Google buys a North San Jose office building for $155M

Google's first campus in San Jose may not be what you expect. Yes, they have been working for ages on a transit-oriented urban campus centered around Diridon Station in Downtown San Jose. That campus will eventually house tens of thousands of employees across a staggering 8 million SQFT of office space. However, one of their first forays into San Jose is going to be a bit more modest than that.

Google has just acquired two office buildings in North San Jose at 4300 and 4400 North First Street. The buildings are just north of Highway 237, which I would consider to be Alviso.

The buildings are partially occupied by Harmonic and Compstak and have recently been renovated. The leases expire in 2020, which is only a little over a year away. Their intentions for the buildings are not yet clear, but this seems like an obvious extension of their Mountain View campus, which is only 8 miles away by car or a 45 minute bike ride away.

Source: SVBJ

Self-driving grocery deliveries coming to San Jose courtesy of a San Jose startup company

The timeline for self-driving cars has been significantly underestimated. Waymo is already running a limited number of rides to beta customers in Arizona with no safety driver. Tesla is 6 months away from enabling basic self-driving features on over 200,000 consumer cars. And AutoX Inc. just started doing self-driving grocery deliveries late last month.

AutoX is headquartered in North San Jose (off of Trimble) and has two satellite offices in China. They raised $43 million in fundy last year from Danhua Capital, MediaTek Ventures, and SAIC Capital.

Several residents in a geo-fenced area near the headquarters are already eligible for service. Customers can either pick what they want to be delivered from the app or make last minute purchasing decisions when picking up the groceries from the car. You read that correctly... the car itself is a store.

They just have a handful of vehicles today, but are looking to grow to 20 cars very soon and expand the service to Mountain View and Palo Alto. For more info, head over to AutoX.ai or watch the video below.

It's great to see a San Jose company both pushing technological boundaries and providing new services to their immediate community!

Source: SVBJ

Electric car company grows in San Jose

NIO, a Chinese EV startup, is doubling down in North San Jose. They are moving into a 100,362 SQFT building at 3100 N. First Street, which was previously home to Broadcom and Hitachi. NIO already employs 520 people in San Jose, so this is a positive sign that more high-tech jobs will be opening up soon.

NIO currently only manufactures a single car, the EP9. It's a $1.2M supercar with 1,341 horsepower that currently holds the electric car record for the Nurburgring and for the fastest autonomous lap at the Circuit of the Americas. Like Tesla they decided to start with a halo car and work their way down to cars the masses can afford. Their next car will be a 7-seat SUV called the ES8 that will compete with Tesla's Model X.

NIO has already raised $1 billion and are rumored to be gearing up for a US IPO that could raise another $2 billion. It's clear that the auto industry is going to look a lot different in 5-10 years than it does today. If NIO turns out to be another disruptor like Tesla, then San Jose has a lot to gain as the brand grows.

Source: SVBJ

Local developer contemplating 1.5 million SQFT project in North San Jose

SiliconSage Builders submitted an enhanced preliminary review request for a 31 acre site in North San Jose near Cadence. The massive 1.5 million SQFT project would have 500,000 SQFT of retail, 700,000 SQFT of office, a 350 room hotel, 3,250 residential units, a 50,000 SQFT theater, a 30,000 SQFT amphitheater, and 4.5 acres of open space.

If that sounds ambitious, that's because it is. Those kinds of numbers are very similar to Santana Row. If you look at the massing below, the residential component would both be on top of the retail and in a high-rise cluster off of the side that could reach up to 20 stories.

The project could keep some tax dollars in San Jose after City Place is completed in Santa Clara next to Levi's Stadium. This North San Jose proposal is still very early on, but shows that developers are being more ambitious about future San Jose development.

Source: SVBJ

Spencer's Steak & Chops

I was lucky enough to get an invite to sample the Winter menu at Spencer's. I had been there a few years before when it was primarily a steakhouse, but it is obvious that the restaurant has dramatically changed since then. Chef William Hughins has transformed the menu to into something far more eclectic and contemporary. The steaks are still there (and they were delicious), but my favorite dishes were actually the courses that came before them. Below is a tour of my meal:

Freshly baked sourdough bread with black salt (not pepper). It was extremely difficult not to fill up on this before the meal started. 

Butternut squash soup with a roasted marshmallow, topped with chives. This one blew my mind. On the official menu the soup comes with creme fraiche instead of the marshmallow, which is too bad since this variant seems far more tasty and creative.

Braised bacon with local figs (middle part), and caramelized organic honey (top). I love bacon as well as combining savory and sweet flavors. The blend of the extremely thick cut bacon with the sweetness of the figs and honey made this my favorite dish. If you try this (and you should), slice from the very top to the bottom to make sure you get all three flavors in every bite.

Ahi poke. Sushi grade ahi, avocado, sesame, nori, and wonton. Here the secret is slightly burning the nori, which gives it a different flavor. This was very tasty and something I definitely was not expecting at a place known for their steaks.

Pan-seared Hokkaido sea scallops, filberts (no need to google that, they are hazelnuts), on top of orzo. The scallop was perfectly cooked and this would be a perfect light dinner for a pescatarian.

Kobe Ribeye, Spencer cut, and Tomahawk cut with potatoes and mushrooms. This was the most insane meat plate I have ever had. There was also a side of Ostrich steak (tastes like red meat but is very low in calories/fat). Even I couldn't finish the plate, but it made for a very luxurious lunch the next day.

Chocolate five different ways. If you haven't guessed it by now, Spencer's has gone a bit more upscale and they are raising the level of creativity in the menu. It really felt like dining at many of the Michelin star restaurants that I have been to. The dessert was a perfect cap to an outstanding meal.

I should also mention that they have a very nice setup for private events such as corporate parties and a cool bar area serving craft cocktails.

Spencer's is located at 2050 Gateway Pl, San Jose (inside of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Jose). For the full menu or reservations, visit the website over here.

New Homewood Suites by Hilton in North San Jose

Homewood Suites at 4315 N. First St. officially opened on October 13th. This is an extended-stay hotel ideal for business travelers and has 145 units that are more like mini-apartments. Every room has a full kitchen, separate living and sleeping spaces, and are at least 434 SQFT. They also have two-bedroom suites available. One of their unique features is a grocery shopping service that lets guests provide their shopping lists and employees will buy the groceries for them.

The new Hotel is located just north of Highway 237 and is just a few minutes away from Alviso, the @First shopping center anchored by Target, and Levi's Stadium.

Source: SVBJ (subscription required)

Microsoft looking to build a 1M SQFT campus in San Jose

The latest big tech company to take a serious look at San Jose is none other than the 800lb gorilla from Seattle. Microsoft has purchased close to 65 acres of "farmland" in North San Jose bound by 237, Zanker Road, and the Coyote Creek. They want to use the space to build either 1.2 million SQFT of light industrial space or a 436,880 SQFT data center and 728,000 SQFT of light industrial space.

Either of the options on the table would not bring as many jobs and tax dollars to the city as a traditional office complex, but it would be a great foot in the door as Microsoft currently has zero presence in San Jose proper. Microsoft has 1,600 employees in the area, but most are in Mountain View. With a grand total of 71,000 employees, San Jose could provide a viable opportunity to move more of their workforce into the tech capital of the world. They would be in good company as both Google and Apple and considering significant operations in San Jose.

Source: SVBJ (Subscription Required)

Brand new Bay 101 Casino is now open for business

M8trix finally has some decent competition with the first phase of Bay 101's complex officially open. Of course, the casinos really don't see one another as competition--but as a part of complementary offerings that draw gamblers and entertainment-seekers to the area. Bay 101 even strategically located themselves on North First Street just blocks away from M8trix.

The new Bay 101 looks really sleek and is filled with modern touches like dynamic lighting, open spaces, and abstract art. The building spans 68,000 SQFT and has 49 gaming tables. Bay 101 also features a flagship Asian fusion restaurant called The Province, which is owned by the same people as Sino, Straits, and Roots & Rye at Santana Row. The restaurant will be higher-end than anything at M8trix (or the immediate area for that matter) and bring with it some nightlife and one of the most impressive outdoor patios in San Jose.

Future phases of the Bay 101 project include two hotels and a 237,000 SQFT tech campus. The first hotel is an Embassy Suites with 174 rooms in a seven-story building. For the development enthusiasts out there, yes that is a huge missed opportunity for one of the few parcels in San Jose where a 35-story building is not only economically viable but allowed by airport regulations. Perhaps they will think bigger for the second hotel. One thing is for sure, Bay 101 is going to help make North San Jose a lot more interesting.

Source: The Merc, hat tip to Arnold Kwok for sending this in!

Remote Chance: A Cinematic Escape

The newest escape game in San Jose is themed around the film industry and is called Remote Chance. This one is designed for teams up to 11 players and the challenge lasts 1.5 hours (including introduction and solution walkthrough). For those have have never done one of these, your team is locked in a room and has a certain amount of time to solve puzzles and escape. They are really fun to do with friends and coworkers.

Remote Chance is located at 701 N. 1st Street and games are available at the following times:

Friday 6:45pm, 8:45pm
Saturday 10:20am, 12:05pm, 2:50pm, 4:35pm, 6:50pm, 8:35pm
Sunday 10:20am, 12:05pm, 2:50pm, 4:35pm, 6:50pm

For more info and to get tickets, head over here.

New Topgolf Shopping Center Renderings

A handful of new renders for the proposed Topgolf in Alviso have been released. Topgolf is the Dave & Busters of driving ranges. They are popular entertainment destinations with 20 locations across the US (the only other Topgolf location in California is near Sacramento). The San Jose Topgolf would be part of a 100,000 SQFT retail project that includes a new 200-room hotel. The center would be very close to @First and Levi's Stadium and might even encourage a few residents a visitors to explore Alviso, a mostly forgotten yet very interesting and unique part of San Jose.

Source: gillynova from the San Jose Development Forum

 

San Jose's NextEV launches fastest electric car in the world

North San Jose is quickly becoming a mecca for electric car companies and the history goes back far. Tesla originally wanted to build their factory in Alviso. Only after they were rejected by the state, did they choose the Fremont location. NextEV and LeEco on the other hand setup their US Headquarters in North San Jose. Access to high-end engineering talent in Silicon Valley and industrial space were no doubt major factors in those decisions.

Last week, NextEV finally pulled back the curtain on their first car. Like Tesla, they are starting with limited-production expensive cars and then creating mass-market vehicles. The NIO EP9 will be the fastest electric car in the world. It can hit 124 MPH in 7.1 seconds and has a top speed of 194 MPH. Range is about 265 miles. The EP9 just set a world record on the Nurburgring, video below. Unfortunately, those specs won't come cheap... the car costs about $1,000,000 (correct number of zeros).

We'll have to see how the less expensive cars in their lineup compete with both traditional car companies and Tesla, but for now you can take some pride in the fact that this is a San Jose company. NextEV is located at 3200 N 1st Street.

Source: Electrek

Coding Dojo doubled size of San Jose location

Coding Dojo launched its first San Jose location less than two years ago, running eight coding bootcamps a year with 15-20 students each (each bootcamp takes three months to complete). Today, more than 30 students a month are putting themselves through Coding Dojo's rigorous program.

In order to support all the extra demand, they doubled their footprint to 15,500 SQFT in a nearby building. The campus is now located at 1920 Zanker Road, Suite 20 and the program costs $13,495. For more info head to the Coding Dojo website.

Source: SVBJ

Samsung adding retail at San Jose HQ

Samsung opened their North American headquarters last year in North San Jose (at Tasman and First Street). One of the perks of the new campus is that is is publicly accessible unlike most tech offices in Silicon Valley (ex: Google, Facebook). However, while you can walk around the beautiful campus there really isn't much to do as a non-Samsung employee. That is about to change with two need retail options that will be a perk to employees and visitors alike. Samsung is adding a Honey Berry and Peet's on the ground floor.

As Nathan Donato-Weinstein alludes to in the source link, tech companies have become pretty notorious for discouraging outsiders to visit. Perhaps that is due to fears of intellectual property leaks or wanting to build camaraderie with internal employees. This mentality really does not feel like the right thing to do in an urban environment. It's great to see Samsung trying to do something different that will perhaps pay dividends by promoting their brand to the local community.

Honey Berry is a popular Asian ice cream/dessert shop that will be a welcome addition to the North San Jose community. They have a few other locations in Silicon Valley, but none in North San Jose. I highly recommend their ice cream sandwiches. Peet's I think requires no introduction.

Speaking of being open, Samsung's corporate cafeteria is also open to the public! I was not aware of that until reading Nathan's article.

Source: SVBJ

New boutique hotel proposed on North Fourth Street

An aging 10-room motel at 1036 N. Fourth Street (first photo below) may be transformed in slick boutique hotel. The proposed project would have 60 rooms across four floors, underground parking, and an impressive rooftop terrace with a living wall of plants, a bar, and BBQ area. Speaking of BBQ, one of my favorite restaurants and one of San Jose's few Michelin-ranked restaurants is located down the block: Smoking Pig BBQ.

The proposed hotel is near the bulk of San Jose's tech jobs, making it a near guaranteed success during the workweek. The big question would be how well it could do on the weekends in this location. I hope they can make it work since it would be a big improvement over what is standing there now.

Source: SVBJ

San Jose's Viptela raises $75 million

Viptela is a software-defined computer networking startup that is based in North San Jose. The company has just announced a $75 million funding round to help it ramp up globally. This will bring its total funding to nearly $110 million and its valuation to around $900 million.

The new dollars will be used to scale up sales, marketing, support, and R&D. Viptela has already grown its workforce to 150 in the past year and is planning to hit 200 employees by the end of the year and 300 employees by then end of 2017. With all of the downsizing happening in the Valley right now, it is nice to see some companies bucking the trend (especially in San Jose).

Viptela is located at 1732 N. 1st Street, Suite #600.

Source: SVBJ

The America Center in North San Jose is expanding

The final phase of the America Center in San Jose's northernmost tip is breaking ground. Two more six-story buildings will add 450,000 SQFT of office space to the office center, bringing the grand total to 1.1 million SQFT.

Polycom and Flextronics both have their US headquarters in the office complex. There is also a new Aloft hotel onsite using the "Aloft Santa Clara" moniker (the naming really irks me since it is physically located in San Jose).

The new building will be wrapped in a massive amount of electrochromatic glass, which can tint the windows automatically based on the amount of sunlight or user preference. This helps cut down on HVAC costs and is also more convenient for people working in the building. Other cool amenities include a 16,000 SQFT fitness center/cafe, a roofdeck with putting green, an outdoor bar, and 36 electric vehicle charging stations.

The location is right off of Highway 237 and close to Highways 101 and 880, making it easily accessible by freeway from all directions. Transit access is nonexistent although there might be some corporate shuttles available to employees. For more information, visit the source link or watch the video below.

Source: SVBJ

America Center | ±1,100,000 SF Class "A" Office Opportunity for Lease from Newmark Cornish & Carey on Vimeo.

CorePower Yoga Expands Presence in San Jose

(Denver, CO) May 5, 2016 – America’s leading yoga brand CorePower Yoga is pleased to announce a new studio opening in North San Jose, located at 55 River Oaks Place, Suite #10. CorePower Yoga roots an intensely physical workout in the mindfulness of yoga, helping students to change their bodies as well as their lives. Studio manager Jane Shim will officially open doors to the brand’s third location next month.

“We are thrilled to expand our presence in San Jose,” said Tess Roering, chief marketing officer at CorePower Yoga. “The San Jose community has really embraced our classes, and with a third studio we’ll be able to share the physical and mental benefits of this practice with more people.”

Each CorePower Yoga class is designed to work every muscle and every emotion, creating a unique all-inclusive fitness experience. Offerings range from restorative classes to physically demanding, muscle-sculpting classes. In addition to the daily class schedule, CorePower Yoga offers a renowned Yoga Teacher Training program, along with special programs including boot camps, retreats and wellness cleanses.

Designed with green building practices in mind, using recycled products and sustainable materials, the new San Jose studio will mirror all others by employing the latest technology to efficiently heat the practice rooms. Class attendees will have access to spa-like amenities including spacious changing rooms with showers and private lockers, and a full retail boutique showcasing a stylish selection of men’s and women’s activewear and accessories.

San Jose community members are encouraged to take advantage of the studio’s limited-time founding rate on Black Tag Memberships. People who sign up prior to the studio opening will receive 25% off unlimited yoga. Black Tag Membership perks include unlimited classes and 20% off programs and teacher trainings. Black Tag Memberships following the grand opening will start at $155 per month. For more information, or to find out how to secure the founding rate, please visit http://corepoweryoga.com.

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About CorePower Yoga:

CorePower Yoga strives to show the world the incredible, life-changing things that happen when an intensely physical workout is rooted in the mindfulness of yoga. Through a variety of yoga classes, convenient times and more than 150 studio locations, CorePower Yoga provides a highly intense and incredibly mindful form of fitness.

CorePower Yoga classes are taught by passionate and encouraging certified yoga instructors who take a typical yoga practice and crank it up to 11. In addition to yoga classes, CorePower Yoga offers transformative Yoga Teacher Training programs to empower students to advance their individual practice or become instructors. The beautiful, spa-like studios are built with green practices in mind and operate to meet the highest standards of service and quality. For more information, visit corepoweryoga.com.

LeEco chooses San Jose for their North American headquarters

LeEco is an innovate Chinese company that is involved a multitude of high-tech businesses. They make smartphones, smart TVs, and are now working on autonomous cars. They are also a leading provider of streaming content in China (and are sometimes referred to as the Netflix of China). San Jose just scored a big win as LeEco recently decided to locate their North American headquarters here.

The new office is located at 3553 North 1st Street, conveniently close to just about every other major tech company on the planet. The 80,000 SQFT building could be home to as many as 800 new employees by the end of the year. LeEco will primarily use the space for cutting-edge R&D in both artificial intelligence and autonomous driving, two markets that will help drive the next wave of tech innovation.

Below is a short video and photos courtesy of the SJSV Chamber of Commerce.

San Jose's Vasona Networks raises $14.6 million

Venture funding may be slowing down, but that has not stopped Vasona Networks from raising new funding from Bessemer Venture Partners, New Venture Partners, and NexStar Partners. The company provides mobile network infrastructure that makes it easier to manage spikes of internet traffic.

This latest round of $14.6 million will bring total funding to $48 million. They will use the money to expand their services to additional cities around the globe.

Vasona Networks is headquartered at 2025 Gateway Pl. in North San Jose near the airport.

Source: SVBJ

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