Friday, September 15, 2017

New Proposal in West San Jose

A Preliminary Review Application (File No. PRE17-143) was recently submitted at 375 S. Baywood Avenue for a 12-story, 65 unit multifamily building with underground parking on a 0.3 acre site. Currently the site has two existing single-family homes and could be developed with up to 75 units under the Urban Village land use designation. This property falls within the newly adopted Valley Fair/Santana Row Urban Village Plan. The VFSR Plan sets a capacity for 8,500 new jobs and 2,635 new dwelling units.

The applicant submitted several design concepts to gain an understanding of what staff would support. The conceptual designs can be found here. The concepts are all of a similar design but different enough to be able to have a preference for one over the other. I will say it is very exciting to see interest in architecture that is different from the typical boxy industrial look we have seen all too much in the Bay Area (think Mission Bay in San Francisco).

-Kimberly Vacca

Location:









Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Bark in the Park this Saturday

The largest dog festival in the United States takes place this weekend at William Street Park. Over 15,000 dog lovers and 3,900 dogs are expected to be in attendance. The festival stretches across 10 acres of grass, trees, and water.

Events include a variety of workshops, shows, and contests (dog costumes, pet owner look-a-like, tail and tail wagging. There will also be a kids entertainment zone, low-cost vaccines, microchiping, and vendor booths.

Bark in the Park runs from 10am-5pm this Saturday at S. 16th Street and William Street. The event is free but a $5 donation is encouraged for each dog.

For more information, head over to the Bark in the Park website.


Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Another residential tower proposed Downtown

Equus Capital Partners is adding yet another potential high-rise project to the Downtown queue. This one clocks in at 24-stories, 260 residential units (70 studios, 109 one-bedrooms, 77 two-bedrooms, 3 three-bedrooms), 1,500 SQFT of retail facing Park Avenue, 319 parking spots, and 66 bicycle parking spaces.

One of the most interesting aspects of the proposal is the location on Almaden Boulevard. Currently there are no residential projects anywhere on this street Downtown. If you scroll to the very last image, you can see the empty courthouse that sits on the property today. If built, not only would it be extremely convenient for residents that work Downtown, but the property would have immediate access to 40,000 SQFT of restaurants in the same complex such as Morton's, Scott's Seafood, Specialty's, and Peggy Sue's.

Aesthetically, the design is a bit more interesting than existing residential towers. My favorite features are the cutout on the 7th floor (first image) and the penthouse amenity floor. It looks like they are actually planning a common space on the top floor with trees and a lounge area. This should be a mandatory feature on new residential towers given how amazing our weather typically is.

Source: SVBJ (requires subscription)








Thursday, September 7, 2017

Southwest is adding more flights at SJC

Southwest Airlines recently announced 25% increase in San Jose departures and a 50% increase in nonstop destinations by Spring. This will help keep Alaska Airlines at bay, who have also been steadily increasing their San Jose flights.

The new daily nonstops include Orlando, St. Louis, Houston's Hobby Airport, Spokane, and Boise. Southwest is also adding Sunday-only flights to New Orleans and Albuquerque. The new flights begin May 6th except for Orlando, which starts on April 8th. If those weren't enough new flights for you, on March 10th they are also launching their first international flight--San Jose to Cabo San Lucas (Alaska Airlines is the only other carrier with a direct flight to Cabo from SJC).

Southwest will be increasing the frequency of their Phoenix, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, and Dallas flights as well. After all of the changes, the airline will have 80 new flights each week and feature a total of 24 nonstop destinations.

Source: SVBJ



Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Downtown Development since 2005

Downtown San José’s bright future has been a primary focus for many of us urbanists. However, as we grease our gears for full steam ahead into the future, many of us may have forgotten just how far the downtown has come in the past decade. The City’s Planning Division keeps track of development proposals in downtown San José dating back to 2005 when the Downtown Strategy 2000 was adopted by City Council. Part of this tracking includes creating an annual map showing where residential and commercial development proposals have occurred. As shown in the map in the link below, there have been numerous mixed-use residential development proposals within downtown San José, mostly centered near or north of E/W Santa Clara Street. Specifically, 2,643 units are currently built or under construction with another 4,228 approved units on the way. This equates to over 6,800 NEW units within the downtown, meaning many more residents walking, biking, and increasing the vibrancy of the core of our city. This explosion of residential development can be a large factor in explaining the increase in cafes, restaurants, and bars that the downtown has seen recently. Let’s all hope that office proposals can now make up for lost time!

-Kimberly Vacca


Downtown Development Map



(click to enlarge map)

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Stroll The Alameda on September 17th

The Shasta / Hanchett Park Neighborhood Association along with the Alameda Business Association host a great wine and beer walk each year. It is a great way to explore the neighborhood while sampling local wines and craft beers, listening/dancing to music, and shopping (Alameda stores typically provide special offers during the event).

The 7th Annual "Stroll The Alameda" event takes place Sunday, September 17th from 2-5pm. Tickets are only $25 per person and include 12 tastings, a souvenir glass, and event map (this goes up to $35 on the day of the event). The stroll will start at the Park Ave. Preschool at 1080 The Alameda.

For more information and tickets, head over here!


Thursday, August 31, 2017

Friday Night Concert @ St. James Park tomorrow from 6-8pm

St. James Park is going to be filled with activity tomorrow night thanks to the Summer in St. James Park Concert Series. In addition to live music, there will be all sorts of games and food. It is nice to really see this park finally come alive and contribute to the Downtown culture. More details below from the FB event page.





It’s Happening! this summer in St. James Park! The City of San Jose’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services has partnered with San Jose Jazz to bring the downtown community and jazzy tunes and chill vibes with a series of SJ Jazz Boom Box Performances and rotating free and family-friendly activities. This Friday’s activities will include: SJ Jazz Boom Box FEAT. Kenya B. https://youtu.be/U1QB-zBhfMA https://youtu.be/5xfOuqtdBhE

  • Zen Den Pop-Up 
  • Life-Sized Dart Board 
  • Cornhole Tournament 
  • Croquet Games 
  • Food Trucks 
  • Café Dining Area 
  • Lamzac Seating

For other It’s Happening! Summer in St. James and Plaza de Cesar Chavez activities, visit our website at www.sanjoseca.gov/itshappening, where you can find a full calendar of activities.


Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Viva Calle SJ 2017 - September 17th

One of my favorite events of the year returns in just couple of weeks. During Viva Calle SJ, miles of city streets will be completely shut down to let people walk, run, bike, or skateboard down the streets of San Jose.

Viva Calle features multiple activity hubs which are basically festivals-within-a-festival that highlight the local area. This year they will be located in Japantown, Roosevelt Park, the Mexican Heritage Plaza, Alum Rock Village, and Lake Cunningham Park. You can expect live music, vendors, food, activities, bike parking, and good times at each and every one. In between the activity hubs you will still find all sorts of interesting stops, hydration stations, and stores.

The route has changed again this year. It is now just a single line without branching out, and for the first time it will go straight down Santa Clara Street. At 7 miles and five activity hubs, it is the largest Viva Calle yet!

If you are one of the 50 million people that still play PokemonGo, the company that makes the game is leveraging Viva Calle as their first official event in San Jose. I'm about to out myself as a huge nerd, but I use the game when visiting someplace new to find hidden street art and all sorts of points-of-interest that even locals don't know about. It's like a hyper-local Tripadvisor for each block. The game will feature temporary stops and extra pokemon along the route as part of the event.

Viva Calle 2017 takes place on Sunday, September 17th from 10am to 3pm (streets are closed until 4pm). It is completely free and has no designated beginning or end as it's not a race. You can use the handy map below to locate the routes and festivities. For more info, head over here. Hope to see you there!


Monday, August 28, 2017

August 2017 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:
  • Adobe Systems will add a fourth tower across the street from its current three-tower headquarters in Downtown San Jose. The new building will allow Adobe to more than double its San Jose headcount and add another 3,000 employees.
  • In a matter of a few months, Downtown has added multiple gourmet coffee shops including The Proper Cup at 1 S. Market, Chromatic at 17 N. Second, and Academic Coffee at 499 S. Street. Blue Bottle is also coming to 1 W. Santa Clara. This is in addition to Downtown's already stellar lineup of coffee shops: B2, Bel Bacio, Caffe Frascati, Devine Grind, Philz, Vero's, Voltair, Crema, Social Policy, and Ola's Exotic African Coffee and Tea.
  • The MarketCenter has added two new stores, Blaze Pizza and a Wells Fargo Bank.
  • Miami Beach Club at 417 S. First has opened a taco bar called Taco-a-go-go.
  • Several new business have come to Paseo de San Antonio:
    • Gong Cha Tea House replaced Quickly
    • Spoonfish Poke is opening this month
    • Tacomania has replaced Baja Fresh
  • JuiceAlize juice cart is now part San Pedro Square at 153 W. Santa Clara St. on weekdays from 8:30am-3:30pm.
  • Erik's DeliCafe now has a second Downtown location in Riverpark Tower I at 333 W. San Carlos.
  • City Dance San Jose returns each Thursday from Aug 24-Oct 12, offering free dance lessons at Plaza de Cesar Chavez from 5:30pm-9pm.
  • Silicon Valley Pride Festival will take place Aug. 26-27 at Plaza de Cesar Chavez and South First Street.
  • Two Bay Area developers have teamed up to propose a 1 million SQFT office compace at 440 W. Julian (behind the San Jose MarketCenter and near SAP Center/Diridon Station).
To read the newsletter, click here!

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Silicon Valley Pride 2017

This is going to be one of those better late than never posts! The Silicon Valley Pride festival is still going on today until 6pm at Plaza De Cesar Chavez in Downtown San Jose. Admission is only $5, kids are free, and I'm sure it will be a blast.


Friday, August 25, 2017

First Earl of Sandwich in Northern California coming to Downtown San Jose

One of the hottest sandwich shops in Southern California and Florida has made its way to San Jose. The Earl of Sandwich sign is already hanging at the ground floor of One South Market (the shiny blue tower). The new restaurant will be located next to Proper Cup, a great coffee shop well worth checking out as well.

The sandwich was apparently invented in 1762 by John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich (now you know how the sandwich got its name). It turns out that this chain was founded in 2004 by two direct descendants of that inventor: Lord John Montagu, the 11th Earl of Sandwich, and his son. Now that heritage is coming to San Jose.

We could use more of these unique sandwich shops Downtown like Freshly Baked Eatery, Ike's, and now Earl of Sandwich instead of more Subways. Personally, I'm eyeing that Holiday Turkey sandwich down below.

There is no official ETA on the grand opening yet, but the sign is a good indicator that it won't be long.

Source: The Merc (hat tip to the anonymous commentor)


Thursday, August 24, 2017

Sourisseau News: The Lives of Automobiles

Last week we posted a Sourisseau News video about bicycles--this week we have a video about early cars in the San Jose area. The two minute video is embedded below for your enjoyment.

To see an archive of past videos, head over here.

Sourisseau News: The Lives of Automobiles February 2017 from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.


Wednesday, August 23, 2017

City Dance 2017

Free outdoor dance classes are returning to Downtown San Jose. Every Thursday between August 24th and October 12th, a different genre of dance will be taught at Plaza de Cesar Chavez. You have everything from Salsa to Hip Hop to Disco. Even Bollywood and Zydeco are on the list this year.

Classes begin at 6pm and the lessons go for about an hour. Then between 7-9pm you can practice what you learned to live music. All are welcome and again, these classes are completely free. If that isn't enough to entice you, there will also be a beer garden and street food.

For more info, head over here.


Tuesday, August 22, 2017

One Million Sq. Ft. of New Office Downtown?

With news of Google potentially locating next to Diridon Station, suddenly everyone wants a piece of downtown San José! And boy are we ready! A Preliminary Review application came in last month to gain staff’s input on the potential to demolish existing buildings and construct three new 6-story office buildings totaling ONE MILLION square feet at 440 W. Julian Street.

The site is located within the Downtown boundary north of the SAP Center and is adjacent to the Guadalupe River, only separated by Autumn Parkway. The City of San José has designated these properties as Transit Employment Center in the General Plan, meaning that intensive job growth is supported here through high-density office and commercial development. The proposed one million square foot office development meets the intention of the Transit Employment Center land use designation.


The office concept in this proposal boasts having accessible green space on every floor and large terraces that will bring natural light deep into the floorplate (see pictures below). While the renderings are very preliminary, we can already gain a sense of the tapered design showcasing these private green spaces. This type of high-density employment next to Diridon Station would allow employees to take a multitude of transit modes to work: Caltrain, VTA bus rapid transit and light rail, ACE, and eventually BART. Not to mention the connectivity to the Guadalupe River Trail system that many bicyclists use to commute. 

If the developer wishes to proceed with their proposal, the next steps will include filing the following applications, at a minimum, with the City:
  1. Rezoning application to change the site’s current HI Heavy Industrial zoning district to a zoning district that supports intensive office uses
  2. Site development permit to allow the one million square foot office development
These permits would contain much more detail in regards to the design, circulation of vehicles, parking, landscaping, etc. and would most likely require a community meeting to gain input from the public. The preliminary application currently on file only serves as an informational application to the applicant so that they can get a preliminary analysis from staff. This helps applicants save time and money before submitting an actual development proposal. If the applicant decides to move forward, this project will give everyone an idea of what the City of San José will ask for regarding new development around Diridon and could very well set a precedent for Google moving forward.

-Kimberly Vacca




Monday, August 21, 2017

Frontier is the latest airline to come to SJC

Frontier is San Jose International's 7th new airline in just the last two years. The airline is a low-cost carrier that competes with Southwest, which should help keep fares as low as possible at SJC.

Their initial route will be a daily nonstop to Denver starting October 5th, which is also Frontier's base and largest hub. They are going to follow that with four weekly flights to Las Vegas beginning on November 1st. Up next will be a nonstop to Austin (this route used to be called the Nerd Bird as it connects two tech hubs). Lastly, they are planning to add a nonstop to San Antonio next spring. I'm most excited about the San Antonio flight since that will be a brand new route for San Jose.

Frontier typically charges half of what their competitors charge, but they have a multitude of fees for things you usually get for free such as seat assignments, sodas, and even carry-on bags. If you travel light and plan ahead, you can get fares as low as $29 each way.

More flights are routes are always a welcome addition to SJC!

Source: SVBJ

Photo by Chris Heaton (flickr)

Friday, August 18, 2017

SoFA Sundays: Aug 20th, Sep 17th, Oct 15th

SoFA Sundays is a great artsy event taking place each month in Downtown San Jose. It is similar to South First Fridays, but goes down on the third Sunday of each month from noon to 4pm across the SoFA District. Museums and art galleries such as the ICA, MACLA, and The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles will all be open and offering free admission.

The event features plenty of entertainment such as live performances, chalk art, bocce ball, and some surprises. Of course there will be food, ice cream trucks, boutique coffee, and freshly pressed juices. A super cool and unique feature is free brunch delivery from the SoFA market to your seats in the event (powered by Cowgirl Bike Courier).

This is also a great opportunity to see the new redesign of Parque de los Pobladores at William and South First St., which is centered around a concept of "urban rooms." Have a look at the first photo below for a taste of the concept.

The next three SoFA Sundays are this Sunday, September 17th, and October 15th. Fore more details, check out the press release below or head over to their Facebook page.



EXPLORE THE ARTS IN DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE’S
VIBRANT SoFA DISTRICT AT SoFA SUNDAYS – FREE!
Back for more on AUGUST 20, SoFA Sundays offer great opportunities
to enjoy the visual and performing arts of the SoFA District

SAN JOSE, CA (August 10, 2017) – Downtown San Jose’s SoFA (South First Area) District, the center of creativity, is enjoying SoFA Sundays – a FREE event series celebrating the area’s vibrant arts scene – every THIRD SUNDAY from 12noon to 4pm.

Art lovers can visit more galleries on Sundays, now that the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art [560 South First] and MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana [510 South First] are open Sundays. The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles [520 South First] is also open, and with a special ticket from SoFA Sundays, you can get in FREE.

SoFA Sundays will highlight the fabulous “Urban Rooms” redesign of Parque de los Pobladores at William and South First, with ice cream trucks, chalk art muralist Clif Gold, and live sound healing performances with Jessica Neideffer. Plus there are lots of great prizes on our “Spinning Wheel of SoFA”, all from local businesses. New neighbor Academic Coffee will be there, tasting their cold brews as well as Origins Juicery on South First.

Upcoming dates are: August 20, September 17, and October 15.

BICYCLE BRUNCH DELIVERY? Sure why not. Thanks to SOFA Market and Cowgirl Bike Courier, you can now order your favorite brunch items at your seat, and have them delivered FREE!

LOVE BOCCE? Let’s play in the dirt, the way the wise guys do in the old country. Real hardwood balls on a crushed gravel court. We take the game seriously.

Special thanks to participating SoFA Sundays businesses: Academic Coffee, Origins Juicery, SoFA Market, San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, Filco Events, SIGNET, and Salon Blu.

And for more information about SoFA Sundays, please visit our Facebook Page:
facebook.com/SofaSundaySanJose




Thursday, August 17, 2017

Content 9.4 Pick-up Party tonight at the Hammer Theatre

Content Magazine is turning things up a notch for their latest release party. Tonight, they are hosting the festivities on the roof of the Hammer Theatre in Downtown San Jose (101 Paseo de San Antonio).

The latest issue is entitled "perform" and features: Martin Malvar, Funkhouser Design, Nick Kumamoto, Majinga the Magician, Victor Parra, Los Lupenos De San Jose, Santa Clara Aquamaids and Stanford Women’s Synchronized Swimming Team, South Bay Polo Club, Nessia Starr, Ron Starr, Crissy Guggler, Academic Coffee, Raw Daddy, Vitamina, Hawaiian Poke Bowl, Love District, Ren Geisick, Turbo Sonidero, ASHA, and more.

The event tonight goes from 7pm-9:30pm and includes several musicians, refreshments, and signature beverages. You are welcome to attend even if you are not a subscriber. For more information, head over to the event's Facebook page.


Wednesday, August 16, 2017

San Jose: A City Center Emerges (1988)

Below is a nostalgic look at Downtown San Jose nearly 30 years ago. It took a long time, but I think Downtown is finally living up to the vision that the city leaders describe in the video.



Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Sourisseau News: The Valley’s Love Affair with the Bicycle

While biking is extremely popular in San Jose today, and we are one of the most bike-friendly cities in the US, our love for bicycles goes all the way back to the 1880's. To learn more, check out the two minute Sourisseau News video below.

To see an archive of past videos, head over here.


Sourisseau News: The Valley's Love Affair With the Bicycle - March 2017 from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.


Monday, August 14, 2017

North 4th Street Student Tower Proposal

There seems to be no shortage of exciting news related to Downtown San Jose these days! The newest development project proposal is a 26-story student housing tower at the intersection of N. 4th Street and St. John. This location is 3 blocks away from SJSU and only 1 block away from St. James Park.

At 285 feet, it would be the exact same height as the San Jose City Hall, the second tallest building in San Jose (The 88 is taller by one foot). If the height alone wasn't enough to make it stand out, the proposed design with guarantee it. If approved, the N. 4th Street tower would have the most colorful and eclectic design of any Downtown tower to date. It features almost Tetris-like cutouts both horizontally and vertically, multi-colored glass, and even trees on the roof.

The ground floor has a respectable 8,409 SQFT of retail, a 2,713 SQFT leasing office, bike parking, and retail & guest parking. Above that is four levels of parking for students followed by 21 levels of student housing with 400 units (enough for about 900 students). If that weren't enough, there is a rooftop patio and amenity area--again with trees!

There are some negatives with the design. First, the tower will be adjacent to many single family homes along 5th Street, and those homeowners are likely not thrilled to have a student housing tower as a next-door neighbor. Also, there are a ton of parking spaces for a tower designed for students--especially since BART, Light rail, Bus Rapid Transit, and protected bike lanes are all within a 5 minute walk. In combination with the advent of autonomous cars, this will be very expensive wasted space five years from now and does not promote good urban design. At minimum they should plan on building the parking floors in such a way where they can be repurposed in the future.

Overall, I have to say this is pretty exciting and would markedly improve our skyline as well as add foot-traffic to an undeserved part of Downtown.

Huge thanks to fellow blogger Kimberly Vacca for providing high-res images from the proposal! Also a shout out to Robertee from the San Jose Development Forum for being the first to post about the permit. Click on the images below to enlarge.