New Ross store coming to East San Jose

A former site of a 23,700 SQFT Rite Aid at 1030 South White Road is going to get a new tenant. Ross has just signed a 10-year lease (with options to extend another 10 years). This is in the White Road Plaza shopping center anchored by a Cardenas Markets and dd's Discounts.

As many big box stores have been closing in recent years, it opens up opportunities for retailers like Ross that are financially performing well. It will also be nice to have access to another clothing store for the Alum Rock/East San Jose community.

Source: The Mercury News

Outdoor Adventure hub coming to Santa Clara/North San Jose area in January

AVE Santa Clara, at 2240 Calle de Luna, is setting a new standard for apartment living in Silicon Valley with its launch of the AVEnture Hub. Offering first move-ins in January 2025, residents get free access to an array of outdoor gear—from bikes to kayaks—encouraging exploration of our local amenities.

Lea Anne Welsh of AVE explains, "It's about enriching life with nature's playground." The hub includes:

• Varied Equipment: For all adventure types.
• User-Friendly App: For gear scheduling.
• Social Space: To connect and plan adventures.

Steve Edwards from Ensemble Investments adds, "We're making outdoor adventures accessible and communal."

Beyond the adventure hub, AVE Santa Clara boasts luxury amenities and is steps from Clara’s Junction. With 311 units, both furnished and traditional, it's redefining Silicon Valley living. Applications are open at AVE Santa Clara's site.

Downtown San Jose could be getting a new pet store/hotel/daycare

The "Workingman's Emporium" retail store in Downtown San Jose at North First and Devine Street has been bought by a pet services entrepreneur. The plan is now to convert the 7,900 SQFT property into a care facility and retail store for pets. This would include pet boarding, daycare, and grooming. 

With so many new homes and residents in Downtown San Jose, this will be a major amenity for pet owners that is just a short walk from most major Downtown residential buildings. 

No ETA was provided but given the owner already has has experience in this space and another store that is currently open (Pet Villa in Santa Clara), I wouldn't expect it to be a long wait before the grand opening. 

Source: SiliconValley.com 

New San Jose mixed-use project moves forward with 1,100 homes and a Whole Foods

A massive project could be headed for a shopping center at the corner of Saratoga and Lawrence Expressway across the street from Westgate. The area would be developed into a mini-Santana Row anchored by Whole Foods. In total, it would have 1,100 residential units across several multi-story buildings sitting on top of 165,000 SQFT of retail. 

The Whole Foods would be the only single-story building on the property (to simplify financing and construction). However, that is just 43,000 SQFT of the overall project. The layout would include a retail "main street" and a new neighborhood park. 

Unlike most new projects of this scale in San Jose, there won't be an affordable housing component. Everything will be market rate. However, increasing the overall housing supply has a negative effect on prices across the board and 1,100 homes is a significant number.

Source: The Mercury News

Long-vacant Market by Safeway space finally finds a tenant

The 88 high-rise is finally getting a new anchor tenant! When the condo tower was first built, there was a lot of excitement to have a Safeway in the middle of downtown San Jose, even though it was a scaled back "Market" concept. Safeway struggled with parking, which most Safeway customers in Silicon Valley were accustomed to getting for free. Once they started charging for parking it was game over.

Now, four years later, OneMedAll will be taking that vacant 24,000 SQFT space at the corner of 100 S. Second. This location will focus on oral and general medical care. You can learn more about the company at the OneMedAll website.

I would have loved to see another grocery store here on this key corner spot, but who couldn't use a bit more health and wellness.

Source: SVBJ

Block 2

If you liked yesterday's unique Market Street Towers renders, Sobrato has another flagship project right around the corner that we'll call "Block 2" until an official name is released. It is located on East San Fernando St. between S 1st St. and S 2nd St.

The project looks like several stacked glass Tetris pieces with multiple sky gardens between them. This would be one of the most interesting and unique buildings Downtown if it gets built.

The schematic shows new ground floor retail, which like Market Street Towers would fill a critical gap or deadzone Downtown. Currently the only thing on this piece of land is a surface parking lot.

Above the retail and lobby would be four floors of parking and 12 floors of offices. Each floor appears to have two sky gardens, which are four-story cutouts from the main building shell. Impressive!

Source: Market Street Towers

Market Street Towers

Sobrato has just release some new renders for their Market Street Towers project. The building design is iconic. I can't say that I have seen anything like this anywhere else. While it looks like four separate towers, it is actually a single 584,658 SQFT office building with floor plates as large as 51,605 SQFT.

The ground floor will have 16,372 SQFT of new retail, which fills a dead zone between the Paseo between the Fairmont buildings and San Carlos Street. Currently this is just a surface parking lot. Speaking of parking, there will be 683 parking spaces and 152 bicycle stalls, something that will also come in handy on the weekends when the offices are closed.

My favorite part of the project is the roof, which features not one but two sky gardens with over 25,000 SQFT of combined space. The views should be incredible as you can see from the 2nd and 3rd images below.

To see more photos and 360 degree views, head over to the Market Street Towers marketing site. Tomorrow we'll post renders for another Sobrato project in the area.

Apple is building a flagship two-story store in San Jose

San Jose is finally getting an Apple store worthy of being in Silicon Valley! As part of Westfield's $1.1 billion expansion, Apple will move to a two-story location facing the new Santana Row-style outdoor dining district. In the image below I marked where I think it could go. Based on the description it could be anywhere on the walkway closest to Stevens Creek Boulevard and it will feature both indoor and outdoor areas.

Westfield is calling this out as an "anchor" tenant for their expansion which will have over 150 new retail stores, multiple new restaurants, and a Bloomingdale's department store. Apple tends to pull out all the stops for their flagship locations and I can't see what they come up with for San Jose.

Source: SVBJ

BALDWIN opened their first Bay Area store at Santana Row

San Jose has scored another exclusive retail launch. BALDWIN is a boutique clothing retailer featuring premium American-made denim. The Kansas City-based label was lauded by both GQ Magazine and Vogue. Their first location in Northern California just opened last week at Santana Row.

To celebrate, BALDWIN is hosting a grand opening celebration from March 22-25. Visitors will receive a complimentary tote bag and 20% off a purchase of $200 or more.

For more about BALDWIN, check out their website over here.

First Amazon Books in Northern California is coming to San Jose

In the ultimate irony, Amazon is now opening up physical bookstores. Yes, the same Amazon that took down pretty much all brick-and-mortar bookstores in the US.

The first Amazon Books anywhere in Northern California is coming to Santana Row, one block away from where a two-story flagship Borders once existed. The Amazon store will be about 5,500 SQFT and prices will be exactly the same as the website if you are a Prime member. Amazon is even planning to somehow incorporate user reviews in the physical store.

Amazon Books will be located at 333 Santana Row, Suite 2. It will also be joined by a second Silicon Valley Northern Californian location in Walnut Creek later this year.

Source: SVBJ, hat tip to Corin for sending this in!

Update: As pointed out in the comments, Walnut Creek is not in Silicon Valley

More details on the Valley Fair expansion

We have been waiting a long time for the repeatedly-delayed Valley Fair expansion, but now plans are getting very real. Westfield has a video showcasing the massive 624,000 SQFT expansion. I can't give you a direct link or embed it, but all you have to do is go to this page, and scroll down to the middle of the page.

The official price tag will clock in at a whopping $1.1 billion. Given it is one of the most profitable retail centers in the world, I'm sure that investment will pay off.

The video starts off with a lot of nice things to say about us as consumers:

The heart of Silicon Valley
#1 Wealthiest Metropolitan Area in the U.S.
#1 Highest Median Home Value in U.S.
#1 Center for Technology and Innovation in the World
#1 Fastest Growing County in U.S.
Highest Concentration of Millionaires and Billionaires in the U.S.
Hyper Educated
Hyper Entrepreneurial

Then it goes into some of the details...

624,000 SQFT Expansion
Upscale Cinemas
150 New Retail Shops
New Flagship Bloominddails
Luxury Vallet and Elegant Outdoor Dining

And then you get the posh renders of what is being planned. I grabbed a few images from the video, but recommend watching it to get the full effect.

Huge thanks to Joe Meduri for sending this in!

Sprouts@Brokaw updates

North San Jose is going to get a much-needed 145,000 SQFT retail center at the corner of East Brokaw and Oakland. Last month we found out that two of the anchor tenants would be Sprouts Farmers Market and Ross (in fact they are calling the project Sprouts@Brokaw). It looks like they have now pretty much leased the whole project. Here is the full list of tenants so far:

• Anchors
• Sprouts Farmers Market
• Ross
• Homegoods
• ULTA
• Retail/Amenity
• Sleep Train
• Wells Fargo
• Banfield Pet Hospital
• The Joint Chiropractic
• Restaurants
• The Asian Box (second location South of Mountain View)
• Yalla Mediterranean (first in the South Bay)
• Poke Love 
• The Habit Burger Grill
• MOD Pizza
• Rubio's
• Jersey Mike's

I have to say that I'm pretty surprised at the restaurant options so far--in a good way. Three on the list will be the first location for that restaurant in San Jose. Even though they are all fast-casual, it is a terrific food lineup for the location. Across the street you also have Koja Kitchen, which is the only brick-and-mortar location in Silicon Valley for what has to be one of the best food trucks in the Bay Area. I feel like in general San Joseans are demanding more unique and higher-quality food options, and that is definitely a great thing.

Source: SVBJ

Bass Pro Shops Opens San Jose Store

There are very few retailers out there with fans that are willing to drive 50+ miles and plan their whole day around a store visit. Bass Pro Shops is on that short list. They officially opened their San Jose store on Almaden Expressway a couple weeks ago, which is the only one in the Bay Area and the fourth in all of California. About 10,000 people came for the grand opening.

The San Jose store is larger than an average Costco at 145,000 SQFT. It features a huge array of camping, hunting, fishing, boating, and general outdoor gear. If that wasn't enough, it has its own 12-lane underwater-themed bowling alley, a seafood restaurant, a full bar, an indoor archery range, and a 15,000 gallon aquarium worthy of a zoo. The store employs over 200 people.

Bass Pro Shops is located at 5160 Cherry Avenue and is open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 9pm and Sunday from 10am to 8pm.

Source: SVBJ

Santana Row November and December 2015 News and Events

San Jose, CA  - The holidays are weeks away and Santana Row is in the midst of planning very special celebrations to mark the season. This year, Santana Row partners with Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area to help grant a wish for a teen with cancer who is dreaming of seeing Paris. She’ll be part of the annual tree-lighting event, a spectacular annual tradition at Santana Row.

In December, get all your shopping done during the Holiday Open House, a benefit for Second Harvest Food Bank and get ready to count down to 2016!

Sephora Grand Opening
Friday, Nov. 6
Discover the latest in beauty at Sephora’s Santana Row location! Explore its unrivaled selection of makeup, skin care, fragrance and more from classic and emerging brands.
The 5,339 square-foot store is located next to Sino restaurant.

Go Niners!
Take the Round Trip Shuttle to Levi’s Stadium from Santana Row
Avoid the headache of game day traffic! Take the shuttle from The Row to Levi’s Stadium for a hassle-free day that starts with easy parking, shopping and dining perks.
Shuttles leave exactly two hours before game time.
Games:
Sunday, Nov. 8, Niners. vs. Falcons (departs at 11:05 a.m.)
Sunday, Nov. 29, Niners vs. Cardinals (departs at 11:05 a.m.)
Sunday, Dec. 20, Niners vs. Bengals (departs at 3:30 p.m.)
Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, Niners vs. Rams (departs at 11:25 a.m.)

The shuttle registration begins about 30 minutes before departure time. Registration and shuttles are located near the CineArts Theatre.
Your $30 ticket includes:

• Round trip transportation to Levi’s Stadium
• Free parking at Santana Row
• Santana Row shopping and dining incentives

Details:
When you arrive at Santana Row, park your vehicle in the designated, secured parking lot on Winchester Boulevard in the former Century 21 Theatre area. Walk across Winchester Boulevard to Olsen Drive where the registration table and bus will be waiting to load in front of the theater. The bus departs at the scheduled time (two hours prior to game time), and will not wait for passengers.

Levi’s Stadium drop-off site:
The bus will park at the official shuttle drop-off location at the stadium. One hour after the conclusion of the game, the bus will depart from the same location. All passengers not on bus at the specified departure time, will not receive transportation back to Santana Row.

Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too: “Give Thanks”
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 10 a.m. to noon
The holidays remind us to pull together and help those less fortunate. November’s program encourages kids to bring a canned food item that will be donated to Second Harvest Food Bank. Holiday fun includes face painting, balloon animals, arts and crafts Kids will be entertained by music and live performances.

Details: 10 a.m. to noon at Park Valencia. In the event of rain, the location moves to CineArts Theatre. Mommy & Me & Daddies, Too is a free kids’ club held on the second Tuesday of every month from May through December. For more information, call 408.551.4611 or visit SantanaRow.com.

Santana Row’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony
Celebrating the Season with Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area
Tuesday, Nov. 17
Santana Row is delighted to announce its partnership with Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area, an organization which helps make wishes come true for local children such as Lili. Lili is 14 years old and battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer that affects white blood cells. Make-A-Wish paper stars can be purchased in the Santana Row concierge office during the month of November and Lili’s wish will be celebrated during the Tree Lighting Ceremony at 7 p.m.

The festivities begin at 3 p.m. with an Elf on the Shelf Scavenger hunt. The fun continues throughout the evening with live music, costumed characters, carolers and performances by local theater and dance groups. The highlight of the night takes place in Santana Row Park with the lighting of the 40-foot Christmas tree, one of the most anticipated holiday events in Silicon Valley. There’s also a rousing performance by the Academy of Villains from America's Got Talent (the group appeared on season 7) and So You Think You Can Dance (season 11 and 12). Many of the restaurants will offer dining specials, kid-friendly menus and holiday-themed cocktails during the event. In-store parties and hot chocolate sampling will also add to the festivities!

Details:

• Support Lili and Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area with a donation in any amount through the organization’s paper stars campaign. The stars can be purchased during November at Santana Row concierge and Lili’s wish will be celebrated during the tree-lighting ceremony.
• Get your Elf on a Shelf scavenger hunt list at Santana Row concierge, visit each location, spot the elf and get a sticker. Return your card to concierge to receive a prize. One lucky winner will receive a $250 Santana Row gift card!
• 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Photos with Santa in the antique San Jose Fire Department truck in Park Valencia. Donate a toy for the annual Toys for Tots drive and take a photo with Santa! Live children’s entertainment.
• 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: Tree Lighting Ceremony in Santana Row Park featuring a live performance from Ballet San Jose’s The Nutcracker; Children’s Musical Theatre’s Marquee Production of The Little Mermaid; and a very special performance straight from America's Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance--the Academy of Villains!
• 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Live music, choirs, carolers and photos with Alice in Wonderland from Ballet San Jose. Activities for children and families in Oak Tree Lounge.
• Start your holiday shopping: If you spend $200 or more on Tuesday, Nov. 17, present your dated receipts to the Santana Row concierge and you will receive a free pair to tickets to The Nutcracker performed by Ballet San Jose. Tickets are available while supplies last.

“Dear Santa…”
Write a letter to Santa and get a letter back!
November 17 through December 10
Write a letter to Santa and receive a reply! Beginning Nov. 17, every child who leaves a letter for Santa in the mailbox outside of the Santana Row concierge office will receive a reply from the red-clad, jolly fellow! Each letter must include the child’s name and a mailing address. The letters must be dropped in the box by Dec. 10. Concierge is located near the garage between Sino restaurant and Left Bank Brasserie.

Cars & Croissants
Nov. 28 and every fourth Saturday of the month through December
9 a.m. to noon
Santana Row partners with 100 OCT to present Cars & Croissants on The Row, a monthly gathering for exotic car owners and car enthusiasts. On the fourth Saturday of the month through December, exotic car owners are invited to park on Santana Row Boulevard from Alyssum Lane to Tatum Boulevard, display their cars and mingle with other enthusiasts. The morning meet-up for coffee, croissants and cars drew 400 people and 60 cars during the first event and continues to grow in popularity. This event is free and open to the public.

The Santa Cruz Mountains Makers Market
Saturday, Nov. 28, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Park Valencia
Maker's Market Santa Cruz is coming back to Santana Row, just in time for holiday shopping! Craftspeople, artisans and other creative types will set up their unique, handmade wares in Santana Row Park near Left Bank brasserie and Village California Bistro. The Maker’s Market is dedicated to supporting the community by giving local artists, crafters, culinary creators and musicians a venue to showcase and sell their goods at a regular market while also financially benefiting a local non-profit, Mountain Community Resource which helps families and the elderly in need with food, medicine, and other necessities.

Santa Paws, a Benefit for the Humane Society Silicon Valley
Sunday, Dec. 6, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Your furry friends are ready for their holiday close up! Bring your canine and feline friends to Santana Row's Park Valencia for a keepsake photo with Santa Claus.
Photos are $20 with a portion of the proceeds going to the Humane Society Silicon Valley. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. in Park Valencia.

Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too: “Celebrate the Season”
Tuesday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m. to noon
The last Mommy & Me of the year will be held in the lobby of the CineArts Theatre and will include live entertainment from Andy Z, story time with Mrs. Claus, treats, craft-making and more holiday fun!

Details: 10 a.m. to noon in the lobby of CineArts Theatre. Mommy & Me & Daddies, Too is a free kids’ club held on the second Tuesday of every month from May through December. For more information, call 408.551.4611 or visit SantanaRow.com.

Holiday Open House, a Benefit for Second Harvest Food Bank
Tuesday, Dec. 8, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Give to those in need while you complete your holiday shopping during Santana Row’s Holiday Open House, a benefit for Second Harvest Food Bank, which provides groceries and food to families and individuals in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
Purchase a $40 ticket on SantanaRow.com or at the Concierge center and receive complimentary food and wine tastings in Santana Row shops and restaurants, a signature Santana Row wine glass and exclusive shopping discounts. Enjoy holiday fashion modeling and special seasonal offerings. Bring a donation of canned food into concierge when you purchase your ticket and receive $5 off the ticket. (Customers must be 21 years or older.)

Celebrate Chanukah at Santana Row
Sunday, Dec. 13, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Park Valencia* near Maggiano’s restaurant
Santana Row celebrates the Jewish Festival of Lights in Park Valencia with family activities that include decorating dreidels, Jewish story time, arts and crafts and the lighting of the Menorah.
*In the event of rain, this event will be held inside the via between Left Bank and Sino restaurants.

Cars & Croissants, last gathering of the year
Dec. 26 and every fourth Saturday of the month
9 a.m. to noon
Santana Row partners with 100 OCT to present Cars & Croissants on The Row, a monthly gathering for exotic car owners and car enthusiasts. On the fourth Saturday of the month from spring through December, exotic car owners are invited to park on Santana Row Boulevard from Alyssum Lane to Tatum Boulevard, display their cars and mingle with other enthusiasts. The morning meet-up for coffee, croissants and cars drew 400 people and 60 cars during the first event and continues to grow in popularity. This event is free and open to the public.

New Year’s Eve at Hotel Valencia
Dec. 31
Ring in the New Year in white and gold at the hottest spot on Santana Row. Hotel Valencia’s New Year's Eve celebration is always the toast of the town! Bid farewell to 2015 and welcome 2016 by taking advantage of the holiday package.

New Year’s Eve Valencia Masquerade Gala includes:

• Luxury guest room for two
• Champagne upon arrival
• Admission to the Masquerade Gala featuring a DJ and an assortment of festive food stations
• Midnight Champagne toast
• Grand deluxe breakfast with mimosas, served on New Year's Day
• Late check-out at 1 p.m. on New Year's Day
• *Guests are encouraged to bring their own festive masks as limited quantities will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Rates from $585 per room, per night, double occupancy, exclusive of tax; additional guests are $125 per person and subject to maximum occupancy.

Rainy Day Rewards, Nov. 1 through March 31, 2016
Here’s hoping the rainy season returns! Santana Row is optimistic and wants to reward shoppers and diners braving bad weather. When there’s a 70 percent or greater chance for rain, they will be offered discounts that include 15 percent off purchases at participating shops and restaurants, a free signature Santana Row golf umbrella for customers who spend $150 anywhere on The Row and a $20 gift certificate to a participating shop or restaurant for customers who spend $300 on a designated Rainy Day.

No need to get wet: Customers can pick up a complimentary umbrella to use while shopping and dining and then return it before leaving. The yellow umbrellas are conveniently located throughout The Row: outside Concierge, Via between Village California Bistro and Lark Creek Blue and the valet parking lot in the Winchester Parking Garage.

Twitter Promotion @SantanaRow invites Tweets and Instagram tags
For a Chance to Win Gift Cards to Restaurants at The Row
Santana Row’s Twitter campaign and photo contest continues through the @SantanaRow Twitter handle. The contest invites anyone at Santana Row to Tweet or Instagram photos of a new outfit, haircut, meal, event or artsy shots and then tag it with the hash tag #LifeonTheRow. Every month, Santana Row will post an album on Facebook with all of the photos with the #LifeonTheRow hash tag. The person who took the best or most original photo will win a gift card to a Santana Row restaurant.

~~~

About Santana Row
Santana Row, a 647,000 square foot mixed-use development in San Jose, CA, is Silicon Valley’s premier destination for shopping, dining, living and working. Santana Row features over 70 shops, 20 restaurants, a boutique hotel and movie theatre. In addition to the dynamic retail & restaurant collection, Santana Row offers 615 luxury rental homes, 219 privately owned condos and 65,000 square feet of Class A office space. Santana Row is a property of www.federalrealty.com (NYSE:FRT), headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. For more information, please visit www.santanarow.com.

About Federal Realty
Federal Realty is a recognized leader in the ownership, operation and redevelopment of high-quality retail based properties located primarily in major coastal markets from Washington, D.C. to Boston as well as San Francisco and Los Angeles.  Founded in 1962, our mission is to deliver long term, sustainable growth through investing in densely populated, affluent communities where retail demand exceeds supply.  Our expertise includes creating urban, mixed-use neighborhoods like Santana Row in San Jose, California, Pike & Rose in North Bethesda, Maryland and Assembly Row in Somerville, Massachusetts. These unique and vibrant environments that combine shopping, dining, living and working provide a destination experience valued by their respective communities.  Federal Realty’s 90 properties include over 2,600 tenants, in approximately 21 million square feet, and 1500 residential units.

Federal Realty has paid quarterly dividends to its shareholders continuously since its founding in 1962, and has increased its dividend rate for 48 consecutive years, the longest record in the REIT industry. Federal Realty shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT. For additional information about Federal Realty and its properties, visit www.FederalRealty.com.

Kit and Ace Opening First Silicon Valley Location in San Jose

Santana Row is getting yet another premier tenant this month. Kit and Ace is a contemporary luxury apparel store that prides itself on "technical luxury," a combination of premium fibers with comfort and functionality. High-end clothing tends to be dry-clean only or fades/falls apart after a few washes. Kit and Ace specifically designs their clothing to be easy to maintain and last a long time--perhaps due to the fact that the line's proprietors are closely related to the founder of Lululemon. Even their cashmere apparel is machine washable.

I also like how there is an element of technology and innovation in their clothing line. Features includes smart ventilation, articulated knees on pants, hidden pockets, sewn inseams, and special materials that minimize wrinkles. It seems like an appropriate clothing store for Silicon Valley.

Hyper-local elements are also incorporated in each store. The San Jose location will have light fixtures and custom furnishings created by a San Jose designer.

Kit and Ace only has two other locations in California: Los Angeles and San Francisco. Their Santana Row store will be the first in Silicon Valley when it opens this Thursday, September 24th. To learn more about the company and see their clothing lines, head over here.

Shannon and JJ Wilson (wife and son of Chip Wilson, Lululemon founder)

More Details on Valley Fair's $600M Expansion

Things are finally getting very real regarding the long-delayed Valley Fair expansion. Nathan Donato-Weinstein provided an in-depth look at the expansion last week in the Silicon Valley Business Journal.

The expansion will add 600,000 SQFT to the mall, making it the largest mall in Northern California by a significant margin. The cost will be $600M. To put that into perspective, that is about the same cost as the entire first phase of Santana Row.

The flagship addition to the mall is a 150,000 SQFT Bloomingdales--which is larger than the one in Stanford Shopping center. However, that won't be the only substantial improvement. There will be between 80 and 100 new stores, most of which will be unique retail not available today in Silicon Valley (or even San Francisco). You'll have new entertainment and service offerings including an ultra-luxury 10 screen movie theater and a massive fitness center. Parking will get easier with 4,200 new spaces, a direct connector to 880, and new available-spot guidance technology. Oh, and to make sure the mall looks consistent they are also going to renovate the older parts of the mall to look as slick as the expansion. The only thing that didn't make the cut was Neiman Marcus, but I think 99% of us will be okay with that.

The expansion will bring the whole mall closer to Santana Row and give it a respectable looking front entrance with an outdoor plaza (perhaps inspired by its aforementioned neighbor). The plaza includes restaurants with open-air seating and event space for fashion shows, book signings, and product launches. The project also requires the construction of new buildings for Bank of America and Chase.

As most of you probably know, the mall is split between San Jose and Santa Clara. Fortunately, most of the expansion will be on the San Jose side, meaning a huge boost in tax dollars for our city after the project is complete in November 2017 as well as more world class stores in our retail portfolio. While most urbanists are not big fans of malls, I think most of us can agree that this project is going to be good for our City.

Source: SVBJ

New Retail Pads Coming to the San Pedro Garage!

Let's start the week off right with some news that will add even more traction to the booming San Pedro Square area! Before the San Pedro Square Market, San Pedro was already one of the few areas Downtown with substantial contiguous retail (almost exclusively devoted to restaurants). The only problem was that all of the retail was on a single side of the street with the exception of the intersection of Santa Clara and San Pedro.

Now that the a proposal by the San Jose Downtown Association won a $139,000 grant from the Knight Foundation via the Knight Cities Challenge, a project called San Pedro Squared is moving forward that will forever change the street. The ground floor of the drab San Pedro Garage closest to the San Pedro Square Market is going to get four retail pads, each taking up two parking spaces in the garage and creating 400 SQFT of new retail. These could be used for micro-restaurants, pop-up shops, or retail. See the conceptual artwork by our friend Adam Mayberry below.

Not only will this add more retail to Downtown's hottest district, but it will make the street much more pedestrian friendly. If things go well, more of the garage may be converted to retail in the future.

It's amazing how the San Pedro Square Market has transformed this whole area. Think back to what this district was like before the Market... now imagine a near future where we have San Pedro Squared, retail on the ground floor of Centerra, 20,000 SQFT of retail at Silvery Towers, and an official San Pedro Square Market expansion on St. John. Downtown Boosters has a lot to look forward to!

Oh, and another San Jose project was one of the 36 winners of the Knight Cities Challenge--and there were over 7,000 submissions. "Houslets" by Tim McCormic received $40,000 to allow for prototyping and deploying low-cost modular housing for both temporary and affordable housing.

For more info on the exciting San Pedro Squared project, check out the press release below the drawings!

Downtown San Jose garage to receive “facelift”

as winner of the Knight Cities Challenge

 
SAN JOSE, Calif. – March 31, 2015 – The San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA) announced today that it plans to retrofit part of a parking garage, replacing parking spots with retail shops facing San Pedro Square.

SJDA will receive $139,000 in support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation’s Knight Cities Challenge to implement the project at the Market-San Pedro Garage.  Four 400-square-foot retail outlets will fit into eight parking stalls that front the east side of San Pedro Street at sidewalk level.

The Knight Cities Challenge is funding ideas to make the 26 cities where Knight invests more vibrant places to live and work.  The challenge asks innovators to answer the question:  What's your best idea to make cities more successful?  More at knightcities.org.

“Activating street-level spaces in the garage will contribute to the district’s popularity just as new high-rise residential developments near the square are opening,” said Scott Knies, SJDA executive director.

Lined with restaurants such as Peggy Sue’s, The Farmers’ Union, O’Flaherty’s, Old Spaghetti Factory, 71 St. Peter, Old Wagon and the San Pedro Square Market, the west side of the block of San Pedro Street between Santa Clara and St. John streets is one of the busiest downtown.  Fewer pedestrians stroll the opposite side, where the garage sits.

SJDA and the city’s Office of Economic Development (OED) introduced last year shipping containers as retail stores with its nine-store “Pop-Up Project” along Paseo de San Antonio and other downtown locations.

“The project has the potential to create a model for awakening street life and bringing new economic opportunities to neighborhoods, while fostering connections between residents by providing vibrant places to meet and interact,” said Danny Harris, Knight Foundation program director for San Jose.

The project will begin immediately.  The City’s Department of Transportation, which owns the garage, and OED are collaborating on the project.  Plans call for minimal demolition, awnings, other façade improvements, sidewalk improvements and street paint, said Jason Su, SJDA street life project manager.  Local businesses and property owners have already expressed support for the project, Su added.

About the San Jose Downtown Association:
The San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA) is a nonprofit group of business and property owners working to improve the vitality and livability of downtown San Jose. SJDA advocates on issues that affect downtown business and property owners; enhances the image of downtown and attract new visitors through year-round marketing, public relations, and special events; and makes improvements to downtown’s cleanliness, security and aesthetics. www.sjdowntown.com

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation:
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit knightfoundation.org.

Evergreen College Putting 27 Acres Up For Development

Anyone who has driven by Evergreen College or the intersection of Yerba Buena and San Felipe has likely noticed a huge empty dirt parcel. Evergreen College has decided that it will not need the land for future expansion of the college or the administrative building in the western section of the 27 acre parcel (the administrators have all moved to a building in Downtown San Jose). They are now seeking redevelopment bids for this piece of land which could include a mix of residential, retail, and office.

Evergreen College has already received one promising LOI (Letter of Intent) from Republic Urban Properties. Their proposal includes an urban/suburban project including 125-250 market rate apartments, 80-150 senior apartments, 40,000 SQFT of retail, 18,000-40,000 SQFT of office, a 45,000 SQFT gym, and an aquatics center that would be open to the public and would be used by the university. Republic Urban Properties would pay the College $1.5 million each year to lease the land.

There are some complications to the plan since the land is zoned as "quasi public" (is that an official designation?). The winning developer would need to request rezoning and would have to go through a new environmental review.

If successful, it looks like a promising development that would add value to the Evergreen community--both residents and the College.

Source: SVBJ