BREAKING - Update to Downtown Ross Site High-Rise Proposal

Downtown SJ sure is seeing a lot of action these days! A site development permit has been filed by Alterra Worldwide for the downtown Ross site at 27 S. 1^st Street. The site development permit proposes a 22-story mixed-use residential building with 342 dwelling units and 17,628 square feet of retail on the 0.57-acre site. The development includes a clubhouse, two indoor fitness rooms, an outdoor fitness area, pool and outdoor terrace, and a 3,000 square-foot dog run. Units range in size from studios to two bedrooms, all including an outdoor balcony.

The submittal is an improvement from the preliminary application filed in 2016, although the architecture is very similar in style. The shape is still very boxy, and needs to better differentiate between the middle and top of the building. The top of the building could definitely use some work to contribute to a more distinctive and interesting skyline. Although, I do appreciate the tall ceilings on the first through third floors.

On June 27^th, City Council will vote on an ordinance to allow balconies in the public easement, which means we may see less and less development proposals with box-like shapes as architects will be able to utilize the space above sidewalks for balconies. The current prohibition of balconies in the public easement means that developers and architects have limited space for private open space, leading to buildings like One South Market that are completely flat on all sides. Depending on the applicant’s timeline, they may wish to resubmit new drawings to utilize this new functionality.

For more information, go to www.sjpermits.org and look up File No. H17-027. You may also contact the planner, Elia Sorice, at elia.sorice@sanjoseca.gov.

**Also, sorry for the poor quality photos; they were directly scanned in from the plans.

-Kimberly Vacca

View looking towards N 1st Street from Fountain Alley

View from N 1st Street

Hotel Clariana is now open

I had the opportunity to walk across downtown on June 7^th to check out the ribbon cutting for the new Hotel Clariana. Bravo to that crew for taking on the renovation of that classic 1914 structure (formerly a YMCA), and turning it into a unique hotel that can serve as an alternative to travelers weary of the more corporate offerings near the convention center. 

It’s not large, at only 44 rooms, and the structure was a little constrained in the modernization by the historical nature of the building (read: you will not have panoramic windows in your rooms). But, it’s a tidy and quirky new offering; definitely a welcome addition to that particular block of Santa Clara street.

Hotel Clariana is located at 100 E. Santa Clara street between 3rd and 4th. For more details click here.

-Josh Hunter

Google may occupy 6 MILLION square feet of office space in Downtown San Jose!!!

Considering it has been on every outlet for the past week, this should not be "news" to anyone. If Google does go forward with their plan to utilize a staggering 6 million SQFT near Diridon, it will permanently change Downtown. There are still many "ifs" so I don't want to get too excited before this is a done deal, but wow... can you imagine. To put it in perspective, 6 million SQFT is more than double the square footage of Apple Park (the spaceship). It is also nearly double the SQFT of Google's current sprawling campus in Mountain View.

Take that in for a moment--if the full project gets built,, San Jose has a shot of actually becoming the Google HQ. It would make perfect sense since Mountain View is blocking expansion left and right, and given the state of traffic it would actually be faster to go from Caltrain between SF and Downtown SJ during rush hour than to the Mountain View campus. This is without even factoring in the furture BART or High Speed Rail options. Imagine all the buses on 101 that would become obsolete.

So far, the best write-up I have come across regarding the project is at Think Bigger San Jose. You should go read it right now for both the pro's and the con's of the project. Don't worry, I'll wait.

I completely agree with everything Mark said and there are some additional pro's I would like to add:

• Reducing traffic since the location will be in the most connected transit hub on the west coast. Even people that drive will likely be driving less given the central location near residential. 
• Increased property values in San Jose for existing homeowners (this can also be a con if you are not a homeowner).
• Beautification of the Downtown skyline. If they build anything close to what was planned for Mountain View, it will forever change the skyline for the better (see images #2 and #3 below).

Let's all collectively keep our fingers crossed and hope the City of San Jose and Google can make this happen!

Saturday Status: Two San Jose neighborhoods made the US Top 20 in post-recession apartment growth

RentCafe has put together a list of the fastest growing apartment markets in the country post-recession. Not one, but two San Jose neighborhoods made the list. North San Jose took 3rd place with a staggering 6,814 new apartments across 11 buildings, a 74% increase. Downtown San Jose was #20 on the list with 2,663 apartments across 14 buildings.

New York City dominated the top 50, which is to be expected given they have a population of 8 million people. San Francisco neighborhoods did not start showing up until #31. To see the full list, head over to the link below.

Source: RentCafe Blog

Four shows lined up for 2017 Music in the Park

First show June 23 features New Zealand’s Katchafire

SAN JOSE – Music in the Park kicks off its 28th season on June 23 with New Zealand-based roots-reggae rockers Katchafire.
Also, save these dates:

• July 20:  Grammy-winners Blues Traveler, celebrating their 30th anniversary
• Aug. 3:  Brenton Wood
• Aug. 25:  The headliner has to be announced in June, but this featured band has earned 17 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards and is self-described as an “original Afro Cuban jazz rock blues band.”

Local artists will open each show at 5:30 p.m. at Plaza de Cesar Chavez, off Market Street in the center of downtown San Jose.

Advanced tickets are $10 per adult and free for 12-under when accompanied by an adult.  Tickets and information are available at www.musicintheparksj.com. Day-of-the-event admission will cost $15 per adult.

Music in the Park is presented by Metro Newspapers and produced by the San Jose Downtown Association.  The events are supported by the City of San Jose.

June 23: Katchafire - The five-piece all-Maori band formed in 1997 is regaled as one of the most cherished, original live reggae bands in the world.  Roots reggae artists at their core, Katchafire also integrates R&B, funk, dancehall and pop themes into their live playing.  Most recently they put out a single Burn it Down and offered Stir It Up on a recent tribute to Bob Marley, in the wake of four studio albums, multiple awards and platinum sales. www.katchafire.co.nz

July 20:  Blues Traveler - One of America’s all-time favorite jam bands.  Says frontman John Popper:  “Three decades and I am still surprised when we play and find some rich new musical vein to tap. Three decades and I cannot believe my luck with this band of brothers and this string we have run.”

Blues Traveler has recorded 12 albums and sold millions of records. They hit it big with their 1994 release, “four,” which included “Hook” and the Grammy-winning  “Run Around.”  Their latest release, “Blow Up the Moon,” (2015). http://www.bluestraveler.com/

Aug. 3: Bootsy Collins – Funk royalty, bassist Bootsy Collins has worked with everyone from James Brown to Hank Williams, Jr. and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Parliament-Funkadelic (P-Funk) with George Clinton. His big break occurred in 1970 when James Brown hired a new backing band, which was called The JB’s. Collins played on several of Brown’s biggest songs recorded that year.  As a solo artist and leader of Bootsy’s Rubber Band, his songs climbed the U.S. R&B charts for almost 20 years, reaching the pinnacle with 1978 No. 1 hit Bootzilla.

Aug. 3:  Brenton Wood brings his chest full of R&B hits up from Los Angeles to perform for his South Bay audience.  twitter.com/brentonwood Wood will perform in lieu of Bootsy Collins, who was previously announced but had to cancel for medical reasons.

 Aug. 25:  Headliner to be announced June 11.

###

About San Jose Downtown Association:  SJDA, a non-profit membership-based organization founded in 1986, represents business and property owners and works to enhance downtown’s vitality and livability. www.sjdowntown.com

San Jose was ranked as the most productive area in the US

This one is way to good to go in the Saturday Stat bin. According to The Brookings Institution, the San Jose Metro is the most productive in the whole country. Our economic output per employee is an epic $173,971 per year. This compares to $156,812 in Houston and $152,562 in the San Francisco metro. It is also one of the many reasons why many jobs in the Valley command such high salaries.

What is just as impressive is the rate of growth that labor productivity improved in San Jose versus every other metro in the country. Between 1978 and 2015, our average rate of growth is 2.72%. If you ask any economist, that is an insane rate of productivity growth--especially considering all of our bubbles and recessions. Constant innovation is now well ingrained in our culture and our bet on technology has certainly paid off.

Source: SJ Economy News

Le Marche - Santana Row Farmers' Market

An upscale farmers' market with over 50 vendors will take place every Wednesday until September starting today at Santana Row. "Le Marche" features organic produce, gourmet foods, cooking demonstrations, rotisserie chicken, and lots of other delicious items. There are also plenty of prepared food options available, making it convenient to enjoy a quick snack on one of the many patios on the row. Left Bank Brasserie is even doing a farm-to-table prix fixe menu utilizing fresh ingreedients from Le Marche.

Today during grand opening of the farmers' market, LB Steak will be demoing their Corn Succotash and Maple Braised Pork Belly at 5:30pm. Le Marche is located towards the end of Santana Row between Olin Avenue and Olsen Drive.

New AC Hotel on Stevens Creek

The AC Hotel is expanding their San José footprint! On May 18th, AC Hotel representatives submitted a Site Development Permit for a 6-story, 132-room hotel at 5969 Stevens Creek Boulevard. The site currently has a Shell gas station and an auto repair shop, and is located on the San José side of the border between Cupertino and San José. The hotel proposal is most likely moving forward in order to capitalize on business from the new Apple campus, located less than a mile north of the site.

Thankfully the architecture is an improvement over the atrociously-designed downtown AC Hotel; however, I would still like to see better quality design as the proposed hotel maintains a similar boring box shape and has zero window ornamentation. Even so, if approved by the Planning Director, a new boutique hotel would be a welcome addition to San José as we have many less hotel rooms per capita than our surrounding municipalities.

-Kimberly Vacca 

Apple has moved its big conference to San Jose

The largest company in the world announced that they are moving their World Wide Developer Conference Conference (WWDC) from San Francisco to San Jose earlier this year. This will make our city ground zero for new software and app announcements related to iOS, MacOS, Apple TV, and Apple Watch. This is not the first time that Apple has made major product announcements in San Jose in recent years, but it is the first time since 2002 that they have hosted their largest event in Silicon Valley proper.

The direct impact goes far beyond the conference itself. There are many related events such as AltConf (the Alternative Apple Developer Conference) which has also moved from San Francisco to the San Jose Marriott and the Layers Design Conference, which has moved to the Montgomery Theater. Both events run nearly the full duration of the Apple conference.

Apple has also worked with the City of San Jose to plan for entertainment and special events outside of the Convention Center for attendees to enjoy. 5,000 developers will be attending WWDC, but double that number could be in the area for festivities and supporting events built around the conference.

The Apple WWDC kicks off today and runs until June 9th. If you are an Apple fanboy or fangirl, this is a good week to swing by Downtown.

Sources: SVBJ, 9to5Mac

Playful People Productions Presents: Disney 101 Dalmatians KIDS

San Jose, CA: Dalmatian parents Pongo and Perdita live a happy, quiet life in London with their eight puppies and two human pets – Roger and Anita.  But when their villainous neighbor Cruella De Vil decides to kidnap the puppies with the help of her two henchmen, the race is on for the dogs of London to find and save the puppies before they become another fur coat in Cruella’s collection! Keep your pups on their leashes! Disney 101 Dalmatians KIDS is certain to charm and delight all audiences. A fun and spirited adaptation of the classic Disney animated film, performed by a fabulous cast of eager 4-12 year olds who are sure to put a smile on your face!

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

Show Times:

Friday, June 16th - 7pm

Saturday, June 17th - 11am, 3pm and 7pm

Sunday, June 18th - 11am and 3pm

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

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 3-103

Saturday Stats: San Jose is the 2nd Happiest Place to Live

We have a great stat to begin the weekend. San Jose was ranked as the 2nd "happiest" place to live by WalletHub. Researchers studying the science of happiness found that a positive mental state, health, social connections, job satisfaction, and financial well-being are the foundations of happiness. Based on these metrics Fremont ended up being the happiest city in the US. San Jose was a very close second. Other Bay Area cities in the list include San Francisco at #4, Oakland at #5, and Santa Rosa in 9th place.

Source: WalletHub, thanks to Barclay Livker for sending this in!

Aviato - New Downtown High-Rise!

NEW DOWNTOWN HIGH-RISE ALERT! On May 17th, a Special Use Permit was filed with the Planning Division to allow the construction of an 18-story multi-family residential tower in downtown San José with 304 residential units and 10,146 square feet of retail on a 0.77 gross acre site (199 Bassett Street). The project includes four levels of underground parking (1 space per unit), 84 bike spaces, a fitness room, and an outdoor terrace with a pool and hot tub. Unit sizes include studios, one bedrooms, and two bedrooms.

The site is sandwiched between Highway 87 and Coleman Avenue, and is located in the northernmost part of downtown. The proposed tower will be somewhat isolated until the vacant land between San Pedro Market and the site is developed; although, this land should not be vacant for long. In the interim, the applicant will need to work on addressing connectivity issues with the rest of downtown so that the residents are not intimidated by or uninterested in walking and biking in the area.

If approved, the proposed tower will be a great addition to the downtown area, as more downtown residents will increase the viability for downtown amenities, retail, and restaurants. Many potential commercial tenants state that the current downtown residential density is too low for them to justify moving into a vacant commercial space, so every new project helps alleviate this concern.

While the top of the tower could have a little more “pizzazz” to diversify the downtown skyline, I’m happy to see that the tower will not be contributing to the “Tan Jose” theme that so many other downtown buildings have embodied. The white stone and glass frame with a pop of orange color is noticeably different from the other residential towers nearby. The applicant also did a great job placing the parking ramp on the east side of the building, leaving the front of the building open solely for pedestrians and active uses.

Because this application is a Special Use Permit, it will go to the Director of Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement for approval and will not need to go to the Planning Commission, unless appealed, or City Council. To stay up-to-date on the development review process, look up File No. SP17-023 on www.sjpermits.org or contact the Project Manager at Shaunn.mendrin@sanjoseca.gov to be added to the community contact list.

-Kimberly Vacca

Looking northwest

Looking northeast

Looking southwest

Two special SubZERO events for tonight

As a reminder, tonight is the start of an epic two-day arts festival in SoFA called SubZERO. There are two special events I wanted to quickly highlight:

Works San Jose is having an opening reception for System Overlord between 7pm and 10pm. This project brings together designers are artist who are pushing the limits of print and new media. They always have a compelling showcase and I'm sure their latest collection will not disappoint.

You also have to swing by the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles and check out "Before You Were Born" by Laurie Shapiro. This is an immersive, walk-in exhibit that has an accompanying live performance. The exhibits at this museum continue to become more and more ambitious, and this one sets a new bar! Below are a couple photographs by Octavio Martinez to help you get a feel for the scope of this piece.

Admission is free at all venues, including the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles which normally do charge a fee outside of FIRST FRIDAY events.

The Toxic Avenger is coming to The Stage Theater Jun 7-23

2009 Outer Critics Circle Award- Outstanding Musical

THE TOXIC AVENGER
Book and Lyrics by Joe DiPietro
Music and Lyrics by David Bryan
Based on Lloyd Kaufman's film of the same name

Directed by Jonathan Williams
June 7 – July 17, 2017
Opening Night: Saturday June 10, 2017


San Jose, CA (April 2017) - San Jose Stage Company is proud to wrap its culturally diverse 34th season with the award winning Off-Broadway hit musical The Toxic Avenger.

TOXIC LOVE STORY WITH AN ENVIRONMENTAL TWIST

Based on Lloyd Kaufman's cult film, this laugh-out-loud musical has it all: an unlikely hero, his beautiful girlfriend, a corrupt New Jersey mayor, bullies, mobsters, and stiletto-wearing back-up singers.

After attempting to clean up Tromaville, the most polluted town in New Jersey, Melvin Ferd is dumped into a vat of radioactive toxic waste, only to reemerge as The Toxic Avenger. Affectionately known as Toxie, our new hero is a mutant freak with superhuman strength and a heart as big as Newark. He's out to save New Jersey, end global warming, and woo the blind librarian in town.

About the Playwrights:

Joe DiPietro’s current Broadway hit Memphis won the Tony Award for Best Musical and two additional Tony Awards (Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics) Written for the Theatre (with David Bryan). Joe was born and raised off Exit 166 in New Jersey and thus has been a Toxic Avenger fan for the last twenty years. Joe wrote the book & lyrics to I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, the longest running musical revue in New York history which has had hundreds of productions across the country and around the world. He also wrote the book and lyrics to the Broadway musical All Shook Up, and the award-winning musical, The Thing About Men, which has played internationally. His plays include the Edgar Award-winning mystery, The Art of Murder, as well as the long-running hit comedy Over the River and through the Woods, which has had over a hundred productions around the world and is currently being developed into a feature film. He lives in Manhattan and Connecticut, but his heart will always be in New Jersey.

David Bryan  is the keyboard player, songwriter and a founding member of Bon Jovi. They have sold over 130 million records worldwide, performed more than 2,600 concerts in over 50 countries for more than 34 million fans, and were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006. On the band s award-winning CD Have A Nice Day , David and Jon wrote the song Last Cigarette. David began a career as a composer and lyricist of musicals. The song, Memphis Lives In Me, which he performs on Bon Jovi’s recent box set, is actually from his musical, MEMPHIS which won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical. David also won a Tony for Best Orchestrations (with Daryl Waters) and Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics) Written for the Theatre (with Joe DiPietro). David has also dedicated his time to become a National Spokesperson for VH1’s Save The Music Program, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of music education in America’s schools.  He was conceived, born and raised in New Jersey. As a young man, he saw The Toxic Avenger at a midnight showing in Newark, and from that day on, he dreamed of writing a musical about the first mutant superhero from his home state.

About the Director:

Jonathan Williams is the Producing Director of San Jose Stage Company, recently playing Isaac in DISGRACED & Kenneth in THE NIGHT ALIVE earlier this season.  He made his San Jose Stage directorial debut with the 2013 production of THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DIETY.  Jonathan has worked extensively throughout the BAY AREA as an actor & director with companies like TheatreWorks, The Aurora Theatre, Theatre on San Pedro Square, San Francisco Shakespeare Company and American Musical Theatre of San Jose.  In 2002 he relocated to Sacramento where he co-founded Capital Stage Company, producing over 75 productions and leading the organization to becoming the region's premier new works theatre. Jonathan has directed numerous productions, including GUARDS AT THE TAJ, UNCANNY VALLEY, TRIBES, THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY, DYING CITY, MASTER CLASS, HUNTER GATHERERS, DIRTY STORY, BOY GETS GIRL and THE SHAPE OF THINGS.

Cast Includes:    

COURTNEY HATCHER*
JOSHUA MARX*
ALLISON F. RICH*
WILL SPRINGHORN, JR*
BRANDEN NOEL THOMAS
*Actors appear courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association.

Creative Staff:                
         
Jonathan Williams                                       Director
CJ & Brett Blankenship                              Choreographers
Brian Allan Hobbs                                      Music Director
Michael Palumbo                                        Scenic/Lighting Design
Vijay M Rajan                                             Video Design
Ashley Garlick                                            Costume Design
Cirby Hatano*                                             Stage Manager


SHOWS:        Previews:      June 7 @ 7:30 pm / June 8 @ 7:30 pm/ June 9 @ 8:00 pm
                       Opening:       June 10 @ 8:00 pm
                       Run Dates:    June 7 - July 17
                                             Wednesday & Thursday @ 7:30 pm
                                             Friday & Saturday @ 8:00 pm
                                             Sunday @ 2:00 pm

WHERE:        490 S 1st St, San Jose, CA 95113

TICKETS:      For tickets ($30-$65) or more information, the public may contact San Jose Stage Company box office at 408-283-7142, or www.thestage.org

Great America Red, White, and Brews

As one who hasn’t frequented Great America since I last owned a season pass (back when houses were affordable), it was with a keen sense of nostalgia that I devoted this past Saturday to checking out their Red, White & Brews event. Would the place be as vast as I remember? Could I handle the permanently-looped opening strains of the Top Gun soundtrack while in line for 45 minutes at the eponymous ride?

Spoiler alert: it’s even more fun as an adult. Because, you know, alcohol; and you’re grown-up enough to remember to wear sunscreen.  Also Top Gun was re-named years ago when Paramount sold the park to Cedar Fair, so at least there was no threat of death-by-soundtrack. As an added bonus, Great America has these lovely things called Fast Passes, which (for a fee) let you skip most of the lines anyways. Who says the world isn’t becoming a better place?

Back to the original reason for this posting. The Great America staff kindly invited members of the San Jose Blog team to cover their Red, White & Brews event. They provided us with the press release (previously covered), which showed an impressive number of brewery/winery choices, and well as some special food offerings.

It was a rollicking good time. The SJ Blog team divvied up the beer tastings so we got to at least try the majority of the beers served in tidy little kiosks around the event area. The San Jose Beer Bike was also present, so we hopped on that and pedaled around the park doing our best Avril Lavigne karaoke, much to the amusement of the other park goers... at least judging by how many decided to participate as we cycled by.

The food was quite tasty, and, being the adventurous souls that we are, we all started off with the chicken heart skewers (see photo). The skewers are proof that one can grill nearly anything, slather it in BBQ sauce, wrap bacon around it, and feed it to the pickiest eater with no shame. The grilled corn was excellent. We split up the desserts so we could try each – but the clear winner was the apple bacon cheddar parfait, followed up by an off-menu selection that tasted vaguely like peaches soaked in a cinnamon-bourbon syrup. You had us at bourbon.

We then decided to make use of our Fast Passes and hopped on several roller coasters, which were just as amusing as any of us remembered (particularly the front row to Top Gun… er, Flight Deck). For those readers over the age of 30, if you haven’t been to the park since your teens, just remember that your spines aren’t the robust things they once were, and plan your riding schedule accordingly, perhaps interspersing them with regular stops at the food and beer kiosks.

The event was immensely enjoyable. Count us in next year; we look forward to continued events that highlight local brewing and winemaking talent.

Introducing Josh Hunter

The San Jose Blog will no longer be a one-Josh town! Josh Hunter is a longtime South Bay resident, having grown up in Morgan Hill before escaping to San Jose after grad school. He currently lives downtown and regularly bikes to his office in North San Jose. As a cyclist, he’s interested in transportation planning and the Bay Area trail systems. As a downtown resident he applauds the progress the city has made in the last couple of decades, and the influx of a critical-mass of residents that has elevated the restaurant and bar scene to more appropriate levels for a city our size. One can find him at San Pedro square often, or sampling one of the local breweries (Hapa being the current favorite). He has a master’s in Public Policy and an MBA from Pepperdine, and is currently the Senior Manager for Technology at Blach Construction Company.

Josh Hunter's first post for The San Jose Blog will go live in one hour!

The 10th Annual SubZERO Festival is this Fri & Sat!

This weekend, in addition to the monthly South FIRST FRIDAYS art walk, the SoFA district will be celebrating the 10th annual SubZERO Fest. Every year the festival gets bigger and better, and it plays an important role in the neighborhood's culture and identity.

If you're not familiar with South FIRST FRIDAYS, the streets on 1st St south of San Carlos St are closed off to cars during the art walk. This gives an opportunity for local artists and DIY vendors to come together and share their work with the public. People crowd the streets to visit some of their favorite local shops, and artists get a chance to show off their work. Local art galleries are also open a little later so visitors can get a chance to explore.

SubZERO builds on this concept by adding stages for music, inviting many more performance artists, and bringing in 10+ food trucks. To get a sense of what to expect, the video below gives a small taste of the festival in 2016.

If anyone asks me where the indie scene is in the South Bay, I can't imagine a better example. It's still a small scene, it's still growing, it deserves support, and it is most definitely worth checking out. Best of all, it's all free to attend! For more information, check out the website, including the music schedule, the list of artists & vendors, and the art walk map.

Introducing Lawrence Lui

Today we get to introduce a new blogger who has been involved in the San Jose Development Forum for quite some time. This was the first true online hangout for San Jose enthusiasts.

Lawrence Lui grew up in the South Bay suburbs, watching Silicon Valley evolve over the years. After graduating from UC Davis with a background in managerial economics, he became fascinated with the growth and development of San Jose. That's when he moved Downtown to be closer to the action (and the rapidly expanding craft cocktail scene!). Lawrence is a fan of live music, local artists, business news, and every cuisine imaginable.

Lawrence's first post for The San Jose Blog will go live in one hour!

May 2017 Downtown Dimension Highlights

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

• Fountain Alley is being cleaned up by a number of community groups and property owners, making it more colorful, pleasant, and safe. Some contributions:
• A police services office opened up at 30 E. Santa Clara, driving out a lot of crime in the area.
• The Sharks Foundation donated $20k for beautification.
• Local Color on First Street and the TechShop on Second Street have activated formerly vacant spaces.
• SJSU industrial design students have been creating prototypes for furniture and gardens to improve the area.
• This summer the SJDA will produce or partner on a total of 55 Downtown Events. These include Music in the Park, Restaurant Week, the Downtown Farmer's Market, Starlight Cinemas, South First Fridays, and STREET MRKT.
• Wrike has moved its headquarters with 75 employees to 10 Almaden, Suite 1000.
• Gong Cha has opened a franchise in the former Quickly Tea space at 140 Paseo de San Antonio near SJSU.
• West Coast Athletics opened an urban boutique gym in the Sperry Building at 30 N. Third St.
• $2 million has been dedicated to revitalizing St. James Park, which will be used for activation, security, and beautification.
• 55 new hanging planters have been placed throughout Downtown in May. Planters along First Street, Fountain alley, Post Stret, Paseo de San Antonio, Santa Clara Street, and San Fernando Street will be refreshed with new flowers.

To read the newsletter, click here!

There was one other interesting fact in the latest newsletter. May 2017 marks the 10-year anniversary of City Heights, Downtown's first high-rise residential building. It is crazy to think that we have only had high-rise housing for ten years. Downtown has come a long way in the past decade.

California's Great America introduces Red, White & Brews

Great America is introducing an ambitious new event this Memorial Day weekend with an encore the following week. Red, White & Brews features 25 different craft beers, American cuisine, local wines, live music from Bay Area bands, the San Jose Brew Bike for transportation, and a fireworks show.

Food options be more than just be hamburgers and hot dogs. They are going all out with true Americana cuisine--brisket sliders, bacon wrapped chicken hearts, corn ears with chili powder, and bourbon peaches and cream.

Admission is included with your theme park ticket. Tasting cards are $25 for 6 savory items while craft beer and wine tasting cards are available at the same price. For more info, the full press release is below.

Instead of just plugging the event, I'll be there along with Andy Lee (our beer expert) and two of our new bloggers: Kimberly Vacca and Josh Hunter. We'll provide a full write-up next week!

CALIFORNIA’S GREAT AMERICA INTRODUCES RED, WHITE & BREWS

The Hometown Celebration of Americana Food and Fun is May 27-29 & June 3-4

SANTA CLARA, CA – California’s Great America will add to its incredible lineup of live entertainment and festivals with Red, White & Brews, a hometown celebration of Americana food and fun taking place May 27-29 and June 3-4. Red, White & Brews will bring the Hometown Square area of the park to life with locally sourced food experiences, more than 25 regional craft brews, Northern California wines, Bay Area bands, outdoor games and kids entertainment.

Tasting cards will be available for just $25 per person (6 selections per card) to sample savory items that include jumbo smoked chicken drumsticks, BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, skewered bacon wrapped chicken hearts, corn ears roasted in chili powder and lime juice, and tombstone sliders with shaved brisket. There will also be a delicious dessert choice between an innovative apple pie, bacon and cheddar parfait or a traditional strawberry shortcake with the tasting card.

Craft beer and wine tasting cards, $25 per person for six, six-ounce samples, will feature renowned and niche microbreweries from throughout Northern California, including Gordon Biersch, Sierra Nevada, Anchor, Stone, Mendocino, Hanger 24, Lagunitas, Speakeasy Ales & Lagers and many others. Wine pouring options will include William Hill, Flora Springs, J. Lohr, White Oak, Concannon and more.

Unique food items for sale individually in and around the Hometown Square area are: a brisket mac and cheese conewich with crispy brisket tips, crispy onions and BBQ sauce; red, white & blue funnel cakes topped with strawberries, vanilla ice cream and blueberries; tantalizing bourbon peaches and cream with cinnamon cream and candied walnuts; cinnamon dessert nachos, which are fried tortillas paired with vanilla ice cream and chocolate and caramel syrup.

For an additional fee, the San Jose Brew Bike will tour guests through the park each day, providing up to 15 friends the opportunity to view Great America while sipping and cycling (with a designated cyclist at the wheel). Hometown Square entertainment will feature oversized board games, free balloons for kids, giant Adirondack chairs for lounging and photo opportunities, and more.

“Red, White & Brews will create a vibrant, dynamic atmosphere inside the park and showcase the region’s incredible food and drink possibilities,” said California’s Great America Vice President & General Manager Raul Rehnborg. “Red, White & Brews joins Taste of Orleans and Fiesta Hispana as wonderful reasons to visit the park multiple times each year. 

An outdoor stage will be constructed in front of the Great America Theater where four local bands will perform rock, country, and bluegrass music throughout the day. Adding to the live entertainment, dueling pianos will be positioned in the gazebo, intensifying the outdoor atmosphere.

The entire festival will take pace under the thrills of Patriot, the park’s new floorless roller coaster experience featuring a nine-story drop where riders’ feet dangle inches above the track.

Red, White & Brews is free with park admission.

CEDAR FAIR

California’s Great America is owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, a publicly traded partnership that is listed for trading on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FUN.”  In addition to Great America, Cedar Fair owns and operates ten other amusement parks, two water parks, one indoor water park, and five hotels.  Cedar Fair also operates the Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in California under a management contract.

www.cagreatamerica.com

Urban Villages are on the way!

On Wednesday, May 10^th, the City’s Planning Commission recommended that City Council approve two Urban Village Plans: the Valley Fair/Santana Row Urban Village and the Winchester Boulevard Urban Village. These Urban Villages are located on the west side of San José and include developments such as the Westfield Valley Fair mall, Santana Row, and properties along Winchester Boulevard.

The purpose of Urban Village Plans is to guide new job and housing growth within Urban Village areas and to guide the preservation of existing neighborhoods. San José is projected to grow by over 400,000 people by the year 2040; in order to accommodate for this massive growth in population, the City created the Urban Village concept as part of the Envision San José 2040 General Plan update in 2011. In addition to facilitating this growth, Urban Village Plans will guide the characteristics of future development including buildings, parks, plazas, public art, streetscape and circulation. The Winchester Urban Village Plan sets a capacity for 2,000 jobs and 2,200 housing units, and the Santana Row/Valley Fair Urban Village Plan sets a capacity for 8,500 jobs and 2,635 housing units to the year 2040.

These Urban Village Plans are the fruition of over two years of community engagement, of which included online surveys, community workshops, and discussions between City staff, developers and community stakeholders.

City Council will vote on June 27^th to approve or deny these Urban Village Plans. If adopted, residential, commercial, office, and mixed-use development will be able to move forward within the boundaries of the Urban Villages. This area of the city is VERY HOT right now for both office and residential development, so we can expect many development proposals within these areas if the Plans are approved.

Other Urban Village Plans currently under development by the City include the West San Carlos Street Urban Village, the Stevens Creek Boulevard Urban Village, the East Santa Clara Street Urban Village, and the South Bascom Urban Village.

To learn more about Urban Villages, please check out the City’s Urban Village webpage.

Winchester Boulevard Urban Village Land Use Map

Valley Fair/Santana Row Urban Village Land Use Map

Introducing Kimberly Vacca

Today we have some amazing news. After our 8th Anniversary post, several awesome people volunteered to contribute to The San Jose Blog! This means positive changes are in store starting with an increase in the number of weekly posts. We are going back to a daily post Monday through Friday and will work towards having posts on the weekends as well by the end of this year.

Our mission of making our community a better place is the same, but the story will now get told from different perspectives as each blogger has a different background, interests, and writing style. I think this will provide a far more holistic view of where San Jose is today and where we would like it to go in the future.

Without further adieu, we are very excited to introduce our first new contributor. Kimberly Vacca is a recent San Jose resident having moved here from Florida in 2015. She was drawn to San Jose for work, but made the final plunge thanks to San Jose's great weather, outdoor exploration opportunities, high quality of life, and diverse people and food. She works as a city planner for the City of San Jose and is immensely inspired by her progressive, forward-thinking peers who strive to positively impact our growing city. As a city planner she works on creating land use policies that will facilitate the high-quality built environment that San Jose is passionately trying to achieve. In her spare time, you'll find Kim bicycling through both urban and natural landscapes, having a beer at a local brewery, hiking the Santa Cruz mountains, or stuck with her nose in a book.

Kim's first post for The San Jose Blog will go live in one hour!