Walmart is Replacing Circuit City on Stevens Creek

The former Circuit City at 4080 Stevens Creek in San Jose is about to get a radical makeover. Walmart is planning to turn it into a 45,000 SQFT Neighborhood Market (not a full-blown Walmart). The store will offer groceries, some home items, prepared food, a deli, and a pharmacy. However, this store is not without controversy. Below is a letter sent in from one of our readers:

"Hello Josh,
I wanted to alert you and others to what's been going on with plans for a Walmart Neighborhood Market to take over an old Circuit City at 4080 Stevens Creek Boulevard and an upcoming Planning Commission hearing on the matter Wednesday, August 14th. Here is a link to a recent story in the Silicon Valley Business Journal about the proposed Market. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2013/08/06/walmart-grocery-store-confirmed-for.html
My family and several of my neighbors are very concerned about Walmart moving into the neighborhood and are just as troubled by the way the City of San Jose has essentially steamrolled this project over the public.
We have submitted a petition with over 100 signatures to the City asking them to deny Walmart their request for a permit for off-site alcohol sales at the proposed site on Stevens Creek Boulevard as we have been told that the City has little discretion over anything else. Right now, there are approximately 50 liquor licenses within a 2 mile radius of the proposed site; Walmart's would be number 51! We also have a fair amount of crime in the area and are concerned about attracting more crime to the area and jeopardizing public safety with off-site sales of alcohol until 12am.
Planning staff for the City has been anything but helpful with requests for information. Most recently, the City “accidentally”sent out the public notice for the upcoming Planning Commission and City Council hearings regarding Walmart’s permit requests with the wrong day of the week next to the City Council hearing date on the notice. When we asked planning staff to correct the mistake and resend out the notice so that residents aren’t confused and try to attend the City Council meeting on Wednesday instead of the correct day, Tuesday, August 20th, staff said that because the date was right, they did not have to resend it. When pressed further on it, they agreed only to resend it to people who attended and commented at the initial community meeting that they had quickly noticed about a month ago. Finally, when being told that what they were doing was not legal, staff recanted and said that they would resend a revised Notice out to everyone in a 1,000 foot radius after all.
Staff also recently stated that the public request for a traffic study analysis was determined unnecessary because the City determined that the former use of a Circuit City was similar to the proposed traffic that a major grocery store like the proposed Walmart Neighborhood Market would generate. Comparing traffic generated from a failed store selling electronics and desktop computers is a far cry from traffic that will be generated by a major grocery store at the same site, yet the City will not conduct a proper traffic analysis.
Overall, we just want to get the word out about this project and the upcoming public hearings as the City seems to have already made up their mind about giving Walmart the off-site alcohol sales permit regardless of what the residents who will have to live with the impacts have to think. We appreciate anything you can do to bring light to this project and on what the City is doing. Thank you for your time and consideration."

Source: SVBJ, Anonymous

August 2013 Downtown Dimension Highlights

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

• The SJ Storefronts Initiative will help small businesses lease vacant spaces up to 20,000 SQFT by providing as much as a $16k grant (in the form of reduced or eliminated building and occupancy permits). Note this is targeted directly at retail, restaurants and service-oriented businesses do not qualify.
• Bike sharing goes live this month with a fleet of 200 bicycles across 20 different stations located Downtown (and one in Japantown).
• SP2 is now open in the San Pedro Square area.
• Konjoe Burger Bar is now open at the San Pedro Square Market [Josh: and it is awesome, Bray Butcher Shop is also open].
• The Fairmont is doing a $5M renovation, including mirror TVs in the bathrooms, new beds, and decor.
• The Gold Club bikini bar had its grand opening Aug 8-10th.
• BJ's is replacing Chevy's at the San Jose MarketCenter on Coleman.
• Cisco has decided to invest $50,000 each year in ZER01.
• The Hackworth IMAX Dome Theater at The Tech is one of the top 10 attended IMAX's in the US.

To read the full newsletter, click here!

El Camino Real BRT Project Update

There are some updates regarding the Bus Rapid Transit Corridor that is currently being planned for El Camino. Instead of just trying to push through the plan to build a dedicated BRT lane through most of El Camino between San Jose and Palo Alto, VTA is now considering and doing environmental impact reports for seven different scenarios. These include from the original plan utilizing a dedicated lane, making everything mixed flow between buses and normal traffic, and several options in between.

What do you guys think? Does it make sense to improve public transit by making an El Camino Bus-only lane, or is the cost of increased car-traffic too high?

Source: VTA Newsletter

Sam: Leveraging Innovation to Improve City Hall

The text below is taken from Sam Liccardo's newsletter, and I couldn't agree with him more on our need to cut red tape and leverage technology and crowd-sourcing to improve current city processes. In order to help San Jose thrive (all of San Jose) we need to fix the existing permitting issues and increase the level of transparency. I'm really glad to see Sam highlight these issues and propose a strategy to address them--hopefully this turns into action! The full, unedited article is below:

Sam’s Corner: Leveraging Innovation to Improve City Hall 

San José is one city, but two worlds.  While our innovative local tech companies--from PayPal to Polycom to Pinger-- continue to hire at a pace at which they cannot find enough qualified workers, San José continues to suffers from an unemployment rate hovering around 7%.   Many more of our neighbors work part-time or multiple jobs at far less pay than they earned before the Great Recession.

Small businesses increasingly have become the employers of many San José residents—including self-employed entrepreneurs-- left behind in the tech boom.  One way to address the yawning opportunity gap would focus our municipal energies on lightening the burdens of those small businesses.   Hence, my efforts to launch StartUp San José several months ago – to fill empty storefronts by leveraging the entrepreneurial energy of our community with fee waivers, wi-fi access, and marketing assistance.

Yet as we all know, City Hall can get in the way.   The permitting process serves as a frequent source of frustration; red tape, uncertainty, conflicting directives, and delays drive small business owners batty.  Although processes have improved in recent months, stories still echo of store owners who anxiously await a city permit that will entitle them to start operating or employing workers.  By the time they’re finally granted the permit to operate, they’ve burned through most of their marketing budget by paying a lease for nine months without any revenue.

How do we “fix” this?  Technological innovation can help, particularly by improving the transparency and accountability of City Hall.   That’s why I recently proposed an initiative with Councilmember Johnny Khamis to take two important steps toward a solution:  employing tracking software, and launching what’s known as an “open data” platform.  

First, the tracking software:  currently, you can order a FedEx package from Timbuktu, and you can track it’s progress each mile with to a simple website, but if you submit an application for a city permit, it may disappear into a bureaucratic abyss.   Customers cannot know who to call, how to get it expedited, or the reason for the delay.   Relatively simple software, however, can identify the desk on which every application rests in City Hall, and for how long.   It can also pinpoint the source of any delay, such as an incomplete application, staff deliberation, or inaction due to a lengthy queue at intake.    By looking at the paths of thousands of such applications, and aggregating that data, we can isolate “choke points” where management might improve employee training, or implement streamlining measures, like automation.   Managers can also identify effective employees, and reward them for their performance.   Simply, City Hall becomes more accountable.

Next, we can improve the process by releasing all of the data that we’ve collected to the public.  How?  Launching City Hall’s first “open data” platform, in which the city allows the public to download of all of the data from a website—with the names and personal information appropriately redacted—that the city collects.   Open data platforms have enabled innovative software developers in other cities to create desktop software and smartphone applications to do everything from warning diners of restaurants with frequent health code violations, to informing transit riders of the arrival time of the next bus.   In this case, by hosting a “hack-a-thon” for local apps developers, we can unleash their innovative skills to provide smartphone apps that will help customers with “real-time” information, via a website or automated text, to inform them about the permit’s status, who to call if it appears “stuck,” and which supervisor to appeal to.  The app could to inform customers of the average duration for the approval process of each permit type, so they can budget accordingly.    Software developers might also find innovative ways to streamline processes, such as by using web-based tools that eliminate a trip to City Hall.

San José has no shortage of civic-minded software developers—including many bright college students -- who want to make our city a better place, and who can “beta-test” a potentially successful smartphone app, using San José as their laboratory.  By unleashing their creativity, we can improve the ways that our city service its residents, and boost our local economy.

Sincerely,

Sam Liccardo

SP2 @ San Pedro Square

If you haven't been to the San Pedro Square Market over the past 4 or 5 weeks, then you are missing out. The area has been on fire lately, easily matching or exceeding the density of people at Santana Row. Three new eateries opened up: Konjoe (Asain-American fusion burgers), Bray Butcher Block (meat sandwiches and comfort food), and SP2... The Market's new flagship anchor restaurant.

SP2 is owned by two serial restaurateurs from SF that are branching out to the South Bay. One of them has even purchased a house in San Jose plans to really be a part of the San Jose community. They are basically taking the best of the SF restaurant scene and bringing it to the heart of Downtown San Jose.

The atmosphere is chic, modern, and unpretentious. There is a massive communal table and mcuh of the furniture was custom-made specifically for the restaurant. Total square-footage is epic, about a third the size of the entire San Pedro Square Market. The indoor portion is 6,000 SQFT while the patio clocks in at 3,500 SQFT (and it partially connects to the Market courtyard).

The bistro-style menu offers 100% organic and locally sourced food. As for the bar, they make everything for the cocktails, including all of the juices and even the bitters. The quality and attention to detail should be up there with Singelbarrel. Based on the Yelp reviews so far, they are killing it across the board with the menu, drinks, and the ambiance.

SP2 is exactly the type of place Downtown needs. It's will help accelerate what is already happening, turning Downtown into a true destination that attracts people from across Silicon Valley, much like what Santana Row has already accomplished. If the standing-room only crowd at the Market this past weekend was any indication, this is likely going to happen by the end of the year.

Also, the owners have already stated that if SP2 is a success, they will open more restaurants in Downtown San Jose. Looking at the response so far, I think this is a very likely scenario.

Source: HMG, SVBJ

Thirteenth Annual Antique Autos at History Park in San José, Sunday, September 8, 11 AM to 4 PM

San José, California – July 24, 2013---Thirteen is a lucky number for the annual Antique Autos at History Park event. This is the first year that featured automobiles will be Rolls Royces and Bentleys. At History Park for the Thirteenth Annual Antique Autos at History Park event on Sunday, September 8 will be the usual 200 antique autos and then some.

 

“This year’s Antique Autos will be one of the best ways to top off the summer events at History Park,” said Alida Bray, President and CEO of History San José. “The park comes alive with people, activities, and the cars certainly enhance the atmosphere of the historic buildings.”

 

Presented by the Santa Clara Valley Model T Ford Club and History San José, The Antique Autos at History Park afternoon is filled not only with antique autos, but also vintage fire equipment, bicycles and motorcycles of all makes from the late 1800’s to 1945.

 

The featured vehicles this year are 100-plus-year-old ‘orphan autos,’ those cars whose manufacturer no longer exists. Think Studebaker, Packard, Stanley Steamers. But there are approximately  1,800 other companies that built cars from 1900 to 1945. Only those that are at least 100 years old will be shown in a special area.

Other special features this year will be Rolls Royce and Bentleys, and there will be a special presentation near the historic light tower at 2 PM.

 

“Antique Autos in History Park is much more than an antique car show,” said Allan Greenberg, coordinator of the event.  “We attempt to combine the best of all things automotive, with cars, culture, entertainment and education in the beautiful setting of History Park.”

 

Also located on the grounds of History Park will be the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association to provide more ‘putt, putt, putt’ engine sounds reminiscent of days gone by.

 

The Toot Sweet Jazz Band will provide music from noon to 1:30 PM.

 

Portraits of the Past members stroll through the 14-acre site in 1900s costumes. Other activities include free trolley rides. Arts and crafts demonstrations and antique collectibles will be on display. Family and children’s activities will be provided.

 

Food and beverages will be available for purchase from Peggy Sue’s Restaurant and O’Brien’s Ice Cream Parlor, which features San Jose’s own Treat Ice Cream.

 

Also at History Park at Kelley Park, 1650 Senter Road between Keyes and Phelan, docents will guide visitors through many of the 27 historic buildings.  The exhibitShaped by Water: Past, Present & Future will be on display in the Pacific Hotel Gallery. The Leonard and David McKay Gallery will feature Bear in Mind: The Story of the California Grizzly.

 

Admission is free and sponsored by the Santa Clara Valley Model T Ford Club. Parking is $6.  For more information about the event contact Allan and Lucy Greenberg, coordintors of the event, at allang@pacbell.net or call 408 997 0879.   

# # # 

 

About History San José: 

History San José is a non-profit organization that collects, preserves and celebrates the stories of diversity and innovation in San José and the Santa Clara Valley. HSJ manages one of the largest and most comprehensive regional history collections in the State of California, from 1784 Spanish governmental records to twenty-first century Silicon Valley technology. 

History San José     1650 Senter Road     San José, CA  95112       408.287.2290

 

Website:  historysanjose.org

Blog: historysanjose.org/blog

Facebook: /historysanjose

Twitter: @historysanjose

---------------------

History Park at Kelley Park is located at 1650 Senter Road, between Phelan & Keyes in San Jose. For GPS mapping use 635 Phelan Avenue. City parking is available for $6.  For more information visit historysanjose.org or call 408 287 2290.

Saturday Stats: San Jose Ranked as the Best City to Work In!!!

Today we have yet another huge statistical win, Glassdoor ranked San Jose as the best city to work in! This is such a huge accomplishment that I didn't even bother with a source link, the full article is below. SF ranked #2, followed by Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Utah. NYC, the alpha city of the US (and the world) ranked #32.

San Jose Best City To Work In; Glassdoor Employment Satisfaction Report Card By City

Posted by Glassdoor Team • June 21st, 2013 • 67 Comments

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You can learn a lot about a city from others’ experiences thanks to social media, whether it’s the best restaurants to eat, which neighborhoods are quietest, or even what the weather is like at any given moment. But, what about what it’s like to work in 50 of the largest cities across the country? If you’re thinking about getting a new job in a different city, you might want to consider what others have to say and where employees are most satisfied.

To help, the Glassdoor Employment Satisfaction Report Card by City¹ offers an inside look into what it’s like to work in 50 of the largest U.S. metros. Not only does this report offer a comparison of overall employment satisfaction by city, but it goes in-depth to also compare compensation and benefits satisfaction, senior management satisfaction, expectations for company outlook, and the number of employers hiring per city.

This report is based on U.S. metro population and at least 500 reviews per metro shared on Glassdoor by local employees over the past year.

Top 5 Cities for Employment Satisfaction:

The Bay Area takes the lead as San Jose, CA (3.4 average employment satisfaction rating) and San Francisco, CA (3.4) take the top two spots. Interestingly, both cities are home to five companies that made Glassdoor’s Top 50 Best Places to Work for 2013 report – San Jose (Google #6, LinkedIn #14, Agilent Technologies #30, Intel#31, Apple #34) & San Francisco (Facebook #1, Riverbed Technology #3, Chevron #13, Workday #19,Salesforce.com #22).

Rounding out the top five cities for overall employment satisfaction are Seattle, WA (3.4), Salt Lake City, UT (3.3), and Washington, DC (3.3). (Ratings based on a 5-point scale: 1.0=very dissatisfied, 3.0=OK, 5.0=very satisfied).

Check out the complete results:

 

¹For simplicity of reporting, ratings are rounded to the nearest tenth. To determine rank, actual ratings extend to the thousandth.

Want to know even more about jobs hiring in the ten highest-rated cities? Check out just some of the most in-demand jobs:

#1: San Jose, CA

In-Demand Jobs:

• Software Engineer
• Program Manager
• Sales Associate

#2: San Francisco, CA

In-Demand Jobs:

• Software Engineer
• Online Sales Representative
• Sales Associate

#3: Seattle, WA

In-Demand Jobs:

• Software Engineer
• Sales Associate
• Barista

#4: Salt Lake City, UT

In-Demand Jobs:

• Software Engineer
• Sales Associate
• Customer Service Representative

#5: Washington, DC

In-Demand Jobs:

• Program Manager
• Systems Engineer
• Registered Nurse

#6: Orlando, FL

In-Demand Jobs:

• Physical Therapist
• Customer Service Representative
• Restaurant employee (bartender, line cook)

#7: San Diego, CA

In-Demand Jobs:

• Software Engineer
• Registered Nurse
• Personal Trainer

#8: Boston, MA

In-Demand Jobs:

• Business Analyst
• Financial Analyst
• Software Engineer

#9: Memphis, TN

In-Demand Jobs:

• Registered Nurse
• Sales Associate
• Event Specialist

#10: Austin, TX

In-Demand Jobs:

• Software Engineer
• Business Analyst
• Sales Associate

Note: Job titles represent just some of the most in-demand jobs per city; Based on at least 100 job listings per job title per city on Glassdoor as of 6/10/13.

Cross Process Tonight @ Empire Seven Studios

Martha's Kitchen in San Jose

Martha's Kitchen - Meet Cheri a Volunteer from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Nestled between downtown San Jose and the quaint town of Willow Glen lies a “little soup kitchen”. Founder Louise Benson began this work out of her garage when she prepared and gave away peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the poor. Then in 1981, she and her friends started Martha’s Kitchen on the premises of the Sacred Heart Church serving hot meals. The kitchen was named after a biblical figure, Martha, who unfailingly offered hot meals to Jesus and his band of followers on their frequent journeys through the community of Bethany.

Today, this “little soup kitchen” is not so little anymore. It still gives out hot meals onsite with its mission to “feed the hungry with dignity, no questions asked, no judgment made.” And its meals are hot and complete with soup, salad, roll, starch, a main dish, fruit and dessert. It also sends out over 210,000 hot and cold meals annually to more than a dozen other non-profit organizations in Santa Clara county as far south as Gilroy, and even to the dusty agricultural Merced county to support the hungry. Before the end of 2010 it served its 2,000,000th meal since its founding, and has now grown to an annual production of over 250,000 meals.

The “little soup kitchen that could” has proven it certainly could run an efficient kitchen with a lean staff of 6 employees which includes the Executive Director/Development Director, Operations Manager, two cooks and two and a half kitchen help. Edita Cruz, Executive Directors forecasts that Martha’s Kitchen will prepare 1,000,000 meals in as little as every four years.

SJC Passenger Traffic is Up 5.4%

June 2013 saw an impressive 5.4% increase in passenger volume at San Jose International over June of last year. Traffic is undoubtedly being helped by the new ANA nonstop to Tokyo and new flights to LA from both Virgin and Delta. The economy also likely isn't hurting either. In total, 8.3 million passenger flew through SJC last year and unless something radical happens the 2013 tally is going to exceed that.

This is not only good for the airport, but it is good for the city of San Jose as well since it owns and operates the airport. Now if we could just get a few more of those international flights!

Source: SVBJ