Friday, September 4, 2015
South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk + STREET MRKT Tonight
The latest South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk is going down tonight from 7-11pm in Downtown San Jose's SoFA District. 20 different venues will be open late and featuring a wide variety of local art to enjoy. Also part of the event tonight is an outdoor street market comprised of local vendors. To learn more about the participants before the walk tonight, head over to the South FIRST FRIDAYS website over here!
Thursday, September 3, 2015
70 N 2nd Street Office Building Remodel
The era of bland, mediocre office buildings in Downtown San Jose is slowly coming to an end. As Downtown's profile and brand rise, so do aesthetic expectations. Have a look below at the renovation currently underway at 70 N 2nd Street (near Ike's). The transformation is going to be dramatic even though the current shell is still being utilized. It looks like they will have a cafe on the ground floor topped with contemporary office space featuring tall ceilings and an open feel.
The twin office towers next door are also expected to get a multi-million dollar makeover in 2016.
Source: Robertee from the San Jose Development Forum
The twin office towers next door are also expected to get a multi-million dollar makeover in 2016.
Source: Robertee from the San Jose Development Forum
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| Current |
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| After |
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Edward Nowak's Downtown San Jose Photos
Edward Nowak is a talented photographer that lives in Downtown San Jose. I stumbled upon his work thanks to a post by Cardinal2007 in the San Jose Development Forum. I absolutely love his photos! He captured some perspectives of our city that I have not seen before. Below are a few of my favorites, but he has many over here.
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| Stormy San Jose Sunset - Oct. 31, 2014 |
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| Evening Arrival at San Jose International Airport |
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| Downtown San Jose from City Heights |
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| Blue Sunset over San Jose - Mar. 14, 2015 |
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| Downtown San Jose from the Taylor Street Bridge |
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
San Jose Targets Manufacturing Growth With New Incentives
While manufacturing may not be as sexy as many of the tech jobs that dominate Silicon Valley right now, the sector is a critical source of middle-class jobs and tax revenue for our city. Last month Sam Liccardo unveiled a collection of incentives to boost manufacturing under a new program called "We Are Built in San Jose."
The incentives include waiving permit fees for renovating existing manufacturing building, guaranteeing permit approvals within 60 days for expanding and relocating manufacturing companies, cutting construction taxes by 75% (from a 4% tax to a 1% tax), and special PG&E rates.
There are tons of available manufacturing buildings throughout San Jose, particularly in North San Jose, that are just collecting dust. While several existing companies are expanding their manufacturing capabilities in San Jose, there are still millions of square feet of space to fill. The advent of 3D printing and advanced robotics will one day make it much more cost effective to build locally in the US than oversees. Now is the time to start preparing for that future and expanding our manufacturing capabilities.
Source: SVBJ
The incentives include waiving permit fees for renovating existing manufacturing building, guaranteeing permit approvals within 60 days for expanding and relocating manufacturing companies, cutting construction taxes by 75% (from a 4% tax to a 1% tax), and special PG&E rates.
There are tons of available manufacturing buildings throughout San Jose, particularly in North San Jose, that are just collecting dust. While several existing companies are expanding their manufacturing capabilities in San Jose, there are still millions of square feet of space to fill. The advent of 3D printing and advanced robotics will one day make it much more cost effective to build locally in the US than oversees. Now is the time to start preparing for that future and expanding our manufacturing capabilities.
Source: SVBJ
British Airways is Coming to San Jose!!!
In what can only be described as a monumental win for SJC and the city of San Jose, British Airways announced that in 2016 they will begin a nonstop flight between San Jose and London. This will be San Jose's 5th international route (Guadalajara, Cabo San Lucas, Tokyo, and Beijing are the others). It may very well be the most important route that SJC has ever landed as London is the #1 requested international destination in Silicon Valley.
“We are thrilled to see British Airways provide direct service out of Mineta SJC Airport to London,” San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Matthew Mahood said. "This is a great opportunity for both business and personal travelers to experience the benefits of flying directly out of Silicon Valley’s airport – Mineta SJC International."
The flight will feature a state-of-the-art Boeing 787-900, which is 20 feet longer than the 787-800 pictured below. The plane will be the first in San Jose International's history to have four classes of service: 8 First Class "cabins," 42 Business Class seats, 39 Premium Economy, and 127 Economy seats. Those who have flown on British Airways can attest that even the cheapest seats are pretty nice compared to typical American planes, and this will be the very best plane in the British Airways fleet.
This new route will give San Joseans easy access to far more than just London. The flight will land in Terminal 5, allowing in-terminal connections to 130 destinations in Europe, Africa, and Asia. I can only imagine the amount of momentum this will give our airport going forward.
The first flight will land in San Jose on May 4th, 2016 at 6:05pm and depart to London at 8pm. It is expecting to be highly utilized by both business and leisure travelers. I know I'll be on one of those flights next year!
Source: SVBJ
“We are thrilled to see British Airways provide direct service out of Mineta SJC Airport to London,” San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Matthew Mahood said. "This is a great opportunity for both business and personal travelers to experience the benefits of flying directly out of Silicon Valley’s airport – Mineta SJC International."
The flight will feature a state-of-the-art Boeing 787-900, which is 20 feet longer than the 787-800 pictured below. The plane will be the first in San Jose International's history to have four classes of service: 8 First Class "cabins," 42 Business Class seats, 39 Premium Economy, and 127 Economy seats. Those who have flown on British Airways can attest that even the cheapest seats are pretty nice compared to typical American planes, and this will be the very best plane in the British Airways fleet.
This new route will give San Joseans easy access to far more than just London. The flight will land in Terminal 5, allowing in-terminal connections to 130 destinations in Europe, Africa, and Asia. I can only imagine the amount of momentum this will give our airport going forward.
The first flight will land in San Jose on May 4th, 2016 at 6:05pm and depart to London at 8pm. It is expecting to be highly utilized by both business and leisure travelers. I know I'll be on one of those flights next year!
Source: SVBJ
Monday, August 31, 2015
Boston Properties Adding 536,949 SQFT of Office Space
Boston Properties is planning to add two new large buildings to their Innovation Place business park in North San Jose. Each would be a quarter million square feet. The best part is that they already seem to have a tenant to occupy the space, rumored to be Broadcom. This would double the size of the current campus from 543,900 SQFT to over a million SQFT. The two buildings would replace an existing parking lot, while parking would be moved to two new structures.
Unfortunately, Boston Properties will have to go through the city planning process all over again for entitlements to build the project since their previous entitlements to expand the campus expired. While this project is not as sexy as some of the mixed use projects we have seen lately, it would provide critical Class A office space to North San Jose that is needed to maintain momentum in this economy.
Source: SVBJ
Unfortunately, Boston Properties will have to go through the city planning process all over again for entitlements to build the project since their previous entitlements to expand the campus expired. While this project is not as sexy as some of the mixed use projects we have seen lately, it would provide critical Class A office space to North San Jose that is needed to maintain momentum in this economy.
Source: SVBJ
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Intelicare Direct Bringing 350 Jobs to San Jose
A high-end call center is opening this week in North San Jose (2350 Zanker Road, Suite 10). Intelicare Direct--the company opening the center--is establishing 350 new jobs in our city, as opposed to outsourcing them outside the country. The new center also means more tax dollars for the city's coffers.
To learn about the company and the new office, please have a look at the press release below. FYI, they are aggressively hiring. These positions are a great way to get your foot in the door if you are interested in moving into tech, Customer Service, or Customer Success.
San Diego — Intelicare Direct (ICD), a leading customer service solutions company with offices in Las Vegas and San Diego, is opening its third state-of-the-art building in San Jose, Calif. The expansion to the Bay Area continues a commitment by ICD to provide high quality customer service for its clients that remains based in the United States.
On Wednesday, September 2 at 12:15 p.m., a ribbon cutting ceremony will take place with San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. Intelicare Direct will also host an open house job fair following the ceremony.
“We are excited to be creating over 350 jobs in the Bay Area as we pursue our goal of providing the world’s best customer service experience for our clients,” said Gabriel Bristol, President and CEO of Intelicare Direct. “It’s important to us that as we grow, this work continues to be performed in the U.S. and San Jose, the heart of Silicon Valley and a bustling hub of technology, is just the place to do it.”
An ambitious project, the goal of this new San Jose office is to not only create a customer service contact center unlike any other, but also to make sure that the space reflects the value of those performing the work. The new office mirrors the company’s unique values and culture, which are in part responsible for the success the company has enjoyed. ICD pays a livable hourly wage, weekly bonuses and provides health and disability insurance for all its employees. The company is famously dog friendly and allows employees to bring their children into the office as well.
“Customer service workers have long been denied the kind of respect they deserve. Without these hard working agents, most companies simply couldn’t function, and yet too often they’re relegated to the basements with sub-par equipment and even poorer working conditions,” said Bristol. “All too often these jobs are shipped off to parts of the world where the work can be done for pennies on the dollar. This fails to recognize the importance of their contribution and this new location has been built to serve as a paradigm shift in that thinking.”
The goal was to create the world’s most technologically advanced and aesthetically pleasing call center to provide first class customer service in an open and nurturing environment. Bristol has equipped the new location with state-of-the-art Apple technology, ergonomic workstations and, unheard of in the customer service industry, flexible workstations. Employees will be able to work remotely anywhere in the building they find comfortable because their wireless laptops will be able to be used anywhere in the center.
Below are a few highlights of what makes the San Jose office unique:
Intelicare Direct is a fast-growing, full-service customer support company, which acts as an external customer service department. The company provides customer care that’s friendly, reliable and professional. By providing industry-leading customer satisfaction, businesses can focus on building profits instead of costly infrastructure.
In just under two-and-a-half years during his tenure as CEO, Bristol has grown the company from just 60 employees working out of a warehouse to an estimated 800 employees by the end of the year.
“Intelicare Direct has built and maintains a strong and supportive company culture where employees’ happiness comes first and success is measured by more than the number of calls handled. Commerce and compassion can reside in the same space,” said Bristol. “We attribute our success to our people and look forward to continuing to reform the call center corporate culture.”
Employee satisfaction is the foundation that has enabled Bristol and Intelicare Direct to successfully develop turnkey solutions, effective customer care, and sales programs for small and medium-sized businesses.
About Intelicare Direct: Intelicare Direct is a leading customer service solutions company based in America, offering businesses effective ways to improve customer satisfaction, sales and quality assurance. Intelicare Direct increases companies’ bottom lines by catering to their number one asset--the customers. Intelicare Direct’s services include Inbound Customer Service, Technical Support, Outbound Sales, Lead Generation, and Reporting. For more information please visit www.intelicaredirect.com.
To learn about the company and the new office, please have a look at the press release below. FYI, they are aggressively hiring. These positions are a great way to get your foot in the door if you are interested in moving into tech, Customer Service, or Customer Success.
On Wednesday, September 2 at 12:15 p.m., a ribbon cutting ceremony will take place with San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. Intelicare Direct will also host an open house job fair following the ceremony.
“We are excited to be creating over 350 jobs in the Bay Area as we pursue our goal of providing the world’s best customer service experience for our clients,” said Gabriel Bristol, President and CEO of Intelicare Direct. “It’s important to us that as we grow, this work continues to be performed in the U.S. and San Jose, the heart of Silicon Valley and a bustling hub of technology, is just the place to do it.”
An ambitious project, the goal of this new San Jose office is to not only create a customer service contact center unlike any other, but also to make sure that the space reflects the value of those performing the work. The new office mirrors the company’s unique values and culture, which are in part responsible for the success the company has enjoyed. ICD pays a livable hourly wage, weekly bonuses and provides health and disability insurance for all its employees. The company is famously dog friendly and allows employees to bring their children into the office as well.
“Customer service workers have long been denied the kind of respect they deserve. Without these hard working agents, most companies simply couldn’t function, and yet too often they’re relegated to the basements with sub-par equipment and even poorer working conditions,” said Bristol. “All too often these jobs are shipped off to parts of the world where the work can be done for pennies on the dollar. This fails to recognize the importance of their contribution and this new location has been built to serve as a paradigm shift in that thinking.”
The goal was to create the world’s most technologically advanced and aesthetically pleasing call center to provide first class customer service in an open and nurturing environment. Bristol has equipped the new location with state-of-the-art Apple technology, ergonomic workstations and, unheard of in the customer service industry, flexible workstations. Employees will be able to work remotely anywhere in the building they find comfortable because their wireless laptops will be able to be used anywhere in the center.
Below are a few highlights of what makes the San Jose office unique:
- All employees will have Apple MacBooks, which will allow them to work from anywhere in the office.
- In addition to traditional workspaces, there will be several creative workspaces, which will allow employees the flexibility to answer customer calls from almost anywhere in the building.
- ICD believes workplaces should encourage being healthy so there will be a gym with exercise equipment.
- ICD is a child friendly workplace, as parents should not have to worry if there is ever a breakdown in childcare. The new offices will ultimately have day care with tutors.
Intelicare Direct is a fast-growing, full-service customer support company, which acts as an external customer service department. The company provides customer care that’s friendly, reliable and professional. By providing industry-leading customer satisfaction, businesses can focus on building profits instead of costly infrastructure.
In just under two-and-a-half years during his tenure as CEO, Bristol has grown the company from just 60 employees working out of a warehouse to an estimated 800 employees by the end of the year.
“Intelicare Direct has built and maintains a strong and supportive company culture where employees’ happiness comes first and success is measured by more than the number of calls handled. Commerce and compassion can reside in the same space,” said Bristol. “We attribute our success to our people and look forward to continuing to reform the call center corporate culture.”
Employee satisfaction is the foundation that has enabled Bristol and Intelicare Direct to successfully develop turnkey solutions, effective customer care, and sales programs for small and medium-sized businesses.
About Intelicare Direct: Intelicare Direct is a leading customer service solutions company based in America, offering businesses effective ways to improve customer satisfaction, sales and quality assurance. Intelicare Direct increases companies’ bottom lines by catering to their number one asset--the customers. Intelicare Direct’s services include Inbound Customer Service, Technical Support, Outbound Sales, Lead Generation, and Reporting. For more information please visit www.intelicaredirect.com.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Saturday Stats: San Jose Metro is the Most Expensive in the US
For single-family homes, San Jose is the most expensive metro in the nation. The media selling price for a single-family home has increased by 8.9% this year to a mind-numbing $980,000.
San Francisco was second on the list with a median sale price of $841,600, which is up 9% over last year. Keep in mind these are metro areas, not just the city itself. Oakland and Fremont are bringing down the median for San Francisco, just as Palo Alto and Mountain View and increasing the median for San Jose.
Source: SocketSite
San Francisco was second on the list with a median sale price of $841,600, which is up 9% over last year. Keep in mind these are metro areas, not just the city itself. Oakland and Fremont are bringing down the median for San Francisco, just as Palo Alto and Mountain View and increasing the median for San Jose.
Source: SocketSite
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