Equinix planning a significant San Jose data-center expansion

Santa Clara is definitely the hotspot in Silicon Valley for data centers. The city has their own electric utility which provides the least expensive and most reliable electricity in the area. However, the cost of Santa Clara real estate has gotten to the point where it is not always the obvious choice anymore. Equinix, a Redwood City-based data center giant, is doubling down in South San Jose to meet our ever-growing need for more capacity.

The company already has two data centers at Great Oaks Boulevard (SV1 and SV5) and have purchased 11.15 acres that formerly housed an IBM disk drive campus (there is some irony here). Equinix could build as much as 386,000 SQFT of data center space on the land.

Next door is another 65 acres of land already primed for development. A 150,000 SQFT Costco, 700+ homes, and retail will all likely join the new data center in the neighborhood.

Equinix also owns 18 acres of land at San Ignacio and Via del Oro over Highway 85 where they are planning to build three, two-story data centers that total a whopping 579,000 SQFT. Combined with their latest acquisition, Equinix could be adding nearly 1 million SQFT of data centers to South San Jose.

Source: SVBJ

Health Trust Hike & Bike Silicon Valley taking place this weekend

Join the Health Trust Hike & Bike Silicon Valley to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS and help fund the Health Trust's AIDS services. This is a unique event that combines a 5K walk and a 30 mile bike ride. The event begins at 9am this Sunday, May 1st at Hellyer Park in South San Jose.

For more information and registration, just heard over here.

El Camino Hospital nabs land in South San Jose

El Camino Hospital just paid $23.4 million for a 16-acre lot on Santa Teresa Boulevard. The speculation for a lot that size is that El Camino might be interested in building their third hospital on this site (they already have full-service hospitals in Mountain View and Los Gatos). The amount of land is far more than what is needed for just medical offices, and South San Jose has enough population to support another hospital in the area--especially with more housing going up at the old IBM campus.

El Camino has been hesitant to announce any concrete plans and has indicated that we shouldn't expect anything to happen soon. I'm hoping they don't sit on the land for too long. If built the project would not bring in any new tax dollars since it would be exempt, but a hospital in the area would improve services for local residents, bring more jobs, and likely increase housing values in the area.

Source: SVBJ

Distribution Center Planned for South San Jose

There have not been talks of major development in the Coyote Valley region since plans for Cisco's new 6.6 million SQFT headquarters fell through in the early 2000s. That will soon change, but the development is not what you would expect. The Panattoni Development Company has submitted an application for a 517,000 SQFT warehouse and distribution center. The building would have 36-foot-tall "clear heights" and a high-tech sprinkler system, making it very attractive to companies like Amazon.

E-commerce companies are scrambling to build distribution and logistics centers to keep up with demand. Over six million SQFT of industrial buildings in the Bay Area have been repurposed for commercial, residential, or some other use. Only three million SQFT of new industrial space has been built to replace what was taken away. That leaves high demand for industrial space with limited areas that allow for industrial development.

The proposed project is only 20 miles away from the bulk of the Bay Area's population and is conveniently a reverse commute. Panattoni plans to develop it speculatively, meaning they are willing to construct it even without a signed tenant. If the stars align, they could start construction this September.

This won't be the only new industrial project in the area. Panattoni is also building a new warehouse for DBI Beverage just a few miles north along with another 111,000 SQFT warehouse that is not yet leased.

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

Gavilan College Building a New Campus in South San Jose

Gavilian College was first established in 1919 as a San Benito County Junior College. In 1963, new community college districts were drawn that enabled an expansion into Santa Clara County and in 1966 their main campus was established on Santa Teresa Boulevard in Gilroy. In the late 90s, new facilities were added in Hollister and Morgan Hill to augment the Gilroy campus. Now the college is expanding yet again.

Gavilian College is going to build a brand new campus in Coyote Valley. In fact, it will be the first real development project in this area. The first phase will only consist of a 28,000 SQFT facility that will provide evening courses and a training facility for public safety--both police and fire.

Phase two will be much more ambitious and will include 554,000 SQFT of instructional space and enough room for 10,000 students. The vision for the site plan includes multiple 3-5 story buildings, labs, athletic facilities, a gym, and several parking garages. The first phase will break ground on December 4th. Phase two will take about a decade to be fully realized.

I think we can all agree that additional educational facilities can do nothing but benefit Silicon Valley, especially in South San Jose where there are fewer options for higher education. Gavilian will be a welcome addition to San Jose and a great way to kick off development in Coyote Valley.

The new Gavilian College campus will be located at 560 Bailey Avenue in South San Jose.

Source: Morgan Hill Life

Drone Video of Communications Hill

Below is a five minute video taken using a drone flying around Communications Hill in South San Jose. It captured "the stairs" from a new perspective along with showing off the great views of San Jose from the hill.

Equinix Building Huge Data Center in South San Jose

Equinix is a publicly-traded real estate trust that operated 105 data centers around the world. They are planning to add up to 1 million SQFT of office space across five new buildings in South San Jose! This is one of their best performing markets and they want to make sure that they are preparing for the future.

If the project is approved, Equinix will build three, two-story data centers totaling 579,000 SQFT on former owned by Xilinx and another two, two-story data centers totaling 386,000 SQFT near its existing buildings on Great Oaks.

Many data center operators try to locate in Santa Clara which is serviced by the exceptional utility, Silicon Valley Power as opposed to PG&E. Silicon Valley Power not only sells their juice for far less than PG&E, but they are more reliable and provide better customer service. However, land has become so expensive in Santa Clara that the numbers are penning out better in San Jose despite PG&E. It also helps that Equinix has already laid out miles of fiber in South San Jose.

While data centers do not provide a ton of jobs, they do provide the city with significant tax revenue while requiring minimal city services. It is also tough to argue with more commercial development in residential-heavy South San Jose.

Source: SVBJ

New Stanford Cancer Center in San Jose

A cutting-edge 70,000 SQFT Stanford Health facility will be open soon for patient care. The facility features some of the most advanced cancer fighting technologies in the world., including a linear accelerator (pictured below), CyberKnife, and targeted treatments using monoclonal antibodies. There is also an infusion treatment area on the top floor of the four-story building with expansive views of the valley.

The facility is located in South San Jose near Good Samaritan Hospital and should be ready to treat patients by mid-July.

Source: SVBJ

New Beer Warehouse in South San Jose

It is not everyday you year about development in South San Jose, especially in industries outside of tech. DBI Beverage Inc. is building a new warehouse to store beer off of Hellyer Avenue on a 10 acre site. The warehouse will likely be somewhere between 150,000 SQFT and 180,000 SQFT with soaring 32-foot-tall ceilings. The company stocks hundreds of beers, many of which are of the craft variety. Some of the more interesting labels they stock are 21st Amendment, Lagunitas, Ballast Point, Dogfish Head, Russian River Brewing, and Heretic. They also have more mainstream labels like MillerCoors, Heineken, and Sapporo. Increased beer distribution capacity is likely a good thing for Silicon Valley beer fans.

DBI Beverage will also have a neighbor--Panattoni is going to build a 111,000 SQFT industrial warehouse next door. That one will be a speculative project, meaning it will be built without a tenant in tow.

Source: SVBJ

Content Magazine Pick-Up Party Today!

Content Magazine's latest issues comes out today and explores how we connect with our community. As is the norm with Content, they throw a party for their subscribers and collaborators every time a new issue comes out. This time it will be hosted at Southern Lumber--a South Bay staple that will be closing its doors after 110 years of service.

At the party, Content will reveal the winners of the Visual San Jose 2015 photo contest. Subscribers get a signature drink and an appetizer for FREE and there is no cover charge for the event. If you aren't a subscriber yet, just head over here!

Music: Hill Man, Xiomyr, Beer: Santa Clara Valley Brewing
Food: Whole Foods
Sponsors: Southern Lumber, Filco Events, Whole Foods, Santa Clara Valley Brewing, Visual SJ, Pac SJ

CONNECT 7.2 Featuring: Ekaterinburg, Russia | Wayfinding | Blaise Rosenthal | Visual SJ Photo Contest Winners | Bay Area Glass Institute ArtKick: Nancy and Sheldon Laube | Jeffrey Brian Adams | CatapultWorks: Tom Beck | Shareology, Bryan Kramer | Clever Girls Collective: Cat Lincoln, Stefania Pomponi & Kristy Sammis | H & H Lighting | Wearhaus: Richie Zeng & Nelson Zhang | Bellabeat: Urška Sršen | Hacker/Founders: Jonathan Nelson | SETI: Drs. Jill Tarter, Nathalie Cabrol & Lori Fenton | Southern Lumber: Jeff Pohle | Knight Foundation: Danny Harris | Savory Kitchen: Colleen Janke | Nomikai: Kathy and Tone Tran | San Jose Jazz: Brendan Rawson & Bruce Labadie | Xiomyr: Billy Barnes & Koosha Araghi | Hill Man | Album Picks: Tommy Aguilar | Mike McGee

Communications Hill - Final Phase

Communications Hill is one of the largest master-planned communities in the history of San Jose. The region is about to enter its final stage of development which will last a decade. Last week KB Home bought a 9.8-acre parcel is ais about to start construction on 154 units that will be a mix of townhomes and "small-lot" single family homes. That will be followed by another 160 units after those are complete in mid 2016.

Also part of long term plan is a 60,000 SQFT retail village on the hill, six-story contemporary condos, 1.4 million SQFT of industrial space, and a better connection to transit. As far as suburban projects go, I think this is as good as your're going to get.

Source: SVBJ

BAE Moving to South San Jose

A huge tenant is coming to South San Jose and bring with it 500 or so jobs. BAE Systems currently has their US headquarters in Santa Clara on Coleman Ave. That site is going to be demolished soon in order to make way for the Coleman Highline office project, forcing BAE to move elsewhere.

The new BAE headquarters will be at 6331 and 6311 San Ignacio Ave., blocks away from Lightrail and Highway 85. There is also a substantial residential population in the area... hundreds of thousands of people live within a five mile radius.

Needless to say, this deal is a big financial win for San Jose. The company will bring a solid amount of tax dollars and high-paying engineering jobs to our city, as well as either a short or reverse commute for most of its employees. For more details, hit the source link below!

Source: SVBJ

Equinix Building Data Center in South San Jose

Xilinx has recently sold a 34-acre site in Edenvale to one of the largest operators of data centers in the US, Equinix. The company is planning to build a brand new data center in the area bound by Santa Teresa, San Ignacio Avenue, Via del Oro, and Great Oaks Boulevard. This will be the first major new construction project in the area in years.

There seems to be some downside since a data center won't bring as many jobs as a traditional office building. However, the project will bring much-needed property tax dollars to the City of San Jose while having a minimal impact on traffic and infrastructure... not a bad deal at all.

Source: SVBJ

Boudin SF Brings the Flavor of Fresh-Baked Sourdough to Almaden Plaza Shopping Center in San Jose on March 19

First 100 Guests on Opening Day to Receive Free Bread for a Year

Gloriously irresistible fresh-baked sourdough bread will soon be available at Almaden Plaza Shopping Center in San Jose. Boudin Bakery CEO Sharon Duvall today announced that the company will open its 11th Northern California Boudin SF location in Almaden Valley on March 19.

Boudin SF is a convenient, casual-dining restaurant where guests can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner. Residents of San Jose who have long enjoyed The Original San Francisco Sourdough™ can soon savor the unforgettable experience of breaking open an aromatic loaf in a new location close to home. Almaden Plaza Shopping Center marks the company’s second San Jose restaurant and follows the opening of Boudin SF in West Valley Center last April.

“We are thrilled to open another location in the South Bay,” said Duvall. “We are extremely thankful for our loyal Boudin sourdough fans and excited to welcome our new neighbors in the Almaden Valley community to the restaurant.”

Bread Winners

When Boudin SF at Almaden Plaza opens its doors to the public on March 19, the first 100 guests in line will win a year’s supply of The Original San Francisco Sourdough™. Boudin enthusiasts, affectionately known as “Bread Winners,” often camp overnight to ensure a spot in line and may begin queuing up at 5:00 p.m. on March 18. Boudin SF has reserved the first place in the Bread Winners line for Second Harvest Food Bank, a local non-profit that provides food to nearly one quarter of a million people each month and is one of the largest food banks in the nation. Boudin SF has long been a supporter of food banks and regularly donates fresh bread to local charities.

Boudin SF Menu

Ideal for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Boudin SF features a comprehensive menu of both healthy and hearty fare to delight a variety of palettes. Boudin SF’s attention to detail shines through in every dish. Seasonal, organic, and locally-sourced ingredients are used whenever possible.

Boudin SF’s wide variety of sandwiches are a delicious and convenient option for lunch or a picnic. Guests may also choose from perennial favorites such as Chicken Pesto with chicken breast, tomatoes, arugula, pesto mayo, and balsamic vinaigrette on a sourdough baguette or the California Veggie with Havarti cheese, avocado, red peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, red onion, tomatoes, sun-dried tomato spread, and balsamic vinaigrette on multigrain bread. After a day of shopping or hiking, Boudin's classic New England-style Clam Chowder or Butternut Squash Soup in a signature sourdough bread bowl is warm and filling. Boudin SF is perfect for busy families and professionals. Stop by for a quick dinner or linger over a glass of beer or California wines. For a quick breakfast after dropping off the kids at school or an early morning workout, Boudin SF has everything from Vegetable Scrambles to Sourdough French Toast. 

Boudin SF also offers Web-to-Go service, allowing customers to place an order in advance and then pick it up quickly on the way to the park, office or home – no waiting in line. Available online at: www.boudinwebtogo.com.

Boudin SF at Almaden Plaza Shopping Center is located at 5353 Almaden Expressway in San Jose, CA  95118. Telephone: 408-513-1050. Open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.



About Boudin Bakery

Headquartered in San Francisco, Boudin Bakery is world-famous for The Original San Francisco Sourdough™, which is baked with the same Mother Dough, or sourdough starter, used since 1849. Born in the Gold Rush, Boudin is the oldest continuously operating business in San Francisco. Because each loaf is made from a portion of the original sourdough starter, Boudin Sourdough is one of a kind.  With its delicious tangy flavor, golden crunchy crust, and soft chewy center – along with its famous aroma – it has been described as “a sensory experience in a simple loaf of bread.” Boudin SF is a convenient, casual-dining restaurant with locations throughout California where guests can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Boudin at the Wharf, located in the heart of San Francisco’s renowned waterfront, is Boudin’s flagship facility and home to Bistro Boudin, Boudin Museum & Bakery Tour, a demonstration bakery, Bakers Hall Marketplace and a Boudin Café. Boudin bread can be purchased at the Wharf and all Boudin restaurants located throughout California. Boudin also offers catering and operates a gift catalog business, which can be found online www.boudinbakery.com.

New Costco Officially Coming to South San Jose

Last week developers confirmed that a new Costco would be coming to South San Jose on a 76-acre parcel near the intersection of Highway 85 and Monterey Highway. This will be San Jose's 4th Costco--the other 3 are in Almaden, North San Jose, and off Tully.

The Wholesaler will be part of a project that includes up to 780 residential units, 154,000 SQFT of retail, and 260,000 SQFT of office or R&D.

Given the large number of people that currently live in this part of South San Jose (as well as future residents from all the new development there), this should benefit an area that is under-serviced by retail. I will also mention that this will be the closest San Jose Costco to a Caltrain station, not that I foresee anyone carrying reams of toilet paper on the train.

Source: SVBJ

Jabil Leasing 100,000 SQFT in Edenvale

Jabil provides manufacturing services for high tech companies in the valley with an emphasis on emerging technologies. They are planning to expand in a big way by leasing a whole 100,000 SQFT building in South San Jose at 6375 San Ignacio Avenue. This is right around the corner from Jabil's current 180,000 SQFT facility.

This is great news for South San Jose, where office vacancies have been increasing for the past three quarters and are currently at 22.3%. The last quarter was the first where the vacancy rate has actually declined and this will help keep that positive trend going.

Source: SVBJ

Balermino Park Under Construction on Almaden Road

Balermino Park is being built on 1.8 acres near the Almaden Family Apartments. The most unique feature in the park will be a pavement design that resembles traditional Ohlone basket weaving (the person the park is named after was born to Ohlone-speaking parents). Balermino will also have picnic areas, play structures, and a basketball court.

Completion is scheduled by the end of the year and based on the photos below from San Jose Trails it looks like a lot of progress has already been made.

Sources: San Jose Trails, The Merc

Good Samaritan Hospital Spending $33 Million to Expand Their Emergency Rooms

Good Samaritan Hospital in South San Jose is expanding its emergency operations from 7,857 SQFT to 22,653 SQFT. This $33 Million project will be done in the existing space. Good Sam will be relocating other departments and knocking down walls in order to make room for the larger ER, allowing the hospital to increase the number of patients they see from 54,000 to 75,000.

As part of the expansion they will have a new kid-friendly waiting area, a new ambulance drop-off area and a CT scanner dedicated to the ER. Construction will start next year and should wrap up by 2017.

Source: SVBJ

Walmart Grocery Store Will Anchor Monterey Road Shopping Center

Yet another Walmart Neighborhood Market is coming to San Jose. This one will be a 50,000 SQFT anchor store at the new Sun Garden Center on Monterey Road. It is expected that it will open in Q4 of this year.

This location is near Spartan Stadium and the Plant Shopping Center. Sun Garden will also have space for a 44,576 anchor store and 4-5 smaller retail spots for restaurants or banks.

Source: SVBJ