October 2017 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:

• BART construction in Downtown is expected to start in 2019 and finish in 2026. The big debate is between using a double-bore tunnel (like every other subway in the US) or a single-bore tunnel that would greatly minimize disruption to Downtown but has only been used overseas.
• KT Urban proposed two towers:
• a 27-story, 285-unit tower with 6,105 SQFT of retail at 600 S. First in SoFA
• an 18-story, 302-unit tower in North San Pedro with 10,000 SQFT of retail
• Equus Capital Partners wants to build a 24-story, 260 unit tower with 1,500 SQFT of retail in CityView Plaza.
• ECI2 North Third wants to build a 26-story, 400-unit tower for student housing near City Hall.
• Taco Annex is now open at 287 S. First inside the SoFA Market.
• Earl of Sandwich opened their first Norther California location at the corner of Market and Santa Clara.
• Crewners Barber Shop moved out of the San Pedro Square Market and is now across the street at Community Towers, 111 St. John St., Suite 140. They also offer free beer in their larger space.
• The SJDA Annual Meeting is Oct. 13 at the San Jose First United Methodist Church (24 N. Fifth St.) from 8-9:30am.

To read the newsletter, click here!

Content 9.5 Pick-up Party at Forager Tasting Room

Content Magazine is hosting a party to celebrate their latest issues on Thursday, October 19th at Forager in SoFA (420 South First Street). Forager is a really interesting venue to begin with and this is the perfect opportunity to explore it.

The latest issue is entitled "profiles" and features:  Ryan Baird; Pilar Argüero-Esparza; Jimmy Fonseca; Robinson Wood; Danielle Rahe Fox of Give Me Cashmere; Viviane Ly; Gross Magazine; The Dancer of Peace, Khalilah Ramirez; Gemma Morgan; Ron P. Muriera; Lauren Baines; Cayce Hill at Veggielution; Joey and Gwen Reyes; Nate LeBlanc; Hive & Hum; Veronica Ruckman, co-owner of Social Policy; Voltaire Coffee House; Raul Peralez; Apis Floral; Alyssa Kompelien; Demone Carter; Nuria Feradez at VTA; Limon Salon; Carolina Villafane; Vero's Coffee Bar; Tim Lin; Chromatic Coffee; Umunhum Brewing; John Beaver; Liz Ruiz; Lorenz Mazon Dumuk; Moses Kinnah; Lake Stovall Music; Claudia Saenz, founder of Chulita Vinyl Club; Courtney Smith Kramer of Purematter; and more.

The event goes from 7pm-9pm and includes live music, 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.

Brand new Bay 101 Casino is now open for business

M8trix finally has some decent competition with the first phase of Bay 101's complex officially open. Of course, the casinos really don't see one another as competition--but as a part of complementary offerings that draw gamblers and entertainment-seekers to the area. Bay 101 even strategically located themselves on North First Street just blocks away from M8trix.

The new Bay 101 looks really sleek and is filled with modern touches like dynamic lighting, open spaces, and abstract art. The building spans 68,000 SQFT and has 49 gaming tables. Bay 101 also features a flagship Asian fusion restaurant called The Province, which is owned by the same people as Sino, Straits, and Roots & Rye at Santana Row. The restaurant will be higher-end than anything at M8trix (or the immediate area for that matter) and bring with it some nightlife and one of the most impressive outdoor patios in San Jose.

Future phases of the Bay 101 project include two hotels and a 237,000 SQFT tech campus. The first hotel is an Embassy Suites with 174 rooms in a seven-story building. For the development enthusiasts out there, yes that is a huge missed opportunity for one of the few parcels in San Jose where a 35-story building is not only economically viable but allowed by airport regulations. Perhaps they will think bigger for the second hotel. One thing is for sure, Bay 101 is going to help make North San Jose a lot more interesting.

Source: The Merc, hat tip to Arnold Kwok for sending this in!

Playful People Productions Presents: Snow White and the Seven Little People

San Jose, CA - Join us for an original twist on Snow White with such classic hits as Mack the Knife, Working in a Coal Mine, I Put a Spell on You and Killer Queen, Snow White and the Seven Little People sets out on a journey to find out … How will Snow White and Prince William Reisling find each other? Will Queen Evanora get her revenge as Granny Smith? Can Robin and the Bluejays defeat Raven and the Magpies? How will the Forest Animals lead Snow White to the Little People for shelter? The answers to these and many other questions will be answered in stunning musical theatre technicolor in Playful People Productions Fall Mashup show, Snow White and the Seven Little People.

Our shows often sell out prior to the show weekend. Be sure to buy your tickets early, you won’t want to miss out on this fantastic production. 

All Shows at the Historic Hoover Theatre, 1635 Park Ave  San Jose, CA 95126

 

Show Times:

Friday, October 27th - 7pm

Saturday, October 28th - 11am

Sunday, October 29th - 1pm

Friday, November 3rd - 7pm

Saturday, November 4th - 11am, 3pm and 7pm

Sunday, November 5th - 11am and 3pm

Tickets available at www.playfulpeople.net

$12 attendees 12 and up, $8 children 11 and under,  and $6 Children’s floor seating

 

Tickets at the door (30 minutes prior to curtain)

$15 attendees 12 and up, $10 children 11 and under, and $6 Children’s floor seating

Fundraising Gala Performance:

Join us on Saturday, October 28th at 6pm for a Playful People Fundraising Gala event. The evening will include heavy appetizers, beverages, desserts and a silent auction. You will also get to see an amazing performance of Snow White and the Seven Little People. This will be an evening you will not want to miss. 

Tickets available at www.playfulPeople.net

$60 Adults, $25 kids 8 - 16 and $10 7 and younger 

 

For questions: barb@galiotto.com

 

Founded in 2010, Playful People Production’s mission is to provide a quality, caring environment where children, teens and their families can have positive theater experiences. We strive to involve all family members in the many aspects of on stage and backstage theater in a safe and fun environment and offer participation in theatrical productions, classes, summer stock and camps for ages 3-93.

Playful People Productions is run by a mother-daughter team, Barbara Galiotto and Katie D’ Arcey, who between them have approximately 50 years of experience in the musical theater world. Both are Positive Discipline trained and worked as early Childhood Educators as well as in the theater.

ROOTS & WINGS opens sjDANCEco’s 15th Anniversary Season

Now celebrating 15 years in Downtown San Jose, sjDANCEco is proud to kick off their anniversary season with "ROOTS & WINGS." The performance will pair contemporary and classic modern dance with live music by the San Jose Chamber Orchestra. The company will do three performances in San Jose at the Hammer Theater, followed by two performances in San Francisco. All of the details and links to ticket sales are in the press release below.

ROOTS & WINGS opens sjDANCEco’s 15th Anniversary Season

Performances to be held in both San Jose and San Francisco

WHO:  sjDANCEco presents

WHAT: ROOTS & WINGS (Season Opening Program shown in two different venues)

WHEN: October 12 and 14 in San Jose.  November 3 and 4 in San Francisco

WHERE:

The Hammer Theatre Center, 101 Paseo de San Antonio in downtown San Jose, CA 95113

Thursday, October 12, 2017 at 8:00pm

Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 2:30pm and 8:00pm

Tickets Available August 1st 

Single Tickets: $25 to $90

$25    Student

$35    Senior

$40    General

$60    VIP Thursday evening & Saturday matinee includes bests seats in the house and reception with the dancers in the lobby following performances.

$90    VIP Saturday evening includes bests seats in the house and Gala Reception with dancers on Theatre Roof Top Garden

ODC Theater, 3153 17th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110

Friday, November 3, 2017 at 8:00pm

Saturday, November 4, 2017 at 8:00pm

Tickets Available August 1st

Single Tickets: $25 to $40

$25    Student

$35    Senior

$40    General

Box Office: 408.520.9854   www.sjDANCEco.org

WHY: sjDANCEco, San José’s contemporary dance company, celebrates its 15th Anniversary Season with multiple world premieres and expanded venues including the Hammer Theatre Center in downtown San Jose (October 12 and 14), and ODC Theater in San Francisco (November 3 and 4.) According to Artistic Director Gary Masters, “this is only the second time in our fifteen years, that we have brought our company to these two marvelous venues. We are so very excited to be back. Our Season-Opening program, entitled Roots & Wings, will explore the diverse inspirations and contributions that have been the foundation…the roots of creativity...for our resident choreographers and which have made and continue to make sjDANCEco’s repertory so distinctive.”

THE PROGRAM:

sjDANCEco’s 2017-2018 season-opening program will feature four World Premieres by; sjDANCEco Artistic Director Maria Basile, sjDANCEco Choreographic Advisor & Professor of Dance at San Jose State University Fred Mathews, Company Choreographer and dancer Hsiang Hsiu Lin, and by former company dancer Nhan Ho. Each new work will explore the choreographer’s Roots and the inspirations that give them Wings to excite and motivate their creativity. Also on the program will be a revival of Journey Through the Labyrinth originally created in 1994 for the Limón West Dance Project/San José and Idance of Independence High, with choreography by Artistic Director Gary Masters and set to a new commissioned score by Michael Touchi, Creative Consultant for the San Jose Chamber Orchestra. The revival will include a new section with choreography by Los Lupeños de San José Artistic Director Sam Cortez. The “Classic Offering” for these performances will be the Company Premiere of Doris Humphrey’s masterpiece, Day on Earth (1947) set to Aaron Copland’s “Sonata for Piano.” 

Collaboration with the San Jose Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Barbara Day Turner continues to highlight the company’s signature brand of contemporary dance and classic works of the American Modern Dance Repertory.

Photo Clockwise from Top Left: Hannah McNany, Frankie Reviera, Kelisha Gardeen and Katherine House, Photo by Thomas Hassing.

Frontier Airlines adds 3 more nonstop flights to San Jose roster

The news about new flights for San Jose keeps on pouring in. Earlier this year, Frontier Airlines announced their return to SJC with four routes:

• Denver (daily service starting Oct. 5th)
• Las Vegas (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat service starting Nov. 1st)
• Cincinnati (Tue, Thu, Sun service starting Apr 8th)
• San Antonio (Tue, Thu, Sun service starting Apr 8th)

Service has yet to begin on any of the routes, yet the airline has just announced three additional nonstops:

• Atlanta (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat service starting Apr 9th)
• Austin (Mon, Wed, Sat service starting Apr 9th)
• Colorado Springs (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat starting Apr 9th)

All three are significant. Atlanta is a highly desirable nonstop that is only serviced by Delta today. Austin flights are critical for tech companies (they call this route the nerd bird). Colorado Springs is a brand new route--I think it might be our first direct flight ever to this destination. It is a smaller city, but there are some neat touristy things to do there like Pike's Peak. Oh, and it also brings the number of San Jose's nonstop destinations to 50, an all-time high.

It looks like the fastest growing airport in the country is still picking up speed!

Source: SVBJ

SoFA Street Fair this Sunday

The bi-annual SoFA Street Fair goes down in just a few days and will bring tons of live music and good times to Downtown San Jose. 12 stages spanning three city blocks will host 100+ bands! Almost every music genre you can think of will perform--there is something for everyone. There will also be food trucks, craft beers, and lawn chairs.

The event is free, family friendly, and starts on Sunday at 2pm. All of the details are below (click images to enlarge).

Fountain Alley Fridays

Fountain Alley is part of Downtown San Jose's historic district near 1st and Santa Clara Streets. It is a central location that has not gotten a lot of love over the past decade, but a series of events and initiatives may change that. Fountain Alley Fridays will activate the area with live music, ping pong (8 tables!), stand up performances, and plenty of art on display. Stand up and live music begins at 6:30-8pm with headline acts from 8:30-10pm.

The event is brought to you by the Knight Foundation, Local Color, Mighty Mike McGree, Alan Chen, the Public Space Authority, and Tangerine. Speaking of Local Color, if you haven't checked it out at the old Ross site--it is pretty amazing.

Fountain Alley Fridays will take place on September 22nd and 29th from 6-10pm, and hopefully they continue this event into the future.

September 2017 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:

• California High Speed Rail is trying to cut costs by using an aerial alignment through San Jose, which would result in potentially unsightly aerial tracks with support towers every 100 feet. This is despite the fact that they are planning to run at-grade down the Peninsula and underground in San Francisco.
• The three-story former Plaza Hotel is now interim housing for up to 47 homeless people.
• SoFA businesses are launching a new Farmer's Market on Sundays from 10am-2pm in the parking lot across from the California Theater.
• Four pieces of Burning Man will make their way to Downtown as a new "Playa to Paseo" initiative.
• The "My San Jose" app allows residents to report potholes, graffiti, abandoned cars, and illegal dumping.
• Labyrinth Bar & Kitchen is now open at 45 Post st. in the former Peking House space.
• Los San Patricios Cantina is now open at 81 W. San Fernando with an Irish-Latin theme.
• Orangetheory Fitness will open this month at 111 W. St. John St.

To read the newsletter, click here!

San Pedro Square Market - 6 Year Anniversary

Tomorrow after Viva Calle 2017, you can swing by the SPSM for live music, games, and food/drink specials! Six bands will play on six rotating stages throughout the day. The San Pedro Square Market in my mind was the true turning point for Downtown San Jose and I'm thrilled to see it continue to thrive.

What will the next six years bring? Expect an expansion of the market across the street to the left of the Fallon House along with 30,000 SQFT of new retail on the ground floor of Silvery Towers (the two new high-rises). The Market will only get more popular going forward.

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:

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.

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)

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

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)

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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)

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.

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.

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

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)