Data Center Proposal Targets South San Jose Industrial Site

A two-story data center measuring 152,700 square feet could rise on a 10.1-acre vacant parcel in South San Jose’s Edenvale industrial area. The site sits near the corner of Embedded Way and Hellyer Avenue, next to Coyote Creek.

Oppidan, a real estate firm that regularly partners with Rockpoint Group, filed the proposal. Rockpoint acquired the property for $15.7 million in 2022. The facility would draw about 18 megawatts of power and sits roughly 1.3 miles from PG&E’s Santa Teresa substation, which the utility recently expanded to 80 megawatts of capacity with room for further growth.

The filing adds to a rising number of data center proposals across San Jose, including sites in North San Jose, Alviso, and other parts of the south side. These projects reflect growing demand for advanced computing infrastructure in the region.

If approved and built, the Edenvale location would convert underused industrial land into a specialized computing hub while remaining close to existing power infrastructure. The proposal remains in the early planning stages as city review continues.

Source: The Mercury News

VTA Light Rail Critical Feedback

"Classy Whale" has ridden every single major metro system in America and has just posted a brutal review of the VTA light rail system. Unfortunately, he makes a lot of fair points.

Slower average speeds and longer headways remain part of the current experience, especially outside peak hours. Those realities stem from the original design that favored median running through lower-density areas rather than fully exclusive rights-of-way. Yet the same network continues to support transit-oriented projects and future extensions that aim to densify key corridors. Riders who board at Milpitas or Diridon already gain seamless ties to regional rail, and the light rail itself delivers a car-free way to move between them.

Still, we should take a hard honest look at the system to see what is really needed to bring transit times down and frequencies up. Improvements in those key areas will translate to increased ridership and rider satisfaction.

Source: Youtube

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods Plans Large House of Sport on Blossom Hill Road

Dick’s Sporting Goods will open a nearly 99,000-square-foot House of Sport store at 920 Blossom Hill Road in San Jose, on the rebuilt site of a former Home Depot destroyed by fire in 2022. The large-format location is expected to arrive in 2027 near Westfield Oakridge.

House of Sport stores go beyond traditional retail with interactive features such as climbing walls, golf simulators, and batting cages. The company has already filed permits for exterior remodeling and tenant improvements at the property. Brokers from Econic and others handled the lease.

The new store will replace Dick’s existing roughly 40,000-square-foot location at nearby Sunrise Plaza, where the retailer has operated for decades. The Blossom Hill corridor continues to draw national brands thanks to surrounding shopping centers, residential density, and convenient access. Boot Barn is also preparing an 18,000-square-foot store in the same area.

The arrival of this expanded format gives south San Jose shoppers a more experiential place to buy sporting goods and try activities on site while reinforcing the commercial strength of the Blossom Hill corridor.

Source: SVBJ

Ensemble Breaks Ground on 301-Unit Parkside Apartments in Clara District

Ensemble Real Estate Investments has begun construction on Parkside, a 301-unit apartment complex at 2301 Calle Del Mundo in Santa Clara’s Clara District. The eight-story project carries an estimated $190 million price tag after the developer spent an extra year refining plans to cut costs by 10 to 15 percent and secure financing.

Bank of America provided the construction loan. Value engineering focused on more efficient kitchen and bathroom designs and reduced variation among unit types, making the numbers work in a high-cost environment. Amenities will include a golf simulator, cinema screening room, karaoke lounge, and other social spaces intended to create a lively residential atmosphere.

Parkside follows Ensemble’s AVE Santa Clara complex, which opened in the same neighborhood in 2025 and is fully leased. The firm views the two properties as complementary and expects 500 to 1,000 additional units to arrive in the Clara District over the next few years. Ensemble also holds further entitlements in the area and aims to start its next project within two to three years.

The site once held light industrial buildings, continuing the district’s shift toward housing. With an anticipated opening in fall 2028, Parkside adds another substantial residential option to a neighborhood that saw significant new apartments arrive in 2025.

Source: SVBJ

AES Drops Plans for Large Battery Storage Project in Coyote Valley

AES Corporation announced this week that it has canceled its proposed Jewelflower Battery Energy Storage System on a 128-acre site of prime farmland in North Coyote Valley near Morgan Hill. The 350-megawatt project would have placed hundreds of containerized lithium-ion battery units across roughly 40 acres of actively farmed land on San Jose’s southern edge.

The company cited a review of project economics, infrastructure needs, market conditions, community input, and long-term priorities. No permit application had been filed. Local opposition had grown steadily, with the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority voting unanimously in May against the plan. Authority leaders pointed to more than $160 million already invested by voters and agencies to protect wildlife corridors, groundwater recharge, climate resilience, and sustainable agriculture in the Coyote Valley Conservation Program area.

Parents at the nearby Charter School of Morgan Hill, state legislators including Senator Dave Cortese and Assemblymembers Ash Kalra and Gail Pellerin, and a petition that collected more than 2,200 signatures had also raised concerns about placing industrial-scale batteries so close to a school and inside a conserved landscape. A previous battery project known as Hummingbird had already been successfully moved to an industrial site behind the Open Space Authority’s San Jose headquarters, showing that better locations exist.

The cancellation keeps Coyote Valley’s open fields and hills available for the wildlife movement, farming, and public access that make the area a vital buffer and natural asset for San Jose and the South Bay. AES continues to pursue battery storage elsewhere in California, while this decision reinforces that energy infrastructure and protected landscapes can both advance when projects are sited with care.

Source: San Jose Inside

Bank Takes Ownership of Vacant Housing Site in Downtown San Jose

The empty lot at 51 and 65 Notre Dame Avenue next to Carlysle Street in Downtown San Jose passed to West Coast Community Bank earlier this year after the lender completed foreclosure on a $10 million loan. An affiliate of Palo Alto-based Acquity Realty had paid $20 million for the four parcels in 2021, cleared the former Andy’s Pet Shop building, and never broke ground on any of its successive plans.

Early visions called for a 21-story mixed-use tower that would have combined housing, office space, and ground-floor retail. Later marketing materials scaled the idea back to a 148-unit mid-rise with roughly 4,700 square feet of street-level shops. Neither version advanced beyond drawings, and repeated loan defaults eventually transferred the property to the bank for $2.3 million in January.

The site sits in a compact, walkable pocket of Downtown San Jose close to transit corridors and the broader Diridon area. Bank ownership opens the door for a new buyer to step in and deliver the housing that has long been discussed for the corner. Local residents who have watched the parcel remain idle through several ownership chapters now have reason to expect fresh movement.

A successful redevelopment here would add homes and street-level activity to a part of Downtown that continues to evolve. The location’s proximity to existing amenities and future growth projects gives any incoming owner a strong foundation to build upon.

Source: SiliconValley.com

Nvidia Adds Major South San Jose Footprint for Advanced Tech Operations

Sources familiar with the deal report that Nvidia has secured a lease on the 302,800-square-foot industrial building at 5853 Rue Ferrari in the Santa Teresa district. City filings from earlier this year outline plans for research and laboratory spaces, work labs, an office area complete with a conference room, and at least one computer lab equipped with server racks. The facility is designed to draw 49 megawatts of power, with earlier proposals also exploring on-site electricity generation.

Prologis, which took ownership of the 17-acre site through its acquisition of Duke Realty, has already begun tenant improvements. The building shell stands complete, and recent on-site observations show active construction both inside the structure and on adjacent grounds. CBRE continues to handle marketing for the property, which offers high clear heights, substantial dock capacity, and power infrastructure expandable well beyond the initial tenant requirements.

This move aligns with Nvidia’s pattern of assembling additional land near its Santa Clara headquarters to support ongoing growth. The Santa Teresa location sits roughly a mile from PG&E’s recently upgraded substation on Santa Teresa Boulevard, where capacity has already doubled to 80 megawatts with further expansion planned over the next three years. That infrastructure work, originally driven by data center demand, now positions the broader area to accommodate the power needs of advanced technology operations.

Such investments underscore the continued pull of South San Jose for companies that require both space and reliable energy to push computing and artificial intelligence capabilities forward. The combination of available industrial stock, highway access, and expanding utility capacity keeps the southern edge of the city firmly in the conversation as Silicon Valley’s physical footprint evolves.

Source: The Mercury News

Boot Barn Heads to Blossom Hill Road Near Oakridge

Western-wear retailer Boot Barn will bring its first San Jose location to 932 Blossom Hill Road, the former Wagly Veterinary Hospital site. The 18,277-square-foot store is expected to open in 2027 and will sit close to Westfield Oakridge.

The Irvine-based chain specializes in boots, clothing, and accessories for work and everyday western style. Its nearest current stores stand in San Martin and Livermore, so the new site fills a clear gap for local shoppers. Brokers from Econic and CBRE handled the lease, noting the corridor’s strong mix of established shopping centers, nearby homes, and easy access.

Silicon Valley retail vacancy recently tightened to 4.9 percent, reflecting solid demand and limited new construction. Boot Barn continues expanding nationally with plans for 70 additional stores this fiscal year as it works toward a long-term total of 1,200 locations.

Source: SVBJ

San Jose Posts Strong Second Place in Silicon Valley Housing Completions

Silicon Valley added more than 9,000 new housing units in 2025, according to state data, with San Jose finishing second behind Santa Clara. The city completed 2,192 units while Santa Clara led the region with 2,685.

Four cities in the area finished more than 1,000 units each. High construction costs continue to shape which projects move forward, yet the overall numbers reflect steady progress toward regional needs. Santa Clara’s total benefited from projects that secured financing earlier, particularly in the Clara District and the first phase of Gateway Crossings.

Morgan Hill completed just 35 units last year but sits on track to meet its state-assigned RHNA target of 1,037 homes for the 2023-31 cycle, with stronger permitting activity already showing in the first half of 2026. San Jose carries the largest regional obligation at more than 62,000 units over the same period.

The results highlight ongoing efforts across the South Bay to expand the housing supply. Continued collaboration between cities and developers will determine whether the momentum carries into the next several years as communities work to meet long-term goals.

Source: SVBJ

New Bill Kee Park Takes Shape Near Almaden Expressway

A modest 1.4-acre parcel at the end of Rinconada Drive will soon become Bill Kee Park, a neighborhood gathering spot complete with a playground, walking loop, pollinator garden, public art, and a bioretention system that captures and filters stormwater. The site sits adjacent to the Almaden Expressway and Curtner Avenue off-ramp in south San Jose.

City Council approved the name earlier this year after community surveys ranked Bill Kee highest among the options. Kee, a Chinese American business leader who died in 1989, helped preserve San Jose’s historic Chinatown and broke barriers by becoming one of the first Chinese Americans admitted to several local civic organizations.

Design work is scheduled to wrap up this spring, with construction expected to begin in the fall and the park opening for public use by summer 2027. The project grows out of land dedicated during the Latitude 37 apartment development and forms part of broader efforts to improve water quality while adding recreation space to nearby residential pockets.

Families and neighbors in the area will gain a quiet place to walk, play, and learn once the improvements arrive. The combination of everyday amenities and environmental features turns an underused corner into a practical addition that supports both daily life and the city’s long-term sustainability goals.

Source: City of San Jose Capital Projects

San Jose Posts Nation’s Weakest Home Price Growth Amid Tech Layoffs

Local buyers gained a measure of breathing room in June as the San Jose metro area recorded the weakest year-over-year home-price change among the nation’s 40 largest housing markets. The median sale price fell 4.6 percent to $1.619 million, a drop of roughly $78,500 from the same month a year earlier, according to Homes.com data. Nationally the median rose $6,000 to $401,000.

San Francisco followed a different path. That city’s median climbed 7.2 percent to $1.7 million, lifted by concentrated AI hiring and startup activity that San Jose has not matched at the same scale. Analysts pointed to a sharp rise in second-quarter layoff announcements, including several thousand positions at Meta that touched Menlo Park, Sunnyvale and Fremont, plus additional cuts at Oracle, LinkedIn and Intuit. Recent monthly payroll reports also showed the broader Bay Area job market contracting after a period of modest growth.

Slower immigration has further cooled demand. Foreign-born residents make up about 41 percent of Silicon Valley’s population and have long filled high-skilled roles, founded companies and eventually purchased homes. With that pipeline thinning, one key source of both labor and housing pressure has eased. The resulting price softness stands out after years in which the region’s market appeared almost immune to gravity, raising questions about the longer-term strength of the local economic engine even as it offers short-term relief to would-be buyers.

San Jose remains one of the most expensive markets in the country, still more than triple the national median. Yet the recent dip, combined with rising inventory, gives shoppers slightly more choices and negotiating room than they enjoyed a year ago. Well-priced homes continue to move, but the balance has tilted just enough to matter for families and first-time buyers watching the listings.

For a city whose identity remains tightly linked to technology and global talent, the June numbers mark a noticeable shift. How the market absorbs further changes in employment and immigration will shape both housing costs and the broader vitality of Silicon Valley in the months ahead.

Source: SVBJ

Japantown Set to Gain New Housing and Taiko Performance Hub

City officials cleared the way for a six-story mixed-use building at 653 North 7th Street that will bring 65 residential units together with a dedicated San Jose Taiko performance space. Staff approval arrived on July 8 and locates the project inside San Jose’s historic Japantown, one of only three remaining Japantowns in the United States.

Shea Properties leads the effort, building on its earlier work with the completed Sixth and Jackson apartments just a block away. The plans include roughly 14,100 square feet of commercial space that will house the Taiko performance building along with an office, workshop, and gallery. The site sits next to a proposed public park, extending outdoor green space and seating areas that stay open to the broader neighborhood.

Taiko San Jose has anchored cultural life in Japantown since 1973. The nonprofit keeps traditional Japanese drumming vibrant through original performances and education that crosses cultures and generations. Placing a permanent performance facility on the block gives the art form a stronger home while adding daily activity to the street.

Designers focused on an activated urban edge where housing and arts meet public space. Residents and visitors alike will share the green areas and seating that offer room to pause outside. The combination of homes and cultural facilities is meant to lift the everyday rhythm of the neighborhood.

San Jose keeps finding ways to honor its historic districts while adding the housing and gathering places that keep them alive. This Japantown project threads new residences and performance energy into an already distinctive corner of the city. It would be amazing to see more local projects in the future seamlessly incorporate arts and culture like this.

Source: The Mercury News

SJC Prepares to Transform 15 Acres into Thriving Aviation Hub

San José Mineta International Airport stands ready to turn a quiet corner of its property into a vibrant center for general aviation services. The 15-acre site at the corner of Martin Avenue and De La Cruz Boulevard once handled long-term passenger and employee parking. Now largely unused, the land will soon invite developers through a formal request for proposals that aims to deliver fresh facilities while generating solid new revenue for the airport.

Airport leaders remain flexible about what takes shape there. A fixed-base operator, specialized aviation service operator, or even aviation manufacturing could all fit. The ground lease will run a minimum of 20 years and a maximum of 50 years, with an extension option available. Proposals must include at least $2.75 million in annual ground rent plus a share of tenant revenue. If FAA approvals come through, the site could expand to 20 acres and open even more possibilities.

Anyone may submit a bid, and partnerships among multiple parties are welcome. The airport wants partners who strengthen the local general aviation community and deliver benefits that reach beyond the runway into surrounding neighborhoods. An industry outreach day already took place in June to gather feedback and share early details. The request for proposals is expected to launch in the coming months, with a final selection targeted for the end of the year and San Jose City Council approval anticipated in January.

Keep an eye on flysanjose.com for the official request for proposals once it appears. The opportunity will move quickly, and the right development could set a new standard for how our airport serves private and specialized aviation. Personally I'm hoping for a boutique operator like JSX, which already has operations in Oakland.

Source: SVBJ

Prologis Advances Major Data Center Plans in South San Jose

The company Prologis has set its sights on 5977 Silver Creek Valley Road for a substantial data center project. The vacant site in South San Jose offers strong access to utilities and a skilled local workforce ready for such developments.

Plans call for a multi-level building exceeding 500,000 square feet in total interior space. At least 30,000 square feet would serve as office space while the remainder houses the servers and equipment essential for data processing and storage.

The facility would draw up to 99 megawatts of power. Developers intend to build an on-site substation near the existing PG&E one just three miles away, plus backup generation systems. Water needs would match those of roughly 40 households, with commitments to limit effects on nearby areas.

Early designs show a functional, blocky three-story structure in grey and white tones. Landscaping and facade details aim to soften the overall appearance despite the emphasis on practicality. Construction could wrap up within about two years if approvals come through.

This project underscores San Jose's ongoing appeal to major tech investors. It promises to expand the region's capacity for advanced computing while creating opportunities in construction and operations.

Source: SF YIMBY

New Affordable Apartment Homes Planned for Former Surface Parking Lot in Downtown San Jose

A new affordable apartment complex that will convert a surface parking lot into 173 homes. The project sits at 143 South Third Street on a 1.3-acre parcel near Paseo de San Antonio and directly beside the Hammer Theatre Center. Developers propose a seven-story building with five stories of apartments stacked above a two-story parking structure.

Sobrato Organization, working with Pacific West Communities, has owned the lot since around 2010. The proposal calls for 171 of the units to serve extremely low-income, very low-income, and low-income households, with the remaining two reserved as market-rate units for on-site managers. Plans include a central courtyard plus dedicated spaces for a lounge, event center, and reading room.

Location advantages stand out. Residents will live steps from cultural programming at the Hammer Theatre Center and within easy reach of the walkable amenities along Paseo de San Antonio. This infill approach puts new housing on underused land in the heart of Downtown San Jose rather than pushing development outward.

The developers intend to use streamlining provisions under Senate Bill 330 to move the project through local review more efficiently. Land-use consultant Bob Staedler has pointed out that San Jose has spent years talking about towers, yet very few residential high-rises have actually been delivered over the last two decades. He suggests the city should focus less on height and more on achievable density when the goal is housing production, especially affordable housing.

Personally, it's always great to add more housing right in the middle of Downtown San Jose but this is a premier location that really should have been reserved for a flagship high-rise project. Originally it was supposed to be the 2nd tower for The 88.

Source: The Mercury News

Google's New Meadow Point Campus Positions North San Jose as a Leading Innovation Hub

San Jose has welcomed another major addition to its technology landscape. Google has opened its Meadow Point campus in the Alviso district of north San Jose, establishing the company's largest facility in the city and a new home for thousands of employees.

The complex covers just under 800,000 square feet with six office buildings plus laboratory and industrial spaces. Teams responsible for core infrastructure and flagship products have begun settling into the curving structures. An extra building remains under development for a 2027 opening.

Thoughtful design elements set this campus apart. Lush plantings, courtyards, and natural views fill the grounds. The layout draws from Alviso's history of waterways and industry while creating spaces that encourage collaboration and connection to the outdoors.

City and company leaders gathered for the recent launch. Comments focused on the campus as a boost to local employment centers and a reflection of commitment to the community. Housing plans advancing on the north side align with this job growth to support a thriving area.

While it's not the flagship Downtown San Jose Google campus we have been waiting for, it is a significant step towards building a significant Google presence in San Jose.

Source: The Mercury News

Spark Social Brings Bay Area Food Truck Energy to San Jose's Creekside District

Mark your calendars for an exciting new chapter in San Jose dining and entertainment. Spark Social prepares to launch its second location in the Creekside District next spring. Creekside or Downtown West is where Google plans to build their future multi-million SQFT campus around Diridon Station.

Spark Social will occupy 75,000 square feet at 140 South Montgomery Street and will invest nearly one million dollars into the buildout while planning to generate up to 150 local jobs.

You'll gain access to a full community hub that operates seven days a week. A daily-changing lineup of top Bay Area food trucks will join forces with a complete bar, a putt course, fire pits for evening hangs, and live music throughout the week. An active events calendar will keep the energy high year-round. Expect pop-up retail spots and nonprofit programs to round out the offerings and support local creators.

Spark Social adopts a vendor-friendly approach by charging flat daily or monthly fees instead of taking sales cuts. This setup mirrors successful farmers market models and helps small businesses thrive. The strategic placement steps away from SAP Center and Caltrain's Diridon Station and will draw crowds from games and commuters alike.

The Creekside District continues to evolve as part of the broader Downtown West vision for San Jose. Additional fitness studios and retail concepts will join the mix later this year. Hapa Brewing was the first establishment to set up shop in the new district but it's clear they won't be the last.

Source: SVBJ

Apple Expands Its Footprint in North San Jose with New Tech Campus

San Jose continues to solidify its role as a hub for innovation with Apple's latest move into North San Jose. The tech giant has started occupying a building at 2509 Orchard Parkway, where several hundred team members are already at work. Apple is preparing to fill another nearby structure at 2325 Orchard Parkway starting in February. Together, these spaces span nearly 500,000 square feet, blending office and lab environments to fuel research and development.

This development highlights Apple's commitment to the core of Silicon Valley, enhancing San Jose's landscape with facilities designed for collaboration and creativity. The buildings sit prominently near the junction of Highway 101 and 87 in the Golden Triangle, making them a visible symbol of the city's growing tech presence. As Apple invests in these sites, it positions San Jose to attract even more talent and dollars to the area.

Beyond the immediate impact, Apple's actions reflect a strategic approach to real estate in the South Bay. The company has spent over $1.1 billion on properties in Santa Clara County in recent months, including discussions for additional spaces in Sunnyvale.

Source: The Mercury News

Massive STEM Park Set to Transform North San Jose

San Jose is moving forward with plans to develop 159 acres of undeveloped land into a cutting-edge campus focused on data centers and advanced manufacturing. The city selected Prologis, a global leader in logistics real estate, to negotiate the project after reviewing proposals from several firms. This initiative turns empty fields near the regional wastewater facility into a hub for innovation, with four large data centers and additional buildings dedicated to high-tech production.

The Sustainable Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing Park aligns with San Jose's growing energy infrastructure, including new transmission lines that boost grid capacity to support artificial intelligence and other future industries. Prologis brings extensive local experience, owning millions of square feet in the South Bay, and aims for construction to start around 2028, with operations by 2030. This development promises high-paying jobs and strengthens our city's role in Silicon Valley's tech ecosystem.

Beyond economic growth, the project could add nearly $30 million yearly to the general fund through taxes and rent, helping stabilize finances without burdening residents. By utilizing excess power capacity, it spreads costs and potentially lowers utility bills for everyone.

Source: The Mercury News

Two More Data Centers Coming to North San Jose

The Trimble Business Area stands to gain a major boost with Goodman Group's recent acquisition of a 46-acre site for $200 million. The global firm plans to develop two data centers on the property at 350 and 370 West Trimble Road, creating the Goodman Innovation Center San Jose. Set to deliver 414,000 square feet of space and 97.3 megawatts of power by 2028, this project positions the city as a key player in the expanding digital infrastructure sector. Existing R&D buildings on the site, partially occupied by Lumileds, will become available for lease in October 2026, offering over 500,000 square feet for new tenants.

The development aligns with San Jose's role as a top hub for data centers in Silicon Valley. Despite challenges like power constraints and high costs, initiatives like this one demonstrate the area's resilience and appeal to international developers. Goodman Group, known for managing logistics properties and data centers worldwide, acquired the site from an affiliate of LBA Realty, which had earlier proposed a smaller data center there. The location's proximity to a Microsoft-owned parcel with its own data center plans further enhances the region's tech ecosystem.

Source: SVBJ