August 2015 Downtown Dimension Highlights

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

• The Knight Foundation provided the San Jose Downtown Association with a $625,000 grant spread over five years to to develop projects that contribute to the city's beauty, vitality, and livability. Some of the projects currently underway are:
• Street improvements such as an interactive exercise loop, a new Almaden Boulevard median, and a new light installation on the Circle of Palms
• Four new Murals
• Prototyping and Research projects
• Increasing SJDA programming from 110 days a year to 121 days
• The Downtown Homeless Jobs and Training program is expanding for 2015-2016.This project placed 28 homeless with Groundwerx for training last year. In exchange for their work, participants earned food vouchers and housing assistance. Of the 28, 10 found employment and 11 gained housing. The extra hands also led to Downtown being cleaner and better Groundwerx response times.
• Some of the city's $2.9 billion 2015-16 budget will be used for several Downtown projects:
• $68,000 will go to rehabilitating the carousel across from the SAP Center and putting it back in operations.
• $210,000 for a canopy/band shell to replace the current rented canopy at Plaza de Cesar Chavez
• $100,000 for events and programs around the US Gymnastics Trials
• $100,000 for events and programs around Super Bowl 50
• $70,000 to enhance the San Jose Veterans' Parade
• $12,500 for a Downtown homeless drop-in center at First Presbyterian
• Tech Startup Skinnyprice have moved to 111 W. St. John
• The San Pedro Square Market has several new tenants:
• Oni Mexicantessan: a new gourmet Mexican sandwich spot
• Pasta Fresca: homemade Italian cuising with sauces made from scratch
• Lou's Beach Shack: seafood such as clam chowder, calamari, fish sandwiches, as well as shave ice and cotton candy
• Insight Realty pans to develop 10.6 acres between Highway 87 and Coleman Avenue it purchased from the Union Pacific with 250,000 SQFT of office space, 650 urban homes, and neighborhood-serving retail. The total investment will be around $360 million.

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