Updated SJSU Master Plan

SJSU has recently updated their development master plan and it looks quite impressive. The entire side of the campus closest to City Hall would feature a row of high-rises. The path leading to the Event Center would also be greatly improved and in general the campus would be modernized. Feast your eyes on the designs below.

Source: Silicon Valley Joe from Skyscraper City

San Jose AI startup raises $72M

Zededa Inc. just announced a $72 million in Series C funding. The company is a cloud-based edge management startup that works with manufacturing, retail, health care, and logistics company. Essentially they bring data closer to where it is needed for faster response times using less bandwidth.

The funds will be used to increase the amount of artificial intelligence and machine learning used in its products.

So far they have raised more than $127 million in funding and are worth about $400 million.

Source: SVBJ

Lucid is eying a retail and service center in Downtown West

While Lucid already has a retail spot in Valley Fair Mall a few miles away, it looks like they are eying a 92,500 SQFT space in Downtown West at 250 Stockton Avenue. This is the same neighborhood where Google envisions building their largest campus... eventually.

The new Lucid location would likely be primarily for service, maintenance, and repairs for their luxury EV customers. However, it could also have a sales or delivery-center component. Lucid is following the Tesla model of cutting out the middleman and selling directly to consumers without a dealership.

They have had some financial struggles in the past, but have ambitious plans to add two new models a luxury SUV and a lower-cost CUV to compete with the Model Y (now the best selling vehicle globally). 

It's a great location that was supposed to become a 15-story office tower, but given the current market environment a new Lucid shop would be very welcome.

Source: The Mercury News

Lunar New Year Community Day at the San Jose Museum of Art

Tomorrow from 11am-4pm there is one more Lunar New Year event at the SJMA. Welcome the year of the dragon with cultural demonstrations, live performances, and interactive artmaking activities. These include making paper dragons, Chinese stamps, and figurines based on the Vietnamese Tet traditions.

At 11:30am there is a performance by the Korean Culture Center at the Circle of Palms in front of Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Later at 3pm there is a traditional Lion Dance performance (which is amazing).

Admission to this event is completely free and is kid-friendly.

Levi's Stadium to host Six (!) World Cup matches in 2026

Levi's Stadium is going to have an amazing year in 2026. Not only are they hosting Super Bowl 60, but they will be hosting six World Cup games. Five will be group-stage matches and one will be a round of 32 match.

The first group stage match at Levi's is scheduled for June 13 and the round of 32 match will be held on July 1st.

Unfortunately, the US National Team will not start their journey at Levi's. They have two group-stage matches in SoFi Stadium in LA and another at Lumen Field in Seattle. Mexico and Canada will also play their initial group-stage games in their home countries. So that means all of the first five games will involve teams outside of North America. The benefit is the sheer amount of International tourism that will come to the San Jose metro for the game. 

2026 is shaping up to be a great year for sports fans in Silicon Valley!

Source: SVBJ

Happy Valentine's Day San Jose

Our friends at SJtoday have a great guide to celebrating Valentine's Day locally with everything from unique events, to parties, and dessert specials.

As an added bonus, they have a map of local love stories and there are quite a few in San Jose.

See their Valentine's Day guide here. Hope everyone has a fun time tonight with their special someone! 💗

Santana Row's two newest restaurants are opening soon

A new Indian and Peruvian-Spanish restaurant are coming to the Row very soon. 

In March, Suspiro (pictured below) will bring upscale Latin fusion to San Jose. The restaurant is owned by the same people as Zazil and El Jardin and will be open for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Suspiro specializes in fresh seasonal seafood and grilled meats. You'll find it at the very end of Santana Row next to Barry's Bootcamp and Meso Modern Mediterranean.

Fitoor will open in late March and will be an modern Indian grill and lounge. It comes from the team that owns Rooh, Anu, and Vikram Bhambri and it will be located in the space formerly occupied by Amber India.

Source: The Mercury News

Updates on Westbanks' Terraine

There are several new updates for a residential project called Terraine as well as a very unique parking structure. The 17-story tower will have 345 units and a verdant nine-story parking garage with 621 parking spaces in Phase 1.  In Phase 2, presumably we'll be in a world that needs cars less and the parking garage will be converted to 232,000 SQFT of offices above a ground-floor podium that has 11,777 SQFT of retail. 

The garage is a brilliant idea to satisfy the parking needs of today while also looking towards a future a decade or two away where most people will use robotaxis to get around.

The residential tower has its amenity deck on the 2nd floor with a pool, gym, and landscaped amphitheater. There are tons of new renders below. If built, this will be the nicest looking parking structure in San Jose.

Source: Scenic_SJC at Skyscraper City

Super Bowl viewing parties in San Jose

If you are still looking for a place to watch the big game tonight, there are plenty of options in Downtown San Jose. Here is a list with links:

Littlest Little Italy   |   Parking

Tiki Pete’s   |   Parking
Five Points   |   Parking

SP2 Communal Bar & Restaurant    |   Parking

FUZE Nightclub   |  Parking

Cash Only |   Parking

Sushi Confidential   |   Parking

SPLASH   |   Parking

GlassHouse   |  Parking

In North San Jose you have Blast and Brew, which is one of my favorite spots. You can enjoy excellent American Indian fusion foods and over two dozen beers on tap that you pour yourself (pay per oz.) while watching the game. This event is free to get in.

Rosie McCanns Irish Pub in Santana Row will also have a free Super Bowl watch party going on.

Source: The Downtowner

Lunar New Year at Japantown

Japantown is hosting a major Lunar New Year event today from 10am-2pm.

Start the year of the dragon with a "Fukubukuro" lucky back, which is a Japanese New Year custom where merchants make grab bags filled with unknown random content sold for a substantial discount. Participating stores include Cukui, Nichi Bei Bussan, Kogura Co, Classic Loot, Empire 7 Studios, Zonkey, State of Grace, Paradox, Monmon Cats, Coldwater, and Headliners.

Firecrackers will be set off at 12pm and start at 4th/Jackson and apparently run all the way to 7th/Empire Street.

Illuminated performance art sculpture coming to Second St. in Downtown San Jose

A new digital art project will be on display in Downtown San Jose 24 hours per day until June. Called Dream Club Lab, it is the first of many art lighting installations designed to fill gaps in Downtown San Jose and energize districts.

In addition to lighting there will be live video, kinetic sculptures, and robots that do a little performance between 5-11pm from Thursday to Sunday. I can't wait to see what this actually looks like.

I posted the full text from the Downtown Dimension newsletter below. This is absolutely the right directions for our arts scene and I can't wait to see more projects like this in the future!

Project to contribute to San Jose’s vibrancy and inspire onlookers

A large and never-occupied storefront space has morphed into the first of many art lighting installations intended to energize downtown San Jose’s urban cityscape.

Dream Club Lab, a collaboration by installation artists Elaine Buckholtz and Ian Winters, is commissioned by the San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA) and San Jose Downtown Property Owners to support their vision of a vibrant downtown for everyone. The artists turned the empty 9,000-square-foot space at 72 S. Second St. into a light and video installation with roving robots that roam the space with live video, feeds and kinetic sculptures.

Unveiled this evening, Dream Club Lab can be viewed 24 hours daily through June. Special video and performative robot activations will take place from 5 to 11 p.m. each Thursday through Sunday.  

SJDA is heeding its long-term objective to improve the quality of life of residents and visitors. One strategy is to follow the guidelines of the property owners’ multi-year Comprehensive Downtown Lighting Plan, which calls for more activations that support downtown’s night-time economy.

“We believe that by increasing foot traffic in our district, we can create more opportunities for our members to connect with potential customers, clients and collaborators,” said Alex Stettinski, CEO of the Downtown Association. “One avenue to increase foot traffic is to improve the spaces between already lit businesses, which is the bread and butter of street life programming.”

The lighting projects are receiving additional funding from the Knight Foundation, Adobe, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and the Office of San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. “Turning the lights on” is one of Mahan’s mantras for the city.

“In true Silicon Valley spirit, this activation takes a vacant storefront and turns it into an innovative attraction,” Mahan said. “We need more projects like this one as we work to create a safer, cleaner, cooler San Jose.”

The Mayor also noted that the addition of electricity and internet to the space for the art installation enhances future leasability.

Buckholtz and Winters drew from their experience as lighting and video designers for the stage to create a cityscape fantasy space to inspire passersby to meet, discuss, invent, test ideas, and ponder downtown’s future and path to improvement.

“Everyone will react differently and take away something different,” Winters said. 

Buckholtz and Winters, partnering as Nighthouse Studio, altered their Dream Club Lab concept to respond to the spatial considerations of the entire space. Some viewers said the art installation harkens back to the nightlife vibes of yesteryear, the artists added.

Though lights inside the space will stay on day and night, late afternoon sunlight results in a burst of motion and color reflecting off the curtains, the artists noted.

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know San Jose,” Buckholtz said. “The city has an amazing warm spirit, and it is dynamic and down-to-earth.”

Dream Club Lab is wedged between The Improv comedy club and The Loft restaurant, across the street from San Jose Bar and Grill and Nova Nightclub. That part of South Second Street is most busy Thursday through Sunday nights. 

Dream Club Lab kicks off a series of illuminated art pieces planned by SJDA. A second installation is scheduled for later this year. The works are meant to be portable so that they can be moved to other locations.

Source: Downtown Dimension

Ultimate guide to tours of San Jose

SJtoday has a great guide to every possible San Jose tour you can imagine. There are free walking tours, Segway tours down Guadalupe River, the San Jose Brew Bike, Ghost Tours (something I didn't even know about), Mt. Hamilton tours, and even boat tours--yes, San Jose has boats and access to the Bay in Alviso.

Next time you hear a friend say there is nothing to do in San Jose, find out what they like and take them on a tour. We have something for just about everyone.

See the full list here.

More retailers coming to Santana Row

As retail struggles all around the country, Santana Row and Valley Fair continue to thrive. It actually has signed seven new leases recently. They are:

• Cast - boutique jewelry store that opened in November
• 7th Avenue - modular furniture store opening in 2024
• Evereve - women's fashion retailer
• New Balance - sports footwear and apparel opening in March
• Todd Snyder - designer menswear
• Solidcore - fitness center set to open between April and June
• Kohler Signature Store - plumbing fixtures and bath products

As for office leasing, there was some good news there as well. Acrisure will move into 29,000 SQFT at the One Santana West building across the street from Santana Row.

Source: The Mercury News

New university opening in Downtown San Jose with business and tech degrees

Here is a story I did not see coming. California Miramar University is planning to open a campus in Downtown San Jose's SoFA District. The University will operate out of 505 S. Market St. in a two-story building formerly occupied by Xactly.

California Miramar University will offer Bachelor's Degrees in data science and business management. More importantly, they will offer a Master's Degree in AI. 

San Jose's ambition is to be the global AI capital. Already there are plans to incubate 30-40 AI startups in Downtown San Jose. It makes sense to develop talent in San Jose Universities and then keep that talent in the area to foster a complete AI ecosystem. It's not just software, the headquarters for the leading companies that create AI hardware are all within 10 miles of Downtown San Jose (Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Google, etc).

Tuition at California Miramar University is expected to range from $11-12k per year, which is surprisingly affordable for higher education.

Source: FOX2 KTVU

Historic Burbank Theater may be incorporated into a San Jose housing project

A historic theater that opened in 1951 but has been closed since the year 2000 may be reincarnated as housing. The proposal would keep the front section of the theater, including it's highly recognizable sign that represents the Burbank neighborhood, and the original lobby. 

As for the rest of the project, 62 apartments and ground floor retail would be tightly packaged in a five-story building at 552 South Bascom Avenue. The apartments would be split between studios, one-bedrooms, and two-bedroom units. At least some of the homes would be designated as affordable housing.

Another fun fact, this area was not technically part of San Jose. It was unincorporated land that is run by Santa Clara County, but is in the process of being annexed into San Jose proper.

Source: The Mercury News

Raising Cane's is opening their first San Jose location in Evergreen

If you are looking for a fast food Chicken restaurant that is open on Sundays, look no further than Raising Cane's. The chain started in 1996 and was named after the owner's Labrador. Currently there is only a Raising Cane's in Oakland and Vacaville. That means the San Jose location will be the first in all of Silicon Valley.

San Jose's Raising Cane's will be part of the 80-acre Evergreen Circle Project, which is right off of Capital Expressway. The 315,000 SQFT project also has a Costco Business Center and by the end of the year it will also get a Crumbl, California Fish Grill, and Starbucks.

There is no official ETA for San Jose's first Raising Cane's, but it should be relatively soon since they already have a job posting for a manager of this particular location.

Source: KRON4

VTA abandons eminent domain plans that would have derailed a high-rise project

Given the likelihood of more delays and cost overruns, VTA wisely dropped plans to drop eminent domain proceedings for a prime site near the Downtown San Jose BART station. The land they were trying to forcefully acquire is between 17 and 31 East Santa Clara Street.

Proposed for this site is the Eterna Tower, a 26-story residential high-rise with 200 residences in a very central part of Downtown San Jose. Unfortunately this project is still at risk as the capital market landscape greatly changed since the tower was first proposed and delayed by the VTA's actions.

At this point, there is so much risk in the BART project that large parcels of prime land should not be held hostage for something that is at best 14 years away. There are plenty of options for subway entrances and exits throughout Santa Clara Street.

Source: The Mercury News

Santana Row 2024 Lunar New Year Event on Feb 10th

Santana Row is welcoming the Year of the Dragon with entertainment and specials at several restaurants and stores. On February 10th, Santana Row Park will filled with lion dances, cultural performances, and surprise red envelopes containing gifts and offers. The event will be hosted by NBC Bay Area's Mike Inouye.

Scroll on down to see the dining and shopping specials that will only be available on Lunar New Year.

DINING SPECIALS:

Dumpling Time - Visit the pop-up bar outside Dumpling Time for to-go dumplings & drinks.

EMC Seafood - $20 gift card to customers that dine-in Chinese New Year who spend over $20 (before tips & tax) Card valid 2/25-4/30. One card per table, only in store.

Fogo De Chao - $25 Fogo Card for every purchase of a Trilogy Wine Box or purchase of the Seafood Tower Appetizer. 

LB Steak  - To celebrate the Year of the Dragon and the good fortune it will bring, LB Steak is offering a special Wagyu Fried Rice and cocktail offerings during February. Plus, receive a red envelope with your meal, containing a special offer to redeem upon your next visit. Offers include a complimentary dessert, appetizer, or even a Tomahawk steak!  Available for lunch and dinner, from February 10th-February 18th along with regular menus.

Maido - $5 off purchase from 2/10-2/19

Momosan  - Head into Momosan for a special discounted offer on 2/10/24.

Oveja Negra - 20% off 

Ozumo - Complimentary Dragon Crunch Roll with the purchase of a signature roll. Available 2/10/24 from 12pm-5pm.

Palmetto Superfoods - Pop in for an in-store promotion and 10% Off when you order the Just Acai Smoothie with Renude's Chaggaccino (must order with a staff member to receive discount)

Rosie McCann's - Enjoy Lunar New Year Festivities within Rosie McCann's and Chinese dinner special, plus specialty cocktail, Dragon Sour!

Straits- Receive a free glass of sparking for dine in guests only with your food order. 

SHOPPING SPECIALS:

Amour Vert - Year of the Dragon Sip & Style event , 2024  promotion and 15% off.

Atelier Studio - Receive $20 off for any new service.

BoConcept - 20% off 2/10/24-2/11/24

Fjällräven - End of season sale, select items 30% off.

Le Labo - 1.5 Ml Fragrance samples within red envelopes (while supplies last).

Optical Illusions - 35% off Trunk Show Items 2/10/24 only. 

Vince - 15% off entire purchase on 2/10/24 only. 

Some restrictions apply, see merchant for details.  Valid Saturday, February 10, 2024 only.

South FIRST FRIDAY Feb 2nd, 2024 in #DTSJ #ArtwalkSJ

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back for their first event in 2024 with exhibits across multiple galleries in three different districts. Everything is open from at least 5-9pm. Participating venues include ANNO DOMINI, the Institute of Contemporary Art, KALEID Gallery, Works San Jose, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, the SoFA Market, MACLA, Art Ark Gallery, MACHU PICCHU, San Jose Jazz, and Chopsticks Alley Gallery.

Worth noting this month is open rehearsals of Rigoletto by Opera San Jose, which is celebrating their 40th season. Free performances take place at 6pm, 7:15pm, and 8pm. Tours of the historic California Theater will also be happening at 5:30pm and 6:30pm.

It all goes down tomorrow, February 2nd. As usual admission is free and all ages are welcome. Click here for a preview of featured art! Below is a map with all of the galleries to check out across all three different districts.

Where is this in Downtown San Jose?

Again, this has been a crazy week. There is a lot of great news over the past few days including a brand new college coming to Downtown San Jose--just not enough time to post about it. So for today I just have a quick fun post. 

Where was the photo below taken from?

Hint: it's one of my favorite places to grab a bite. Answer is below.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Answer: SoFA Market Courtyard

Building code update would make it much easier for anyone to own an EV in San Jose

San Jose is essentially ground zero for electric cars. Nearly 30% of new car sales are electrified and it has one of the highest concentrations of EVs in the world. Next week the San Jose City Council is going to vote on whether to make EVs even more accessible to everyone. The proposal is to have each multi-family residence with parking to have at least once space that is EV-ready.

Charging an EV where you live is a lot more convenient than going to to a charging station. It's extremely easy to charge where you live for San Jose homeowners with a detached home or even a townhome, but things get complicated when you live in an apartment complex.

It's also worth mentioning that this would not be retroactive. The vote would be to update the building code for all future multi-family developments. 

Opponents could argue that we desperately need housing and this would be another cost to discourage builders, but given how the car market is going I think most people will expect this in any new apartment they rent in the next 5-10 years. Also, a fair compromise would be to require a 120v outlet instead of the more expensive, but much faster 220v. A standard 120v outlet is cheap and powerful enough to add 50-60 miles per night on an EV, which is enough for 99% of drivers. 

Source: San Jose Spotlight

New housing development proposed in North San Jose

250 apartments are being eyed in North San Jose at North First Street between Charcot and East Brokaw. Currently there is a 122,500 SQFT six-story office building on the site. It's not clear if this is an office conversion or they are planning to tear down and replace the building. Given the size of the building there already, my bet is on an office-to-housing conversion.

Source: The Mercury News

San Jose is one of America's most creative cities

San Jose was recently ranked as America's 9th most creative city by Singulart. This was based on criteria such as the percentage of people surveyed that are training to be in a creative field, create art, work with textiles, redesign rooms at home, and hours spent on creative hobbies each week. San Jose scored very highly in hobbies such as photography.

New York unsurprisingly came in at #1, LA was #13, and SF was #19. For more info head over to the source link below.

Source: Singulart

Latest photo of The Fay

Quick post today, it has been a crazy week. Below is a recent photo of The Fay luxury apartment project, which looks pretty nice right next to The Sparq in Downtown San Jose's SoFA District. The Fay has reached its max height and is clearly visible off of 280.

Source: aphelion2100 from the San Jose Development Forum

Abandoned youth center will turn into affordable housing for teachers

A blighted building that used to have classrooms, a gym, and track for the Mexican American Community Services Agency is going to be torn down to make way for a much needed project--housing for teachers. The Alum Rock Union School District is planning to build 78 homes across the 23-acre site which has sat vacant for over 10 years.

Housing costs are completely out of control and if we want our kids to be able to have a decent education, teachers need a place to live. The subsidized housing will go a lot way to attract talent to Alum Rock Union School District.

Surprisingly there is some pushback from the community on tearing down the building. As it would likely cost over $30 million to repair, it would be extremely expensive to integrate it into the housing project.

Source: San Jose Spotlight

Chick-fil-A proposed near Downtown San Jose

Yet another Chick-fil-A is planned for San Jose. This one is technically in Midtown but is just a few blocks away from Downtown San Jose at 1301 West San Carlos Street. This was once the site of a Burger King with a drive-through. Several years after the restaurant closed the building was razed and turned into a parking lot.

Most of the restaurant would be on that empty parking lot, but one building with Taqueria Eduardo and two other small businesses would have to be torn down to make way for the Chick-fil-A if the project is approved.

The popular chain is also trying to open a new restaurant in Evergreen at the corner of East Capitol Expressway and Silver Creek Road in a Target parking lot.

Source: The Mercury News

San Pedro Square in Downtown San Jose is officially closed to cars... permanently

In a move that will delight pedestrians and Downtown San Jose advocates, San Pedro Square will officially become a pedestrian mall between West Santa Clara Street and St. John Street. It was first closed to traffic for an extended period to provide more room for outdoor diners during COVID and helped dozens of businesses to survive. After the pandemic, few people seemed to miss the ability to drive through the street.

Turning this area into a permanent pedestrian mall will allow even more activation up and down the street. It was already the most thriving district in Downtown San Jose, due in a large part to the San Pedro Square Market. Now the possibilities to add more businesses in the parking garage or even temporary popups down the middle of the street will help take the district to the next level. 

Improvements such as enhanced lighting and more public art are already in discussions with property owners in the area.

Source: SVBJ

Urban Putt has a new grand opening date - February 8th

The hottest new minigolf place in the Bay Area is opening up in Downtown San Jose in a couple weeks. They have some of the most unique holes you can imagine with nods to Silicon Valley and unique interactive elements. The Winchester Mystery House, Sharks, a submarine, and a UFO are all items you'll find throughout the venue. When you're done, there are craft cocktails and unique food items to try out. It's one of the most exciting new entertainment options Downtown in years and is actually the first minigolf place I can remember in the area.

Opening day is February 8th starting at 4pm and it's located at 201 South 2nd Street (the old Camera 12 Movie Theater). For more info head to their website over here.