More details emerge about "San Jose's Downtown Food Hall" on Santa Clara Street

A few tidbits are starting to leak out for one of San Jose's most mysterious projects--a food hall backed by the co-founder of Uber in the old Hank's Downtown Furniture retail spot. The location can support up to 26 kitchens and there will be a central ordering area for walk-ins. However, it will be optimized for to-go orders and deliveries.

Some of the restraunteur-oriented advertising for the project highlights that there are 1.1 million residents, 647,000 worker, and 44,000 students within a 15 minute drive. All of the order pickup and processing can be handled by the hall instead of the individual business.

The restaurants lined up so far include:

• Forza Italia Kitchen
• Y-Linh Sandwiches
• Sophia's Sweets
• Silk Road Kitchen
• Cosmic Cuisine Halal,
• Mercy Mediterranean
• Monosushi
• TeaZeer
• Sam & Curry
• Azuma San Jose
• SLOBSTER
• Cinco Milpas

Some of the menus are even already available over here. Even more interesting, several of the restaurants are slated to open at the end of December. This will be one project to keep an eye out for. You'll be able to access it at 82 E. Santa Clara Street.

New updates on Downtown San Jose's Urban Putt, the coolest miniature golf concept I've ever seen ⛳

As someone who grew up going to Golfland in San Jose, Milpitas, and Sunnyvale, I was definitely intrigued when I learned about a new miniature golf course coming to the heart of Downtown San Jose. I believe that Urban Putt will be the first in Downtown history. 

After learning that it will feature courses inspired by the Winchester Mystery House, an interactive version of Downtown San Jose, a Shark that will try to eat your ball, a submarine, a crashed UFO, and all sorts of other unique courses filled with mechanical gizmos... well I'm ecstatic. It truly looks like it will be a work of art. The icing on the cake is going to be craft cocktails and food as unique as the venue (s'mores sliders?).

Urban Putt is scheduled to open in January, but they have a Kickstarter page with several potential reward options and discounted tickets. There is always some risk involved when participating in a Kickstarter but it has worked out well for me (The San Jose Blog's logo came from a Kickstarter campaign).

Even if you have no intention of participating in the Kickstarer, you must watch the 3 minute video with a preview of what Urban Putt is concocting. It looks insane and is now the new entertainment venue I'm most excited about for San Jose in 2024.

From the Kickstarter page:

This isn't your grandfather's mini-golf. 

This is miniature golf reimagined: an immersive, cutting-edge course, located in the heart of San Jose. Combining high artistry and a serious commitment to fun (and powered by a gaggle of mechanical gizmos), this 18-hole indoor miniature golf course will amaze and entertain. Conceived and built by the same team that created the wildly popular Urban Putt venues in San Francisco and Denver, Urban Putt San Jose is slated to open in late 2023/early 2024.

So what can you expect on the course? A crashed UFO, a submarine inspired by Jules Verne's Nautilus, a hole inspired by the Winchester Mystery House, an interactive version of downtown San Jose, a shark that will try to eat your golf ball, and even an old-school circuit board you putt through. Oh, yeah... and lots of man-made mountains towering over the entire expanse. Built by artists, craftspeople, designers, wood- and metalworkers, theatrical prop masters, programmers, and more, Urban Putt is looking to deliver next-level fun. 

The space itself is, in a word, breathtaking. Urban Putt San Jose is envisioned as an immersive experience, transporting you into a futuristic urban environment, where technology and entertainment collide. Designed by architect Chris Holzwart of holzarchitecture, the 13,000-square-foot site draws you through the front doors and down into a new world. The cylindrical dining room acts as the hub of the operation, with massive swooping openings on all sides that allow visitors to enter the mini-golf course or the private mezzanine viewing deck beyond. The design motif is a study in swoops, radiuses, and circles. Everywhere you look there are walls, fixtures, even the smallest details, that pay homage to the circle, a playful nod to the golf ball itself. Strategically placed portholes in the walls give visual hints to what lies beyond, whether viewed from the majestic front entrance or from the comfort of the mezzanine. Elsewhere, perforated metal walls and dividers (there are those circles again!) appear throughout the space. Overhead, in the main dining/drinking area, a six-foot-diameter polished orb floats overhead, honeycombed with cutouts and gears, to further reinforce the look and feel of the venue, while visually referencing the mechanical wonders that populate the course. Even the bathrooms -- with their glossy penny tile walls -- are showcases that give a nod to the ubiquity of the circle in our design.

And then there are the tables and bar surfaces. On the ground floor and mezzanine, four enormous community tables -- made of two-inch thick clear epoxy with thousands of golf balls embedded in each -- are custom-made conversation pieces. The bar tops and drink rails are similarly sensational and unconventional: slabs of highly polished concrete, smooth to the touch, with subtle curves at the edges and endpoints. It's a design that evokes wonder and joy, and may even leave you wondering, How did they do that? 

Speaking of the bar, our custom-built 40-foot-long bar top is a work of art in its own right, even featuring a "time machine" (non-functional, at least so far; but if anyone can create a working time machine, it would be Urban Putt's mad scientists). With a full slate of creative cocktails, locally sourced beers, and a passel of imaginative mocktails, Urban Putt's bar will be a must-visit in Downtown San Jose as well as a terrific location for post-work happy hours.

Meanwhile, the restaurant, helmed by noted San Jose chef Chad Ferry, will offer everything from out-of-the box shareables (grilled corn topped with Flamin' Hot Cheetos, anyone?) to hand-made pizzas and full sit-down dinners. We are particularly excited by Chef Chad's dessert menu, with Ice Cream Nachos, S'more Sliders, and even a flotilla of floats, some made with stout, for those who like their sweets with an alcoholic zing.

For partygoers, the mezzanine, which can hold 120 patrons, offers a bird's-eye view of the entire course, bar, and dining area. The "Mezz" can be divided into multiple configurations and has its own bathrooms and private bar, making it a premium location for private events, from company team building to birthday parties, bachelor parties, even weddings (Urban Putt founder Steve Fox is a Universal Life officiant who has performed nine weddings and is eager to oversee more of them).

We are in the home stretch right now, and need just a little help to push us over the top. The Kickstarter funds will be used to finish the grand finale hole (a design inspired by the dodecahedron) and the outer space hole. This is getting exciting; we can't wait to show everyone what we've been working on for the last two years.

CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 - Ecuador, Venezuela, Brazil and Colombia to play at Levi’s Stadium next summer

Levi's Stadium is already going to be part of the World Cup in 2026, but there is another huge soccer event coming to Silicon Valley next year. Last week, the South American Football Confederation carried out the draw for the group stage of CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 which takes places in the US this year. Levi's Stadium is going to get two really big games.

On June 22nd, the national teams of Ecuador and Venezuela will face off. Then on July 2nd it will be Colombia versus the nine-time Copa America champions--Brazil. Brazil has also won the World Cup five times, more than any other country.

This will be a tremendous event that will bring a significant amount of tourism to the San Jose metro and is a great amenity for the many soccer fans all around the Bay Area. Tickets go on sale in January and you can learn more over here. The full press release is below.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - On Thursday December 7, the South American Football Confederation carried out the draw for the Group Stage of the CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™️, which will take place from June 20 to July 14 next year in the United States. Based on the results of the draw, Levi’s® Stadium will host Ecuador vs. Venezuela on Saturday, June 22 and Brazil vs. Colombia on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Brazil is a nine-time champion of CONMEBOL Copa América. 

 

This competition promises to be an unforgettable spectacle for football lovers around the world, with 16 participating teams divided into four groups and 32 exciting matches. 

 

The world’s oldest national teams tournament returns to the United States eight years after the Centenario edition. A great tournament that also featured six CONCACAF teams, as guests, and which this time has confirmed the participation of the home team, Mexico, Panama and Jamaica, with two slots yet to be decided.  

 

These two places will be decided by the play-off matches between Canada and Trinidad and Tobago and Costa Rica and Honduras on March 23, 2024. 

 

A total of 14 stadiums in the United States will host the exciting matches, four on the West Coast, five in the Central Region and five on the East Coast. The opening match will be played on June 20 in Atlanta. 

 

The Group Stage will be played from June 20 to July 2, the quarter-finals from July 4 to July 6, the semi-finals on July 9 and 10, the third-place match on July 13, and lastly, the Final on July 14 at the Hard Rock Stadium, with a capacity of 65,000 spectators. 

 

According to the dynamics of the competition, two groups will play in the west and central areas of the country, and two groups in the east and central areas. The competition will move eastwards, with the quarter-finals being played in the west and central regions, while the semi-final and final will take place in the east. 

 

In the history of champions of the CONMEBOL Copa América™️, Uruguay and Argentina, with 15 trophies each, dominate the ranking followed by Brazil with 9, Peru, Paraguay and Chile with 2 conquests, while Bolivia and Colombia have won once the tournament that began in 1916. 

 

Fans who want to experience the matches of the greatest edition of all time can register their interest at www.copaamerica.com. 

 

CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™️ 

The CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™️ will be played in the United States and includes 10 CONMEBOL teams and 6 CONCACAF guest teams. In this edition, this traditional tournament will be organized by both confederations. 

 

The 6 Concacaf teams qualify through the Concacaf Nations League 2023/24. The already known representative teams from North, Central America and the Caribbean are the United States, Jamaica, Mexico and Panama. The other two Concacaf participants will be confirmed after a Play-In between Canada vs Trinidad and Tobago, and Costa Rica vs Honduras. This Play-In will take place in March 2024. 

 

In the 48th edition of one of the continent’s most important competitions, this will be the second time in the tournament’s history that it will host 16 teams – having hosted the same number of teams in its 2016 edition, also held in the United States. Teams that have won 10 World Cup titles from FIFA™️ and the biggest stars in world football will take the field for 32 matches in this edition of the tournament in June and July 2024. 

 

Tickets for CONMEBOL Copa América USA 2024™️ will be made available starting in mid January. Signup at www.copaamerica.com to be part of an exclusive presale opportunity before the public on-sale. 

  

Rocking the Continent 

The CONMEBOL Copa América™️ has an incredible power, it can make everything move, emotions vibrate and hearts soar. 

 

It makes the flags fly, the nets tremble, the stands, and the stadiums shake. Its history makes the whole continent proud, and our football beats with a united force. 

 

This competition has the power to bring out the best version of who we are: football, history, joy and passion. 

 

#RockingtheContinent 

  

Facebook: /copaamerica 

Instagram: @copaamerica 

Twitter: @copaamerica 

Tik Tok: @copaamerica 

YouTube: /copaamerica 

 

About Levi's® Stadium 

Named Sports Facility of the Year for 2015 by Sports Business Journal, Levi's® Stadium is home to the San Francisco 49ers and serves as one of the world’s most technologically advanced and sustainable sports and entertainment venue. The $1.2 billion venue consists of 1.85 million square feet and 68,500 seats, including 175 luxury suites and 9,000 club seats, and was designed by HNTB and built by Turner/Devcon for the Santa Clara Stadium Authority. It is a multi-purpose facility with flexibility that has allowed it to host a wide range of events – including international soccer, college football, ice hockey, motorsports, concerts and various civic events – since opening in 2014. The venue is also expandable for major events such as 2026 FIFA World Cup, WrestleMania 31, Super Bowl 50 and the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Levi's® Stadium is owned by the Santa Clara Stadium Authority, a public joint powers authority established to provide for development and operation of Levi's® Stadium to ensure the stadium serves the goals of the City of Santa Clara. For more information, go to LevisStadium.com. 

Six projects changing the face of Downtown San Jose

The Merc has listed out six projects that are helping usher in the next era of Downtown San Jose. Below they are:

1.) Spartan Village on the Paseo - SJSU is buying the former Fairmont Annex and turning it into student housing for 700-800 students right on Plaza de Cesar Chavez.

2.) Home Eat - A new 11,000 SQFT restaurant with amazing reviews will take over the space formerly occupied by Flames that has been sitting empty for a year.

3.) Housing towers, Fourth & Santa Clara - Investors are switching a proposed office tower to 600-650 residential units. This tower will replace a Chevron gas station.

4.) Food Hall - A new food hall with 26 kitchens, a small dine-in restaurant, and coffee bar will finally reactivate the Hank Coca furniture store.

5.) Purple Lotus - a popular cannabis dispensary will take over a key corner on Santa Clara are draw up to 300 customers a day starting in February or March.

6.) Adobe pedestrian bridge - last month Adobe opened a shiny new bridge connecting its 4th tower with the original three. Included is a brand new museum and cafe open to the public and some new street art.

There are several other projects worth mentioning not included in this list: Urban Putt, Unofficial Logging, Eos & Nyx, Still OG, Alter Ego, the expanded Elyse, and many more.. I think 2024 is going to be a year to remember Downtown. 

Source: The Mercury News

New Taiwanese restaurant will replace Flames in Downtown San Jose

Another key corner will soon be revitalized in Downtown San Jose. Flames occupied a large space on the ground floor of one of the most used parking garages Downtown, located at the intersection of San Fernando and 4th Street This is across the street from the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library and a few blocks away from Plaza de Cesar Chavez, City Hall, and SJSU.

A restaurant called Home Eat just signed a 5-year lease for the 11,000 SQFT space. They already have a location in Cupertino with spectacular reviews. 4.5/5 stars on Yelp is pretty difficult to achieve. They specialize in Taiwanese-style small hot pots and a variety of fusion dishes. They plan to offer both lunch and dinner as well as catering.

While it was quite sad to see Flames shut their doors about a year ago, it just opened up an opportunity for what could be an even more exciting restaurant. If you miss the Flames signature brunch, I highly recommend The Club on Post for an elevated brunch and creative drinks. 

Another good omen for Downtown San Jose is that there were actually six different restaurants that wanted the Flames space and Home Eat will pay 89% higher rent to the City of San Jose than Flames did (the City of San Jose owns this garage).

Source: The Mercury News

Santa Clara approves plan to rebuild its former Downtown

63 years ago, Santa Clara had a Downtown area that was nearly completely destroyed. Eight blocks by Santa Clara University were leveled to make way for Franklin Mall and high-density housing that never materialized.

Now, the city of Santa Clara has approved a new plan that would restore Santa Clara's original street grid while creating three new public spaces and a retail shopping experience. The area was originally zoned to support 129,300 SQFT of new commercial space and 396 more residential units than it has today. The new plan would allow for 1,071 units and a whipping 729,620 SQFT of commercial space. Buildings would still be capped at seven stories.

If you look at the map below, the new plan would involve tearing down several existing buildings, including Park Central Apartments (which are quite old and in need of renovation anyway). I would not expect a brand new Downtown to materialize any time soon, the city is just setting the vision and up-zoning the area to encourage and support developers to create a future Downtown where the old one once existed. You can see see remnants and information related to the original Downtown in Franklin Mall.

Source: SVBJ

Spirit of the Row in San Jose

Every Tuesday leading up to Christmas, Santana Row is hosting free holiday performances featuring local community groups in Santana Row Park. There will also be photos with Santa in the Oak Tree Lounge by Blue Bottle and snow showerers in Park Valencia.

Below is the full lineup of performers:

Tuesday, December 12

The New Ballet performing The Nutcracker

Sarah Bylsma Soloist

Fantasy Dance

Presentation High School Choir & Dance

Santa Clara Elite Dance

Melissa Marielle Vocalist

Los Laurales performing Feliz Navidad

West Valley Dance Company

Tuesday, December 19

The New Ballet performing The Nutcracker

Sarah Bylsma Soloist

Nor Cal Dance Arts

PNC Music Management 

Joy of Dancing Competition Team

Castillero Middle School Choir

Almaden Spirit Athletics Cheer & Hip Hop

San Jose approves 913 apartments east of Downtown

San Jose has given the green light for a major housing project near Little Portugal and Roosevelt Park. The 913 apartment development will be one of the anchors of the Five Wounds Urban Village plan, centered around a future BART station and a historic 109-year-old church.

There will be a total of six buildings, and 407 of the units will be priced as below market-rate. Most of those "affordable" units will be priced for people earning up to 80% of the median income, which is $96,000 for a single person and $137,000 for a household of four.

235 of the apartment will be built on 1.5 acres at 1298 Tripp Avenue and will be called Residencias Arianna. It will replace 40 existing apartments and two single-family homes with a single six-story building.

The other five buildings will be on 3.3 acres of land at 1325 E. Julian St. Three buildings will rise to be 10 stories tall and the fourth will be six stories. This is respectable density for this neighborhood.

The project also includes 15,000 SQFT of commercial space on the ground floors and 267 parking spaces shared among all of the apartments. That's right, not everyone will get a space. However with multiple bus lines and eventually BART servicing the area, it might be one of those few neighborhoods in San Jose where you can get around without a car.

Groundbreaking is scheduled for 2024 and it will take around three years to complete.

Source: San Jose Spotlight