BeatifySJ Grants

Last month, the city launched a new program called BeatifySJ that will provide micro-grants to 71 different community organizations. The goal is to make San Jose a better place by enabling grassroots and community organizations. Grants will be $5,000 or less, which is enough to fund hundreds of projects from tree plantings to cleaning up graffiti. To see the full list of projects, head over here.

SJC might be getting direct service to India

This tidbit is deep in the rumor-mill, but there was a special surprise embedded in an Air India announcement for new flights at SFO. The airline already has a direct flight to New Delhi that flies six times per week and this summer they are launching a new Mumbai route with three flights per week out of San Francisco. However, check out this portion of the announcement:

"...This has prompted to us to connect Mumbai directly with San Francisco and we plan to launch a flight service to the Silicon Valley from the coming summers,"the official said."

The only airport they could be referring to is San Jose International. A direct flight to India from San Jose would make perfect sense given the large South Asian population in Silicon Valley and the business relationships between local companies and those in Mumbai, Bangalore, and other Indian tech centers. The bigger question is what does the "coming summers" mean? 2019? 2020? It's not clear from the article, but hopefully more details will be released soon.

Source: India Times, hat-tip to Daniel Martinez for sending this in!

sjDANCEco presents program of World Premieres with “On The Edge” Feb 16 & 17 in San Jose

WHO: sjDANCEco presents

WHAT: "On The Edge"

WHEN: Friday, February 16 and Saturday, February 17, 2018 at 2:30pm & 7:00pm 

WHERE: SJSU Dance Theater; SPX 216. 

The theater is located in the Spartan Complex building on the San Jose State University Campus at One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95112 near 4th Street and San Carlos.

Inexpensive parking is available at the City garage on San Carlos between 2nd and 3rd Streets.

WHY: The South Bay and the East Bay come together in sjDANCEco’s winter offering, “On The Edge”, a shared bill of contemporary choreography. "On the Edge" was initiated to give greater opportunity to sjDANCEco's seasoned and aspiring company choreographers. It brings together an evening of World Premieres by Company dancer/choreographers Hannah McNany, Kelisha Gardeen, Katherine House, Jazmyn Turner and Danielle Galvez. Diablo Ballet's Resident Choreographer, Robert Dekkers, presents the touching duet "No One Does It Like You" performed to music by Department of Eagles.  The ballet, originally created for Arizona's NovaBallet premiered in July of 2010 at the Tempe Center for the Arts in Tempe, Arizona. 

TICKETS: $30 General, $25 Senior (65 & up). $20 Student (w/student ID) - plus fees for all tickets levels.

BOX OFFICE: 408.520.9854   www.sjDANCEco.org

PHOTO CAPTION: sjDANCEco1.jpg.  

ABOUT US: sjDANCEco is a year-round contemporary dance company based in San Jose, California that produces world premieres by its core and guest choreographers, and presents the very best of Contemporary and Classic Modern Dance and Masterpieces of the American Modern Dance Repertory. In addition to a full season of dance concerts, sjDANCEco also is a major participant each Spring in free outdoor dance presentations during National Dance Week, international dance festivals, and has a full schedule of contemporary dance classes for the advanced and professional dancer. sjDANCEco ignites the spirit of dance.

sjDANCEco is a registered 501c3.  Fed ID 61-1446985

Photo Clockwise from Top Left: Dancer/choreographers Hannah McNany, Frankie Reviera, Kelisha Gardeen and Katherine House. Photo by Thomas Hassing.

Super Bowl Watch Party at Bourbon Steak & Pub

What better place to watch the big game than at the location of Super Bowl 50? Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak & Pub will be transformed into a special culinary extravaganza on February 4th from 11am to 9pm.

The $49/person all-inclusive menu highlights items from the restaurant's new BBQ smoker, including Allen Brothers beef brisket, baby back ribs, and BBQ chicken spicy sausage links. There are also vegetarian-friendly options like marinated portabella mushrooms, braised greens, mac 'n cheese, potato salad, backed beans, and brussel cole slaw--not to mention plenty of desserts like Michael Mina's signature cookies.

Tickets are available over here.

Catalyze SV Launch Party

Catalyze SV is on a mission is to "engage community member, developers, and city leaders to envision and create sustainable, equitable, and vibrant places for people in Silicon Valley." This includes advocating for inclusive and diverse communities that feature smart urban designs. The organization was founded in a living room last year and received a $29k grant last month from The Knight Foundation to take things to the next level.

They have already had some early successes with Volar in Santana Row and the Agrihood in Santa Clara. Catalyze SV could have a great impact on future San Jose development, and now is the perfect time to get involved.

Today they are holding a launch party at the historic Arts Mercantile building from 6-8pm featuring several city leaders. For more on the event or to RSVP (free), head over here.

New arts center coming to Japantown

An empty lot in Japantown at 7th Street and E. Taylor Street is now destined to become a 55,000 SQFT arts center. It will become the new home base for several nonprofits including Silicon Valley Creates, for San Jose Taiko, the New Ballet School, and CreaTV. If it looks anything like the render below, it should also be quite stunning.

The goal is to kick off construction by June of 2019 (this is highly dependent on funding), and it won't be the only project in the area. Eventually the arts center is expected to be surrounded by new housing midrises and a park.

Source: The Merc  Hat tip to Vianka Villanueva for sending this in!

SJC is planning a $1 billion Expansion!

San Jose International has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past five years and has finally hit a point where a major expansion is feasible. Three additional gates were recently added, bringing the airport to a total of 31 gates. The new expansion being planned would add at least 9 more at the end of Terminal B, bringing the total to 40 gates or more.

This would mean more flights, destinations, and tax dollars for the city (San Jose owns the airport). While still in the early planning stages, it would be interesting to use some of the new gates as a dedicated international terminal given all of the new overseas routes.

The target cost of the expansion is $1 billion (for context Terminal B was $1.3 billion) and the goal would be to open all of the new gates by 2024.

Source: SVBJ

January 2018 Downtown Dimension Highlights

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

• The Bank of Italy Building, Fairmont Hotel, Riverpark Towers, Towers@Second, and Bella Mia all recently changed ownership.
• The Pierce earns the Jim Fox Golden Nail Award
• Office Moves
• Tech firm Wrike moved into 24,000 SQFT at 70 S. Second St. and expects to grow from 70 to 100 San Jose employees in the next year.
• Signet has moved 30 employees into 630 S. First St.
• Voce Communications has moved from Sunnyvale to 75 E. Santa Clara.
• Critical Mass has moved 65 employees to 75 E. Santa Clara St.
• Cold Iron is a gaming company that has moved 25 developers into 4 N. Second St., Suite 460.
• Invoke, P.C. is an intellectual property law firm that has moved from the Peninsula to 84 W. Santa Clara St., Suite 500.
• Downtown Yoga Shala has moved across the street to 467 S. First St.
• 3Below Theaters and Movie Lounge is now open and features indie flicks, singalongs, retro movies, ComedySportz, and live performances.

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