BREAKING: Giants + A's Decide to Build a Joint Stadium in Downtown San Jose!

In a shocking twist to the territorial dispute between the SF Giants and the A's, a compromise has been reached that absolutely no one saw coming. The Giants and A's are proposing to build a joint stadium where both teams will play in Downtown San Jose! Each team will play half of their home games in the new stadium and the other half at AT&T Park in San Francisco. This will put territorial issues to rest as both teams will essentially be sharing both markets.

The joint ballpark will feature state of the art technology similar to Levi's stadium and will be wrapped in LEDs and digital signs that can change the entire look-and-feel to match the home team. AT&T Park will receive a similar transformation. With access to Caltrain, BART, Lightrail, Amtrack, and BRT... this will be one of the best connected stadiums in the country. Also, the new Downtown San Jose stadium and AT&T Park will be conveniently connected by Caltrain. This story is just developing, more info to come!

For further details, check out the source links below.

Sources: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

(For more April Fool's posts click the links above)

Santana Row 2

Santana Row is one of the most successful mixed-use projects of all time in the US. It has been emulated by many, yet nothing has really taken off quite like this ten-year ongoing project. Federal Realty, the developers that continue to own and operate the Row, have reached a physical limit in expansion opportunity. After this next round of development which will include three giant office complexes and a flagship retail space to cap the street, they will be completely out of physical space needed to continue to expand. Well, that is until the announcement below.

Federal Realty is taking over 11.6 acres fronting Winchester where the current Century Theaters sit. I know there is a lot of controversy about this space. Personally, I think if it is going to be redeveloped then the ideal developer would be Federal Realty. They have clearly shown that they could make a successful project with a lot of complex moving parts come together. While they have not made any announcement as to what their exact plans are for the area, I think offices will be a greater part of the mix than the original Santana Row. San Jose needs more jobs at the moment than residential, especially in that general Midtown/Uptown area. I also think there is potential to integrate the new BRT into the new development, which I really hope they consider give the lack of current public transit access. A well integrated BRT line would be the next best thing to having Light Rail running between Downtown San Jose and Santana Row.

Regardless of whether you or for or against this project, this will definitely be something interesting to keep tabs on.

Federal Realty Investment Trust's West Coast president Jeff Berkes has issued the following statement:

 “We are excited to announce that Federal Realty has entered into a long-term ground lease with the owners of the 11.6-acre site fronting Winchester Boulevard, opposite Santana Row, that is currently occupied by Century Theaters.  We are working with the City of San Jose to explore several different development alternatives that will complement our existing property, Santana Row, and the surrounding community.  We look forward to commencing the public process. We have no further comment at this time.”

-- Jeff Berkes, President, West Coast Federal Realty Investment Trust

About Santana Row

Santana Row a 1.5 million square foot mixed used development in the heart of San Jose, California, is Silicon Valley's premier destination for shopping,

dining, living and nightlife. Surrounded by landscaped gardens, parks and plazas, Santana Row features over 70 retail shops, more than 20 acclaimed restaurants, a 212-room boutique hotel and six-screen movie theatre. In addition to the dynamic retail collection, Santana Row offers 622 residential units featuring a fitness center, rooftop pool and resort-living accommodations, and 65,000 square feet of office space at 300 Santana Row, its newest office address. Santana Row is a property of www.federalrealty.com (NYSE:FRT), headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. For more information, please visitwww.santanarow.com.

About Federal Realty

Federal Realty Investment Trust is an equity real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership, management, development, and redevelopment of high quality retail assets. Federal Realty's portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) contains approximately 20 million square feet located primarily in strategically selected metropolitan markets in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and California. In addition, the Trust has an ownership interest in approximately 1.0 million square feet of retail space through a joint venture in which the Trust has a 30% interest. Our operating portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) was 95.3% leased to national, regional, and local retailers as of September 30, 2013, with no single tenant accounting for more than approximately 3.4% of annualized base rent. Federal Realty has paid quarterly dividends to its shareholders continuously since its founding in 1962, and has increased its dividend rate for 46 consecutive years, the longest record in the REIT industry. Federal Realty is an S&P MidCap 400 company and its shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT.

The Wizard of Oz and Twister @ Hoover Theater

Playful People Productions has two family-oriented shows coming up at the Historic Hoover Theater.  The first will be a traditional musical rendition of The Wizard of Oz performed by their youth cast next weekend. The second is Twister, a parody performance by their teen and adult cast the following week (the Saturday show will benefit the Cindy Mulcahy Scholarship Fund). More information and links to tickets below.

Playful People Productions Presents:
The Wizard of Oz

After a tornado sweeps Dorothy Gale from her Kansas home, she lands over the rainbow and wakes up in Land of Oz. Dorothy and her three newfound friends journey on a quest to find heart, brains, courage, and most importantly, home. Click your heels together and join Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, Dorothy and her little dog Toto, as they journey through the magical land of Oz to meet the Wizard and obtain their heart’s desire. Join us for a musical adventure for the whole family!

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

Show Times:
Friday, April 4th  7:00pm
Saturday, April 5th 10:00am,  2:00pm and 7:00pm
Sunday, April 6th 10:00am and 2:00pm

Tickets available at www.playfulpeople.net
$12 attendees 12 and up, and $8 children 11 and under

Tickets at the door (30 minutes prior to curtain)
$15 attendees 12 and up, and $10 children 11 and under

Playful People Productions ALSO Presents:
Twister – a Wizard of Oz Parody 

After a tornado sweeps Dorothy Gale from her Kansas home, she lands over the rainbow and lands in Oz.  But the tornado has followed her to Oz and it keeps mixing up Dorothy and her three new-found friends on their quest to find heart, courage, brains and most importantly, home. Come along with us as we see the world over the rainbow in a whole new way in this mixed up twist on this classic musical. You will laugh out-loud and tap your feet to some familiar tunes for this surprising evening in Oz.
All Shows at the Historic Hoover Theater, 1635 Park Ave  San Jose, CA 95126

Show Times:
Friday, April 11th  7:00pm
Saturday, April 12th  2:00pm and 7:00pm*

Tickets available at www.playfulpeople.net
$15 per person in advance

Tickets at the door (30 minutes prior to curtain)
$20 per person

For questions: barb@galiotto.com

* This show will be a fund raiser for the Cindy Mulcahy Scholarship Fund. This fund provides tuition assistance for Participants in need who so financial assistance so everyone can enjoy the excitement of live theater.

Playful People Productions provides a quality, caring environment in which children, youth & their families have positive theatre experiences, while being involved in many aspects of on-stage/ back-stage theatre. Our company fills a need of providing beginning through advanced theatre for the whole family to the community. The founders have expanded the program to include classes & summer camps.

Playful People Productions is run by mother-daughter team, Barbara Galiotto & Katie D' Arcey, who between them have approx 50 years experience in the musical theatre world. Both are Positive Discipline trained & worked as early Childhood Educators as well as in theatre. Both have worked as professional directors with children's theatre for many years.

For each production, Playful People Productions employs professional designers, artists, choreographers and directors to guide our students. The company also hires experienced college & high school students to do jobs in the production such as directors, stage managers, lighting, make-up, & set designers, choreographers and assistants. This allows students to gain work experiences in all aspects of theatre. The goals of Playful People Productions are: to provide the community with a variety of performing opportunities for children, youth & families to experience; to challenge young people in the community; provide a safe, caring environment; and to involve parents in a wholesome, well-rounded activity. The founders believe that a good theatre experience will greatly improve the lives of the children, youth and families in our community.

Skyline Condos

Housing prices in Silicon Valley are astronomical, but there are still a few good deals in town. Skyline was converted from a rental building to condos not long ago, and their one-bedrooms start at $370k. They also have special financing available that lets buyers own a home for just 3% down.

What I like about this location is that it is a stonesthrow away from both Downtown San Jose and Willow Glen, and it is right on both the Caltrain line and Light Rail. I heard that there can be some noise from the trains for some of the units, but besides that it looks like a great place to live at a surprisingly low price. The amenities include open floor plans, granite kitchen countertops, an outdoor kitchen/BBQ, and a swimming pool that they are adding by summer.

Speaking of the pool, they are doing a groundbreaking party & BBQ on April 5th, from 11am to 12:45pm. You can find out more info about this event over here. To learn more about the condos themselves, visit www.skylinesanjose.com.

Saturday Stats: San Jose Ranked #5 Best City for Overall Well-Being

Gallup has ranked the best and worst cities for "well-being" and San Jose did quite well. The data is based on more than 500,000 interviews where people were asked about their emotional and physical health, their job satisfactions, community safety, and access to food, shelter, and health care. In overall well-being, San Jose came in 5th while SF landed the 9th spot on the list.

The top 10 cities for overall well-being:

1. Provo-Orem, Utah
2. Boulder, Colo.
3. Fort Collins-Loveland, Colo.
4. Honolulu
5. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.
6. Ann Arbor, Mich.
7. Naples-Marco Island, Fla.
8. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, Calif.
9. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Calif.
10. Lincoln, Neb.

Source: USA Today, Hat-tip to Barclay Livker for sending this in!

Another San Jose IPO: A10 Networks

We have another public company in the area! Last week A10 Networks had their Initial Public Offering (IPO) and raised $187 million. A10 sells hardware that speeds up the delivery of web applications as well as manage bandwidth and network identity. The money will be used to build up the company's engineering, sales, and marketing departments. If you are looking for a tech job, now may be a good time to head over to the A10 website.

A10's corporate headquarters is located a 3 West Plumeria Drive in North San Jose.

Source: SVBJ

2nd San Jose Chick-fil-A Grand Opening on April 3rd

The first Chick-fil-A in Silicon Valley opened at the @First shopping center in North San Jose a couple years ago. On opening weekend, it had one of the longest lines I have ever seen for any restaurant. Chick-fil-A is hoping for a repeat of that success with their second San Jose restaurant at 2280 Monterey Road near The Plant. As is tradition, they will be giving away a free year supply of Chick-fil-A to the first 100 people in line. Bring a tent if you plan to be one of those people! (Side-note: entertainment, music, and food will be provided for campers.)

Chick-fil-A is also partnering with Sacred Hearts Community Service to host a food drive on April 2nd. For every five food items brought for the food pantry, guests will receive a coupon for a free Chick-fil-A entree. More info below in the press release.

April 3 Opening of San Jose’s Newest Chick-fil-A Restaurant Creates Nearly 70 Jobs;

First 100 Adults in Line at New Restaurant to Win Free Year’s Supply of Chick-fil-A Meals

New Stand-Alone Restaurant at 2280 Monterey Road to Host Food Drive with Sacred Heart Community Service

                SAN JOSE, Calif. (April 3, 2014) – San Jose’s newest stand-alone Chick-fil-A^® restaurant at 2280 Monterey Road will open April 3, bringing nearly 70 new jobs and the chance for 100 adults to win free Chick-fil-A meals for a year as the chain marks the 50^th anniversary of its signature Chick-fil-A sandwich.

                Chick-fil-A’s “First 100” event, which began as a way to celebrate the first stand-alone Chick-fil-A in Arizona in 2003, immediately became the cornerstone of every Chick-fil-A grand opening when the first person arrived more than 18 hours the day before, wondering where to get in line. Others soon followed and by the time the restaurant opened for business the next day, more than 100 were waiting.

                 Humbled and surprised by the dedication of its fans, Chick-fil-A quickly implemented the “First 100” at every grand opening and in the past 10 years has given away almost $21 million in free food at more than 750 grand openings.

The new San Jose restaurant will be the scene of the latest Chick-fil-A grand opening celebration. The first 100 adults, ages 18 and older with identification, in line when the doors open about 6 a.m. on Thursday, April 3, each will win a one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A^® Meals (52 meals consisting of a Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, medium Waffle Potato Fries™ and a medium drink) – a total of more than $30,000 in free food. The line officially opens at 6 a.m., Wednesday, April 2, with the free meal cards being awarded Thursday, April 3, around 6 a.m. The restaurant will open for business immediately thereafter. If there are more than 100 people by 6 a.m. on Wednesday, April 2, all 100 spots will be determined by a drawing held that morning with those selected needing to camp out to secure their spot. For complete rules, see Chick-fil-A First 100 Promotion.

In conjunction with the First 100 celebration, the new San Jose Chick-fil-A is partnering with Sacred Heart Community Service to host a food drive at the new restaurant between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., Wednesday, April 2. Chick-fil-A Owner/Operator Shannon Balderas will award a coupon for a free Chick-fil-A entrée for every five non-perishable food items donated. Sacred Heart provides essential services, empowers people to improve their lives, advocates for justice and inspires volunteers to love, serve and share.

The new restaurant comes 30 years after Chick-fil-A first opened in California in a Cerritos mall in 1984. After 20 years of operating in several Southern California mall locations, Chick-fil-A opened its first two stand-alone restaurants 10 years ago in Chino Hills and Irvine in early 2004. The new restaurant on Monterey Road will be the second Chick-fil-A restaurant in San Jose, joining the first Bay Area stand-alone Chick-fil-A which opened on Headquarters Drive in 2012. The two are among 68 restaurants operating in California. The newest San Jose Chick-fil-A is the first of nine restaurants projected to open in California this year bringing nearly 600 new jobs to the state and is among 88 new locations the chain is opening nationwide this year, creating more than 6,700 new jobs overall. Chick-fil-A opened more restaurants than ever before in 2013 with 114 new locations added across the country. 

With a degree in kinesiology, Balderas graduated from the University of Texas and then pursued her Masters in social work at the University of Houston. After a career as a Houston Police Department lieutenant and District leader of security at Target, Balderas decided to pursue the dream of becoming a Chick-fil-A operator almost four years ago. A Santa Clara County resident, Balderas, her husband Rogelio and their family look forward to serving their community.

 “Our focus on freshly prepared food and personal customer service is as central to our new restaurant as it was the day Truett opened his first Chick-fil-A location,” said Balderas. “That commitment continues for me and my team members at our new San Jose location where we can’t wait to continue welcoming and serving our guests in the community.”

The new restaurant seats 111 and has warm colors and wood accents. It offers the convenience of free Wi-Fi and features the chain’s latest interior and kitchen design. Additionally, customers will find that the chain’s dual drive-thru ordering point design helps to expand its award-winning drive-thru service.  With a majority of customers at Chick-fil-A stand-alone restaurants choosing drive-thru, the ability for two drivers to simultaneously order should mean quicker service. Families can also enjoy the interactive play area. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., serving a full breakfast menu until 10:30 a.m.

It was 50 years ago that Truett Cathy first began serving his boneless breast-of-chicken sandwich, pressured cooked and served on a buttered bun with two crucial pickles, at the Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, Ga. It was the signature menu item when the first

Chick-fil-A restaurant opened in 1967 and though many other selections have been added over the past five decades, it remains the centerpiece of the menu as the chain has grown to more than 1,803 restaurants in 39 states and Washington D.C.

Chick-fil-A continues to win industry accolades including Men’s Health “Eat This, Not That” 2013 edition which again gave the chain high marks (A-) and named it one of the top two restaurants providing healthier menu options.

For more information on the San Jose Chick-fil-A restaurant visit on Facebook at Chick fil A Monterey & Tully.

About Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a family owned and privately held restaurant company dedicated to serving the communities in which its restaurants operate. Credited with inventing the chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A serves nutritious, freshly prepared food in 1,803 restaurants in 39 states and Washington, D.C.

Founded by S. Truett Cathy in 1967, Chick-fil-A produced sales of $5 billion in 2013. Chick-fil-A was recognized in 2013 as one of America’s “Most Inspiring Companies” by Forbes Magazine and “Best Places to Work” by Glassdoor™, among other honors. More information on Chick-fil-A is available on the chain’s website, located at www.chick-fil-a.com.

March 2014 Downtown Dimension Highlights

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

• 43 new Downtown San Jose eateries have opened in the past 18 months, representing 20% of the total restaurants Downtown today [Josh: a bit less than 20%, but still a huge number]
• Da Kine Island Grill opened on March 8th and Paper Plane opens next month.
• The Downtown Street Life plan is gaining traction and will provide 40 different projects aimed at creating more comfortable spaces Downtown.
• Blackbird tavern is now using the neighboring space for private parties and events.
• Electric Cloud has moved its Sunnyvale headquarters and about 70 employees to 35 S. First St.
• A 20,000 SQFT space at 130 Almaden will become Paul Mitchel The School, hosting 30 employees training 200-25 cosmetology students at a time.
• Free ultra high-speed internet is being offered as an incentive for companies that choose to locate in one of six older Downtown buildings with high vacancies.

To read the full newsletter, click here!

2014 PAC*SJ Historic Photo Contest

In celebration of Preservation Month this May, the Preservation Action Council of San Jose (PAC*SJ) is hosting their 2014 Historic Photo Contest. In order to participate, all you have to do is send photos of historic structures or artifacts in San Jose to Contest2014@SJHistoricalPhoto.com. The name, category (student or adult) and a description of the photograph must accompany each photo submission. Also, photos must have been taken in 2013 or 2014 and should be in a jpg format. The deadline for submission is April 27th. The winners reception with awards and prizes will take place on June 5th at the Southern Lumber Company, 1402 Monterey Highway, San Jose.

"The mission of this contest is to promote historic preservation by raising awareness of San Jose's historic resources, to celebrate the efforts to preserve our city's history, and to recognize the irreplaceable historic resources that are threatened."

Taurinus Brazilian Steakhouse in Downtown San Jose

Taurinus has just opened up where Nazca Peruvian Restaurant and Zenon's Peruvian were previously located at 167 San Fernando. They made some great renovations to the space by opening up the walls and ceiling and creating a giant open space. The new owners also greatly enhanced the bar space.

Taurinus is now the second Brazilian steakhouse in San Jose, where a couple months ago we had none. It compares quite favorably to Fogo do Chao in Santana Row and is slightly more traditional. There has only been one other Brazilian Churrascaria Downtown in the past, and it was Maceio on 1st Street. I think Taurinus manages to top Maceio at every level.

There are 14 different meats, which you can find listed below. They even have one of my favorite delicacies, chicken hearts! My favorite meat is usually the Sirloin/Picanha, but at Taurinus the Pork Ribs blew me away. As is expected at a Brazilian steakhouse, the meats keep on coming until you feel like you are about to fall over. They also serve you a side of Yucca, fried plantains, and awesome cheese bread.

As good as the meats were, their sidebar was equally as good and is perhaps the best side-bar for any Brazilian place I have been to. I highly recommend starting with a plate of rice, topping it with some beans, adding farofa (the powdery stuff), and topping it with some spicy oil. This will go well with any of the meats served at the restaurants and could even be a standalone meal. The side bar also features an assortment of cold cuts, veggies, salads, and deviled eggs. I would be willing to come back for the side bar alone.

Save some room for dessert as well. My wife and I shared a caramel flan (Pudim) which was delicious. I also have to mention that the service was exceptional throughout the meal. Fantastic addition to Downtown San Jose--the owners should be proud and I wish them a lot of success.