San Jose's future tallest high-rises broke ground!

MIRO is San Jose's latest luxury housing project. It was originally proposed as a combination of offices and housing across the street from our iconic City Hall with one tower dedicated to offices and another dedicated to residential. The current plan focuses primarily on residential with only 20,000 SQFT of retail and commercial space (the entire project is 1,000,000 SQFT).

Each tower is 28 stories and 298 feet tall, so you are looking at the future #1 and #2 tallest buildings in San Jose. For reference, the San Jose City Hall is 285 feet tall and The 88 (our current tallest building) is 286 feet tall.

The project has a total of 600 units split among one, two, and three bedroom layouts. 16 of those will be extra-fancy penthouses. As far as amenities go, this might be the most impressive residential project in the Bay Area. 50,000 SQFT of indoor and outdoor amenity space is reserved for residents. That includes the standard fitness centers, loungers, pet facilities, and concierge. However, MIRO takes it to the next level with a rooftop pool (!) and rooftop lounges that will provide a spectacular view of Silicon Valley. There is also a spa in the building.

MIRO should be completed in 2020. It is way too early for pricing, but expect these units to set new records for San Jose condos.

Source: The Registry

Swenson reveals spectacular proposal for the Guadalupe River Area

Swenson Builders just blew my mind with their proposal to turn the Downtown stretch of the Guadalupe River into a 6.81 million SQFT mixed-use development. Apparently, Swensen has been contemplating this for decades.

The 30-acre project would incorporate and expand existing parks on both sides of the Guadalupe River and even create a second river (!)... more on that in just a moment. Perhaps take a quick break to scroll down and look at the photos and then head back up here.

The square footage breakdown would be 3.8 million SQFT for office space, 2 million SQFT of residential space (~2,400 units), 420,000 SQFT of retail in a 5-story terraced shopping center, and 590,000 SQFT of hotel space (~1,100 rooms). Bridges would zig-zag over the river(s) to easily get from one side to the other. If there was ever a proposal to rival the San Jose Google HQ, this would be it.

One of the most interesting aspects of the proposal is to create a man-made river parallel to the original Guadalupe River. The purpose of this would be to allow for recreational water activities in Downtown San Jose such as kayaking, surfing, and stand-up boarding. Above the river would also be zip-lines, allowing for a fun adventure combining both a natural and urban backdrop.

Right now this is more vision than a formal proposal, but can you imagine is this is what the Downtown Guadalupe River area looked like 20 years from now? This would be a tremendous amenity and entertainment draw while highlighting one of Downtown's best kept secrets--the river.

Source: SVBJ (Subscription Required)

Volar may set a new bar for rooftop amenities

Volar is a fancy 18-story (200 ft. tall) tower proposed for the Santana Row area. The mixed-use project will have 307 residential units, 52,000 SQFT of commercial, 16,275 SQFT of public open space, and 490 parking spaces. There are several interesting things about this project besides it being far taller than anything else in the area. However, the item that really stands out to me is a rooftop that that will give the Capital Club a run for its money.

The top floor is a mix of 29,814 SQFT of private open space for the residential units and that 16,275 SQFT of public open space that anyone can access. If the render below is accurate, this will be the most impressive rooftop on any high-rise in Silicon Valley. It looks like thee will be lounge areas, outdoor fire-pits, and plenty of trees spread across a posh Santana-Row-like area. The 18th floor will also have a 8,500 SQFT restaurant and cafe with a two-story atrium. The views should be quite spectacular from any part of the rooftop or restaurant. This could be the start of a new era where high-rise housing comes to more parts of San Jose.

For more details on this project that will hopefully break ground by 2019, head over here.

Source: San Jose Development Forum, aphelion2100

East San Jose mixed-use development

The eastside is finally getting some development love. A 10.6-acre property at 641 Capital was sold to a developer earlier this month for $30 million. The land is already entitled for 188 condos, a medical office building, a commercial/retail building, and a mini-storage building. 30 of those units would be "E-homes" or "environmentally friendly homes" and include solar panels and electric car charging stations.

The homes would be 3-story townhomes, probably not the density we would hope for it would be an improvement for the area. Retail would clock in at 10,000 SQFT in a two-story building at the corner of the project and there would also be a 28,000 SQFT medical office building right next to it with an art plaza between them. A four-story 70,000 SQFT storage building would be placed on the opposite end of the project and provide some extra buffer from 680 noise. A one-acre park with a playground, orchard, and community garden would round out the project.

It is nice to see a mixed-use development of this size being planned for East San Jose. Downtown and North San Jose are getting most of the attention right now, but other San Jose districts are going to evolve as well.

Source: SVBJ (subscription required)

BREAKING - Update to Downtown Ross Site High-Rise Proposal

Downtown SJ sure is seeing a lot of action these days! A site development permit has been filed by Alterra Worldwide for the downtown Ross site at 27 S. 1^st Street. The site development permit proposes a 22-story mixed-use residential building with 342 dwelling units and 17,628 square feet of retail on the 0.57-acre site. The development includes a clubhouse, two indoor fitness rooms, an outdoor fitness area, pool and outdoor terrace, and a 3,000 square-foot dog run. Units range in size from studios to two bedrooms, all including an outdoor balcony.

The submittal is an improvement from the preliminary application filed in 2016, although the architecture is very similar in style. The shape is still very boxy, and needs to better differentiate between the middle and top of the building. The top of the building could definitely use some work to contribute to a more distinctive and interesting skyline. Although, I do appreciate the tall ceilings on the first through third floors.

On June 27^th, City Council will vote on an ordinance to allow balconies in the public easement, which means we may see less and less development proposals with box-like shapes as architects will be able to utilize the space above sidewalks for balconies. The current prohibition of balconies in the public easement means that developers and architects have limited space for private open space, leading to buildings like One South Market that are completely flat on all sides. Depending on the applicant’s timeline, they may wish to resubmit new drawings to utilize this new functionality.

For more information, go to www.sjpermits.org and look up File No. H17-027. You may also contact the planner, Elia Sorice, at elia.sorice@sanjoseca.gov.

**Also, sorry for the poor quality photos; they were directly scanned in from the plans.

-Kimberly Vacca

View looking towards N 1st Street from Fountain Alley

View from N 1st Street

Urban Villages are on the way!

On Wednesday, May 10^th, the City’s Planning Commission recommended that City Council approve two Urban Village Plans: the Valley Fair/Santana Row Urban Village and the Winchester Boulevard Urban Village. These Urban Villages are located on the west side of San José and include developments such as the Westfield Valley Fair mall, Santana Row, and properties along Winchester Boulevard.

The purpose of Urban Village Plans is to guide new job and housing growth within Urban Village areas and to guide the preservation of existing neighborhoods. San José is projected to grow by over 400,000 people by the year 2040; in order to accommodate for this massive growth in population, the City created the Urban Village concept as part of the Envision San José 2040 General Plan update in 2011. In addition to facilitating this growth, Urban Village Plans will guide the characteristics of future development including buildings, parks, plazas, public art, streetscape and circulation. The Winchester Urban Village Plan sets a capacity for 2,000 jobs and 2,200 housing units, and the Santana Row/Valley Fair Urban Village Plan sets a capacity for 8,500 jobs and 2,635 housing units to the year 2040.

These Urban Village Plans are the fruition of over two years of community engagement, of which included online surveys, community workshops, and discussions between City staff, developers and community stakeholders.

City Council will vote on June 27^th to approve or deny these Urban Village Plans. If adopted, residential, commercial, office, and mixed-use development will be able to move forward within the boundaries of the Urban Villages. This area of the city is VERY HOT right now for both office and residential development, so we can expect many development proposals within these areas if the Plans are approved.

Other Urban Village Plans currently under development by the City include the West San Carlos Street Urban Village, the Stevens Creek Boulevard Urban Village, the East Santa Clara Street Urban Village, and the South Bascom Urban Village.

To learn more about Urban Villages, please check out the City’s Urban Village webpage.

Winchester Boulevard Urban Village Land Use Map

Valley Fair/Santana Row Urban Village Land Use Map

San Jose Downtown Association 2016 Year in Review

The video below is an excellent recap of what has happened in Downtown San Jose this past year, current challenges, and what we have to look forward to in the near future. The speaker is Scott Knies, the Executive Director of the San Jose Downtown Association. While we did not have many new projects move forward in 2016, there are a large number queued up for 2017. Overall it was a great year and I highly recommend watching the video.

Scott Knies Year in review 2016 from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Rendering of the Valley Title Towers

KT Properties has been one of the most prolific builders in Downtown San Jose. Axis, One South, and Silvery Towers (under construction) exist thanks to KT. Their newest project is going to be a pair of towers towards the entrance of SoFA at San Carlos and First Street. Currently an ugly two-story building and giant parking lot sit on this lot.

Below is the latest render of the towers. As a point of reference, the five-story building on the lower right is Original Joe's and you would find Anno Domini and Cafe Stritch immediately to the right of the rightmost tower. SJSU is two blocks to the left.

If built, this would be an amazing infill development that would fill a key retail gap in SoFA and add another thousand residents to Downtown's most artsy street.

Source: Bobby_Guz_Man from the San Jose Development Forum

Tramell Crow Diridon Project

A slick video has been released promoting the new Diridon mixed-use development in Downtown San Jose. As a reminder, the project includes 1 million SQFT of office space, 325 luxury apartments, 35,000 SQFT of retail space, and multiple public plazas.

The video cites various perks of the location including immediate access to the largest transit hub on the west coast, easy highway access, proximity to the airport, and of course being in the very center of the tech world. It is only 3 minutes long and is worth a watch. It's impressive to see the caliber of projects we are now getting.

Source: Hillrise from the San Jose Development Forum

Diridon from Diridon on Vimeo.

New renders of Museum Place, Downtown's most impressive high-rise proposal to date

I hope everyone has enjoyed the long weekend. It seems like it has been ages since we have had some really exciting development news. Thankfully, Nathan Donato-Weinstein from the SVBJ has come to the rescue with news on Museum Place. This is an epic mixed-use project first revealed last August.

The first formal plans for Museum Place have been submitted to the city, and the latest renders look even more impressive than before. Those plans include 213,820 SQFT of office space, 334 condos, a 143-room boutique hotel, 12,171 SQFT of retail, and a 60,000 SQFT expansion of The Tech museum (ground floor plus one level underground). There will be enough parking for 1,000 cars, all underground using a system where cars can be stacked on top of one another. The building will also have one of the slickest signage/lighting systems in Downtown.

Not only will this significantly change the skyline with a unique design, but it will help activate a paseo that runs between Park Avenue and the Convention Center. Getting a few projects like this in the area will be a game-changer! Check out the renders below and all of the details at the source link.

Source: SVBJ

New residential tower may replace Ross Downtown

Another day, another tower. Nathan Donato-Weinstein broke the news of yet another high-rise proposal in Downtown San Jose. First, the bad news. Ross--currently Downtown's largest clothing store--is shutting down at the end of the summer. This will leave a 30,000 SQFT retail gap in a key location. Instead of replacing it with another store, the property owners are instead seeking to build a 24-story apartment tower.

The modern glass tower would have 324 units and 5,000 SQFT of retail on the ground floor. It looks like amenities will be on the sixth floor and include a small swimming pool. I'm sure a gym would be there as well. Parking will be available on eight floors, four under ground and four above ground.

The design and scale will be highly contested I'm sure since it is in the middle of the historic district. However, adding around 700 new residents to this area will no doubt be a huge benefit to the businesses in the immediate area and breathe new life into the district. Light-rail is also quite literally in front of the building, encouraging the use of transit instead of driving.

Personally, I really like the mixing of old and new architectural styles--the San Jose Museum of Art is a great example which incorporated a historic post office. Also, I hate to say this but I also don't think there is enough character in the historic district today to justify blocking development that will add value to the whole Downtown area. There is huge value in maintaining the character and aesthetics of certain areas (especially when walking down the street transports you to a different era), but I don't think the historic district merits that today. We certainly shouldn't be tearing down any more historic buildings and repeat mistakes that were made decades ago, but it's time to move forward and evolve the Downtown area with greater density, amenities, and housing options.

If the tower below moves forward, construction could begin by January 2017.

Source: SVBJ

Plans for two towers at Greyhound station are coming together

The same investor that is building Silvery Towers (San Jose's largest residential project ever) is now gearing up for an even larger project. KT Urban and their partner have acquired the 1.6-acre Greyhound bus site for $39 million. The latest concept for the site calls for two towers around 24 stories tall with with 708 residential units and 13,500 SQFT of retail.

The next step is to acquire construction financing, which should be no problem despite the recent slowdown of investment markets. Construction will begin soon after they receive financial approvals from the city, which is expected later this year.

So what will happen to the Greyhound bus station in Downtown San Jose? All Greyhound operations will move to Diridon Station in late May. Customers will be able to purchase tickets at the Amtrak counter and easily connect to other bus services, VTA Light Rail, Capitol Corridor, ACE, Caltrain, and eventually BART and California High Speed Rail. Greyhound should have likely been located at Diridon to begin with, so the move will correct a transit mistake created long ago.

Source: SVBJ, SVJB #2

Student-housing tower could rise at Techshop site

Amcal has acquired a parcel of land at 300 S. Second St. where it will partner with Barry Swenson Builder to build a student housing project. This is the site with the original TechShop location near SoFA.

The new building could rise up to 20 stories and house 800+ SJSU students. Each of the 235 units would have four bedrooms (each with their own bathroom), a shared kitchen, and a common area (living room). Amenity-wise there would be a resident assistant (RA) on each floor, study rooms, a fitness center, business center, and a pool. There would also be some retail fronting San Carlos Street.

The project would welcome anyone, but it is obviously targeted at students. Rent is expected to be around $1,000/mo, a bargain for Silicon Valley.

A project of that scale would considerably add to the activity and vibrancy in Downtown San Jose--especially in the SoFA area which is already booming. The soonest it would be open for business would be the fall of 2019 or 2020.

Source: SVBJ

Micro-apartments coming to West San Carlos Street

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

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

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

Source: SVBJ

The 9 largest rental developments completed last year in San Jose

San Jose's development efforts are focused more on jobs than housing these days, but lets not forget how much housing is still built in San Jose each year. In 2015, the 9 largest rental projects in our city added 2,317 new apartments to San Jose. To see which projects made the list and take a peek inside each of these developments, head to this blog post.

Source: RENTCafe

Latest renders for Railyard Place in San Jose

Insight Realty Co. has big plans for 10.6-acres of land on the periphery of Downtown San Jose at the intersection of Coleman Avenue and Highway 87. The site sits between the Downtown core and the San Jose Market Center shopping complex. This "Railyard Place" project would include 230,000 SQFT of office space along with 476 apartments in buildings as tall as eight-stories. The design makes the project look like it was built around old industrial buildings. Heck, they even threw in a fake smokestack.

One nice feature about Railyard Place is how it incorporates the Guadalupe River. It looks like it will connect to and augment existing trails. The developer is also committing to building a new $5 million bridge over the river to connect to Autumn Street, something that would likely benefit the whole area.

Insight Realty is hoping to get approvals by October and break ground immediately afterwards.

Source: SVBJ

More Info on the "Greyhound Bus" Towers

KT Urban has to be the most prolific Downtown San Jose developer right now. They were responsible for Axis, One South, and played a big part in Silvery Towers. Those three also happen to be among the most impressive projects in the area. KT Urban has built a strong brand for themselves--they know how to move projects forward and deliver a quality product. That is one of the reasons why I was excited when they proposed the largest residential project in the history of Downtown San Jose last month.

KT is looking to build 708 residential units in an area currently occupied by a Greyhound Bus station. The project consists of two towers, one would be 24 stories (251 feet tall) and the other would be 23 stories (241 feet tall). There would be 13,5000 SQFT of retail on the ground floor, mostly along Post Street. The location is also very central, with easy access to most of Downtown's amenities.

A few more details have leaked out. The project would include a five-story 708 space parking garage, two levels would be above ground and three under ground. If this number is correct, that means there would only be one space per unit built. Since some spaces will be reserved for retail, this means that there is an assumption that not everyone who has a unit is going to purchase a parking space. This would represent a substantial change of in mentality for the area. Perhaps not everyone needs a car in San Jose. The new project will be close to Light Rail, Bus Rapid Transit, Caltrain, some of the best bike lanes anywhere, and eventually BART. If they only build 708 parking spaces, this could represent the beginning of a new era for Downtown.

Speaking of transit, the article referenced below mentioned that the Greyhound station will likely move to Diridon Station. That seems like a much more appropriate location and I wonder why it was not located there in the first place.

There are now 8,629 residential units that are either existing, under construction, or proposed in Downtown San Jose. That is the largest number in history, and the way things are going we may see it rise even further in 2016.

Source: The Registry