or Sunnyvale for specific ingredients, the new store would shorten those trips while adding another late-night option in an area that has seen steady retail turnover. Campbell’s recent activity has included other food and retail proposals along Hamilton Avenue and in the Pruneyard, so the Apni Mandi project fits a broader pattern of filling empty retail pads with destination businesses.

Details on exact opening timing and final tenant improvements remain subject to construction schedules. In the meantime, the chain’s website lists its current addresses and notes 24-hour service at the Dublin location for anyone wanting to sample the concept before the Campbell store arrives.

Source: SVBJ

San Jose Rolls Out Speed Cameras With Citations Starting in Early 2027

Drivers across San Jose will soon encounter a new layer of enforcement on local streets. The city is installing 33 speed safety camera systems under a five-year pilot authorized by state law AB 645. Warning notices for vehicles traveling at least 11 miles per hour over the posted limit begin December 14, 2026. Citations follow in early 2027 after a minimum 60-day warning period at each site, with fines ranging from $50 for 11-15 mph over to $500 for extreme speeds.

The cameras sit at locations chosen for crash history, proximity to schools, hospitals, and senior centers, and distribution across all ten council districts. Each unit photographs only the rear license plate and flashes when triggered. No video is recorded, and images do not capture drivers or passengers. A Department of Transportation staff member reviews every potential citation before it goes out. Data stays confidential under city privacy policies and is not shared with other agencies except by court order.

From 2021 through 2025, speeding was the primary cause of 5,313 crashes in San Jose, resulting in 265 severe injuries and 41 deaths. City officials have pointed to results from San Francisco, where excessive speeding near cameras dropped roughly 85 percent within 18 months, as one reason for moving ahead. San Jose is the last of the six California cities allowed to pilot the technology. The program was delayed after an expected $8.5 million federal grant did not arrive, so the city has used local funds for installation and operations. Any citation revenue must be reinvested in the system or other street safety projects.

Mayor Matt Mahan and Vice Mayor Pam Foley have framed the cameras as one tool alongside existing Vision Zero efforts. The five-year pilot must conclude and report results by early 2032 at the latest. Locations continue to come online through early 2027, so drivers who regularly use corridors such as Saratoga Avenue, Alum Rock Avenue, or Capitol Avenue may want to check the city’s transportation department map for exact placements as installation finishes.

The shift places a measurable cost on speeding before more serious consequences occur. How the pilot performs will determine whether the city expands the approach or adjusts it based on the data collected.

Source: San Jose Inside

Happy Halloween 2026! 🎃🦇👻

Hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween tonight! If you have a favorite neighborhood for trick-or-treating please post it in the comments here or on X. The amazing house below is in Willow Glen on Lupton Ave.