S a n J o s e / T W E N T Y - O N E

A Sneak Peek Inside San Jose Little Italy

2010-08-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

"It's not about developing, it's about restoring." That's what developer Joshua DeVincenzi Melander says is the true intent of city's new Italian-American community, Little Italy San Jose.

An Italian wine bar will soon be in place at the main piazza.

Anchored in the River Street neighborhood, once a bustling Italian immigrant enclave, this new Little Italy will, in a sense, be an amalgamation of several of San Jose's oldest Italian communities (e.g. Goosetown, Luna Park) which the city either destroyed or neglected over the years. At one time, Italians were the city's largest ethnic group, so this new effort is more about bringing back what the city had (and lost) than creating something from scratch.

An archway on Julian will soon welcome visitors.

Like nearby San Pedro Square Market, Little Italy is ambitious in its scope. And yet, when completed, San Jose's Little Italy will feel very personable. Unlike the expansive Little Italys of New York City or Chicago, San Jose's occupies a relatively small space, primarily between River Street and The Guadalupe River Park. When completed, Little Italy will feel like an intimate Italian community. The intent here is here to create an authentic neighborhood experience with a string Italian-themed businesses, such as restaurants, gelaterias, and wine bars, as well as piazzas, archways, and bocce courts.

Future Italian-themes businesses.

One important milestone for both Little Italy San Jose and The Italian American Heritage Foundation of San Jose comes this weekend with the Italian American Family Festa (Saturday, August 28, 11 AM - 8 PM and Sunday, August 29, 11 AM - 6 PM; admission is free). This year the festival moves to its new home, adjacent to Little Italy, in the Guadalupe River Park. It is also its 30th anniversary, and will include the unveiling of the Piazza Piccola Italia. For the piazza, Little Italy solicited donations from the city's Italian-American community, who, in return, had personalized bricks placed into the design of the courtyard.

The Piazza Piccola Italia will be dedicated this weekend.

Little Italy is definitely a project to keep an eye on. It certainly has its work cut out for it, but the project certainly seems to be in loving hands. Speaking to Joshua DeVincenzi Melander, you quickly get a sense of the cultural pride that runs deeply through the project. They clearly intend to do this thing right. And they're off to a great start.

Buona fortuna.

Major Baseball Vote This Tuesday

2010-06-14T15:53:00.000-07:00

The folks at Pro Baseball for San Jose (for whom I blog), are inviting the community to show their support for MLB in San Jose tomorrow night:

Tuesday, June 15th @ 7 PM
San Jose City Council Chambers
200 East Santa Clara Street, San Jose

In anticipation of a stadium initiative on the November ballot, the environmental impact report will finally be voted on by the City Council. Not surprisingly, the Giants-backed anti-stadium group—so ridiculous it need not be mentioned by name—is mulling a lawsuit, so it's important we show a united front in favor of bringing the A's to San Jose.

See you there.

Happy Anniversary, The San Jose Blog

2010-05-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Josh, is celebrating the one year anniversary of his site, The San Jose Blog. If you haven't checked it out, it's a must-read.

He's also always been very supportive of this site, so thank you, Josh. And congratulations on all your great work!

Tunnel Visions

2010-04-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

Californians For High Speed Rail are planning what they call an "Informal SF-SJ Local Advocacy Team Meeting" on May 6th in Palo Alto:

This will be our kick-off meeting of CA4HSR's Local Advocacy Team for the San Francisco<-->San Jose section of the planned high speed rail route. We'll discuss HSR developments in the region and ways we can help bring high speed rail to California. Choo choo, see you there!

Doubtless there will be a vocal contingent of peninsula NIMBYs, so it's important to support events, such as these. To be fair, residents of some of the wealthier communities in the valley and peninsula are fine with HSR in their neighborhoods—they just insist on tunnels and not to have to pay for them. We've seen popular projects tanked by loud interest groups before, and high speed rail is just too important to let that happen again.

Hope to see you there.

All About Kiosks, Pt II

2010-04-25T11:28:00.000-07:00

Last week, I wrote about kiosks as a possible component to downtown San Jose's revitalization. I also wrote that I had a few ideas about where these could go.

So, here are three potential sites:

Fountain Alley

Fountain Alley, between First and Second, is an interesting area. On the plus side, it has historic charm and, due to its proximity between two light rail lines, significant foot traffic. On the down side, it is straddled by a parking lot on one side. In 2006, there were plans to build a 16-story tower in that parking, but those never came to fruition, partially due to neighborhood concerns that it would be incongruent with the area's historical styles.

Regardless of whether that parking lot is developed it or not (and I certainly hope it eventually is), Fountain Alley still serves as an important corridor between First and Second. But as it stands, it's not terribly inviting.

A kiosk or two, maybe on both ends at First and Second, might encourage a more friendly pedestrian environment. A food or coffee kiosk, along with a seating area, could help soften some of the Alley's harder edges. (Curiously, not long ago there was a glass brick kiosk on the Second Street side, but for some reason it was torn down.) With a potential BART stop just around the corner, Fountain Alley could become a significant corridor to and from the station. Why not make it that much nicer of a stroll?

St. James Park

To imagine what St. James Park could be, you must first know what it was...

If you don't recognize St. James Park, it's because what was once a lush urban oasis is now a unpolished jewel in need of some serious attention. To be sure, the residents of The St. James Historical Distric t have done their due diligence in promoting the needs of the park, but as of yet, progress has been slow.

St. James Park is a public space that is missing exactly that, a public. The San Jose Downtown Association's Music in the Other Park series was great, but its no longer being produced. So, the park is largely left to the homeless during the day. It's not that it's a dangerous park, it's just that it is unwelcoming and, despite a beautiful central fountain, lacking a focal point to pull people in.

Despite being cut into two, the park is still ideally situated for kiosks. The western half, between First and Second Streets is anchored by the majestic St. James Park Fountain. The problem here is that the surrounding elements don't beckon citizens to stay and enjoy the beautiful views. Imagine two or three kiosks strategically placed around the fountain, maybe ice cream for kids playing at the nearby playground, or a coffee or danish for mom and dad to enjoy. As in New York City, kiosks could be a way to encourage people to not only visit the park, but more fully engage it. And let's be honest, we have better weather than most cities, so why not?

Fairmont Plaza

This is another interesting area to consider. Across the street from The Plaza de Cesar Chavez, and nestled between The Fairmont Hotel, The San Jose Museum of Art, The Knight Ridder Building, it's difficult to ask for a better location than Fairmont Plaza. And during Christmas in the Park, the plaza comes alive with Downtown Ice.

Downtown Ice is an example of utilizing the best of a location. Of course, many cities have urban skating rinks, but the plaza's Circle of Palms, makes San Jose's unique. Unfortunately, that only happens a couple months out of the year. Most of the time, particularly during the day, the plaza is vastly underutilized.

Some efforts have been made to better utilize this space, namely The San Jose Museum of Art's Cafe Too! and The Knight Ridder Building's Cafe 1850. Both take advantage of the great views and weather. However, both also close at 3:30 PM, so for the better part of the afternoon and all evening, there's little to attract people to this space. A kiosk, perhaps along the hotel side, could entice people to stay longer. A late afternoon coffee or a small snack might entice passers-by to give the plaza a chance. Fairmont Plaza is a nice place to be, we just need to give people a reason to stay.

Final Notes

I would be remiss not to mention that downtown has indeed had two successful kiosks on the Paseo de San Antonio for years. Rosies & Posies Downtown Florist and Circle-A Skateboards are well-situated and offer useful services. Overall, Paseo de San Antonio still needs a lot more work, but theses two kiosks are definitely pluses.

And if you think kiosks are limited to the green, cast iron boxes we are used to seeing in places, like New York City, then their evolution might surprise you. In fact, several cities worldwide have embraced bold designs in their kiosks. Utilitarian or whimsical, contemporary kiosks come in all shapes and sizes, limited only by our imaginations.

I like how the folks at The Pop-Up City put it:

We all know the kiosks on the busy streets of our world cities — those small, neat pop-up booths that sell about everything, from newspapers and magazines to cigarettes and cold drinks. Kiosks mean a lot to me, and to the city itself. At these colourful places, where tourists buy their public transport tickets and commuters grab a fresh newspaper in the morning, is the metropolitan vibe at its best.

They are right. And though kiosks alone are not the answer to downtown's revitalization, they could play an integral part. I've humbly submitted my ideas for kiosk locations, but there are certainly many other possibilities throughout downtown.

Where do you have in mind?

Will San Jose Get an A('s) for Effort?

2010-04-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

This week, the San Jose City Council unanimously approved the sale of two downtown parcels to The Sobrato Organization. This is significant because it not only puts the development of two prime downtown locations into motion, but proceeds from the sale will be used to purchase the remaining parcels for a proposed MLB stadium near Diridon Station.

285 South Market Street

The Sobrato Organization has purchased what is arguably downtown's most desirable remaining parcel, 285 South Market Street. Next to The Fairmont Hotel and across from Plaza de César Chávez, any future development on this site will enjoy a key downtown location with easy access to The Tech, The San Jose Musem of Art, SoFA, San Jose State, The McEnery Convention Center, and The Civic Auditorium.

Urban West Associates' proposed Cityfront Square as viewed from First Street

If all had gone according to plan, this parcel would have been the site of a three-tower, mixed-use development called Cityfront Square. Developed by Urban West Associates, the project got marred in a dispute over downtown height limits and eventually fell victim to the bad economy.

Sobrato's purchase opens up a new possibility of an exciting mixed-use project. If done correctly, the site could become a downtown destination. The three items at the top of my wish list for this site: retail, retail, and retail. Dare I wish for an actual ... downtown department store?

8 East San Fernando Street

Currently a parking lot, 8 East San Fernando Street is another high-profile downtown parcel. Adjacent to The 88, the lot was originally slated to be the site of Living Tomorrow's Silicon Valley pavilion, its first in the United States. But even before the current financial crisis, Living Tomorrow was unable to secure funding, so the project was scraped in 2007.

Living Tomorrow's proposed tower, which was to include a hotel, at 8 East San Fernando Street

Even with this site undeveloped, East San Fernando, particularly between San Jose State and Market, has seen a huge increase in foot traffic in recent months, largely due to the opening of The 88. That Sobrato will oversee the property's development bears well for that street. Another excellent opportunity for ground-level retail, wouldn't you say?

The San Jose Redevelopment Agency's render of a downtown stadium for the A's

Which brings us to the purchase of the remaining parcels surrounding Diridon Station. You have to give San Jose credit for keeping its eye on the prize with this stadium. Even when the Fremont deal seemed like a sure thing, San Jose diligently pursued its acquisition of land for a stadium—everyone thought would never happen. With the Fremont deal collapsed (and back to square one), San Jose is literally years ahead of Oakland in its pursuit of a stadium, and the leading contender for the new home of the A's. By the way, you can read more about a potential A's move to San Jose at Baseball San Jose's blog (for which I also write).

All in all, it's been an exciting and significant week of developments in the city.

A Sneak Peek Inside The San Pedro Square Market

2010-04-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

Latest render of The San Pedro Square Market (Photo: The San Jose Blog)

A couple of weeks ago, a few bloggers and I had the opportunity to meet with San Pedro Square Market project manager Steve Borkenhagen about the progress of one of San Jose's most ambitious projects. Set to open August 1st, 2010, the San Pedro Square Market aims to offer a unique shopping experience for the citizens of Silicon Valley. Akin to San Francisco's Ferry Building or Seattle's Pike Place Market, the San Pedro Square Market will offer a variety of local products ranging from baked goods to fresh produce to artisan chocolates. And taking advantage of the city's amazing weather, the market's Peralta Plaza (surrounding San Jose's oldest building, the Peralta Adobe) will offer San Joseans a place to congregate every day of the week, from a morning coffee to an evening cocktail.

If it can be pulled off—and all indications are that Steve and his team are just the people to do it—San Pedro Square Market will quickly take its place amongst the great public markets of the world. What particularly impressed me about meeting Steve was his thirst for new ideas. He is genuinely committed to creating a unique public space—not just unique to San Jose, but unique to public markets. That's both very encouraging and refreshing. But most importantly, Steve is interested in the opinions of the citizens of Silicon Valley, so much so that there is even a sign hanging from the the site's fencing, on the corner of San Pedro and St. James, soliciting for ideas with Steve's own work number (which, by the way, is 408.813.5984).I don't recall Santana Row ever doing that. But what that sign really speaks to is the philosophy driving the project: San Pedro Square Market is a homegrown effort designed to showcase the best of the valley. And your input is invaluable.

It was chilly and rainy the night when we met Steve. He updated us on the progress, as well as gave us a tour. Han Solo famously quipped, "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid." And indeed, San Pedro Square Market may not look like much now, but she certainly has it where it counts. Here are some photos I took of the two of the three retails spaces (the third to be erected soon). I'll keep you updated with news and photos as work furiously progresses toward the August opening.

All About Kiosks, Pt I

2010-04-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about kiosks. Not the cell phone or lemonade or sunglasses kiosks we've all become accustomed to seeing in malls, but the urban kiosk found on city streets.

I was recently in downtown Santa Cruz and was impressed by their use of kiosks along Pacific Avenue. There are only a few, but they are well-placed and offer a variety of services, such as flowers and food.

It's not surprising that European cities have made great use of kiosks. Taking their cue from the Ottoman Empire over 700 years ago, many European cities have integrated kiosks into their urban landscapes. And, in turn, their citizens have integrated kiosks into their everyday lives.

Paris, for example, lines its great avenues with kiosks selling everything from newspapers to tobacco to crepes. London, too, has a vibrant mix of kiosks in its urban core. In these cities and others, citizens visit regularly, places they gather. Tourists also have come to rely on kiosks for food, souvenirs, even theatre tickets, as with TKTS' famous discount ticket booths around the world.

Stateside, several cities have have taken advantage of what kiosks have to offer. Washington DC, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Seattle, amongst others, have dabbled in kiosks throughout their downtowns.

But unquestionably, the American city that has most embraced kiosks is New York City. Gotham is liberally sprinkled with kiosks throughout. New Yorkers and tourists alike have come to expect kiosks as part of the New York experience. One thing New York City has done particularly well is strategically placing their kiosks in the city's heavily-used parks.

Now back to Santa Cruz, their Pacific Avenue is an ideal location for kiosks, it's a long street with heavy traffic and a solid retail mix. Now, "heavy foot traffic" and "solid retail mix" aren't typically used to describe downtown San Jose. However, kiosks could be an interesting, and relatively inexpensive, part of the revitalization of certain areas of the city core.

In an upcoming post, I'll identity some areas of downtown San Jose I think would benefit from kiosks.

When Irish Eyes are Smiling ... in San Jose

2010-03-14T22:17:00.000-07:00

The new Irish Innovation Center in San Jose (Photo: The Irish Times)

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, San Jose welcomed the Irish to town today for the opening of the Irish Innovation Center. The center, with help from the Irish government, is designed to give Celtic companies a leg up in Silicon Valley. Read the Mercury write-up here.

And as the Irish say:
May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light.
May good luck pursue you each morning and night.

San Jose: The Rainbow Tour

2010-03-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

The Alameda @ Race Street (Photo: the phunktOGraphist)

San Diego's gay district is called Hillcrest. Los Angeles' is West Hollywood. San Francisco has The Castro.

And San Jose?

Well, for years San Jose has quietly had ... The Alameda.

It might come as a surprise to some that the center of San Jose gay life is that idyllic neighborhood west of downtown. The Alameda is not as flashy as other gay hubs, but it still serves an important function. It's home to The Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center, a mainstay in the Silicon Valley gay community for close to 30 years. The Alameda is also home to the folks who produce San Jose Pride (a festival, by the way, older than San Francisco's), Out Now Magazine, and The Watergarden, said to one of only two remaining bath houses in the Bay Area. Other establishments in the neighborhood include Cafe Crema (950 The Alameda), 5 Color Cowboy (1445 The Alameda), Renegade Theatre Experiment (1635 Park Avenue), Schurra's Candy Factory (840 The Alameda), Cafe Rosalina (1077 The Alameda), Greenlee's Bakery (1081 The Alameda), Recycle Bookstore (1066 The Alameda), and of course, the iconic (though sadly soon to close) Andy's Pet Shop (1280 The Alameda).

In recent months, there have been significant changes to the neighborhood, including the opening of the historic Plant 51 residential development and stately renovations to some buildings, including 865 The Alameda. (Whole Foods still plans on opening a store at Stockton Avenue in the spring/summer of 2011.)

Meanwhile, thanks to funds from Caltrans and the SJRDA, the Alameda is also in the midst of long over due upgrades. (You can read the latest progress report here.) The project is largely geared toward improving issues such as traffic flow, pedestrian crossings, and bike lanes; there's even an intriguing roundabout proposal. But I hope that in all the revitalization efforts, the gay community the Alameda has served for so long isn't lost. I think it's an important identity to preserve. The city would do well to protect as it would for Little Portugal or Japantown. The Alameda's proximity to Diridon Station will put it in the shadow of the largest transportation hub in Northern California—as well as a potential A's stadium—so I hope the city keeps this unique community in mind as it proceeds. The loss of the gay culture of the Alameda, however subdued it may be, would be a shame.

Campbell's Dupe

2010-02-12T22:17:00.000-08:00

The Campbell Water Tower (Photo: /\/\ichael Patric|{)

The Mercury just ran a story about Campbell being "The New Hot Spot in Silicon Valley." It's an interesting enough piece about the town's recent renaissance, particularity in its downtown.

But what caught my attention was not the gushing over Campbell, but the jabs at San Jose. Like the citizens of an unincorporated area bordering San Jose who hope to be incorporated into Campbell because it's the "anti-San Jose." Or Gabrielle Medrano, of Gabrielle's Bridal Atelier, who said "Downtown San Jose is yukky ... I wouldn't walk there by myself at night. I like being in a really safe place." Even Campbell Mayor Evan Low boasts: "It's a small community, and we look out for each other ... San Jose has different districts with competing interests. In Campbell, we care about everyone; it doesn't matter which side of town you live on."

All of this left me a bit puzzled.

First, of course Campbell is the anti-San Jose. Why wouldn't it be? Campbell has a population of about 40,000 and occupies an area of less than seven square miles. San Jose, meanwhile, has a population just over a million and covers about 180 square miles. Hot spot or not, by all accounts Campbell is a suburb of San Jose. So, why compare the two? I don't have anything against Campbell per se, I actually think it is a nice place. I just don't understand the tendency, especially by The Mercury, to compare apples and oranges. It's like saying, "Chicago lacks the charm of Aspen."

As for Ms. Medrano's comment, I can't speak to what does or doesn't make her feel safe, but I do know this—downtown San Jose is hardly Gotham City. The truth is San Jose has routinely held the annual distinction of being named the nation's safest large city by the FBI. In fact, for its size, San Jose, including its downtown, is remarkably safe. Yet, there persists in the valley a certain mythology that downtown is crime-ridden and dilapidated. That's a shame because many people are missing an emerging and exciting city center. You want truly "yukky" downtown? Try Detroit.

To Mayor Low's point, maybe he should spend time amongst the diverse crowds that flock to one of downtown San Jose's many festivals. There, San Joseans, of all walks of life, come together peacefully year after year. It may be a big city, but we often put aside "competing interests" to have some fun.

Yes, much of San Jose doesn't have that small town feel anymore, but that's okay. Let the suburbs be the suburbs, it's time for San Jose to move to the big leagues.

A Public Market in Downtown San Jose?

2009-11-12T17:37:00.000-08:00

Hmmm, tell me more...

San Jose, You're Having the Worst Week Ever!

2007-09-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

It's been a deadly week in San Jose, especially if you're Living Tomorrow or The San Jose Grand Prix.

Here's word from LT's San Jose website:

Living Tomorrow San Jose concept (Source: Businessweek)

Living Tomorrow has been generating a lot of excitement, positive reactions from potential participants ever since announcing its upcoming Silicon Valley project. Living Tomorrow has always been proud of the sponsorship returns it is able to provide its participants. However, due to construction issues, pricing and the resulting timeline consequences, Living Tomorrow couldn't guarantee its potential participants a return on investment that would be at the levels we typically provide to our participants in Europe. Because of this, Living Tomorrow has decided not to develop a Silicon Valley project at this time. Living Tomorrow thanks you for your support and continued interest, and if your company would like to explore participation in Europe, we would be happy to welcome you as a participant in our second Living Tomorrow project currently in development in Amsterdam. Peter Bongers and Frank Beliën - Chairmen & Founders Living Tomorrow

Merc story here.

Vis their site, the SJGP says:

Racing on Park Avenue (Source: Logographer.org)

After three years as one of Bay Area's largest sporting events, organizers of the San Jose Grand Prix announced today they are ceasing operations, citing the ongoing development taking place in the downtown area.

Commercial and residential developments in and around the 1.5 mile downtown track continue to limit the options available to the Grand Prix for revenue growth and expansion. In addition to new housing developments on Balbach Street (which served as the back straightaway) and the impact to its residents, race organizers were faced with the loss of its main grandstands on Almaden Boulevard due to upcoming construction in the Boston Properties lot.

"The reality of racing on a temporary street circuit is that change happens continuously and this is especially true in a dynamic and growing city center like downtown San Jose," said Grand Prix President Dale Jantzen. "Development is good for San Jose but in this case, bad for the Grand Prix. We have not found a way to replace the loss of one of our primary revenue sources, the Gold Grandstands on Almaden Boulevard," stated Jantzen. "Boston Properties is set to undertake some major developments in the area and that means the San Jose Grand Prix is no longer viable in its current location and will not operate in 2008 or beyond."

The Grand Prix provided the City of San Jose with world-wide exposure as part of the Champ Car World Series. Broadcast nationally and internationally, in each of its three years the race attracted well over 100,000 fans for each event. In addition, the City of San Jose estimated that the economic impact to America's 10th largest city was approximately $70M over the three year period.

Grand Prix organizers wish to thank the fans and other supporters who came to the event and participated in all of its festivities. In addition, race organizers thank those companies that supported this event in their community, specifically Redback Networks, Taylor Woodrow, Bottomley Distributing (Budweiser) and the Northern California Toyota Dealers. Finally they would like to thank the City of San Jose for being a good partner and host.

Merc obit here.

Sigh...

Trainspotting Silicon Valley

2007-08-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

Help Silicon Valley's efforts to route California's high-speed rail through San Jose! Voice your support at 4 p.m. today (Friday, August 24) in the council chambers of San Jose City Hall (200 E. Santa Clara Street).

If you cant make it, drop the California High-Speed Rail Authority a line @:

California High-Speed Rail Authority
925 L Street Suite 1425
Sacramento, CA 95814

(916) 324-1541

or use their comment line.

Its either Silicon Valley or the Easy Bay (via the Altamont Pass). You'd think it be an easy decision...but you'd be wrong.

"San Jose, tear down this wall!"

2007-08-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

The San Jose McEnery Convention Center (Photo: Natasha Lloyd )

Tales of the Blue Monkey

2007-08-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

I was sad to see that the great Blue Monkey on San Fernando recently shut its doors . As reported by Metro's The Fly:

Owner Jorge Sanchez, who also owns Chacho's in downtown San Jose, blames the city's bureaucratic hall of mirrors, which he was forced to enter when the police flagged him for noncompliance for an assembly permit (not to be confused with an occupancy permit, which was in order. How anyone can have occupants who are not assembling remains a mystery). With no grace period in which to comply, Sanchez's occupancy was reduced from 149 to 49 people. Thus hamstrung, he then embarked on a four-month epic paperwork journey full of hand drawings, fire inspectors, engineers, more hand drawings, building inspectors, planners, parking assessments, an address change, fees, more fees and time. Lots of time. Hemorrhaging money while on the cusp of renegotiating his lease, Sanchez made some last desperate calls to the city. "It wasn't a priority for a lot of people I was making comments to," says Sanchez, "so I just decided to close."

Now comes word that the city is leaning on Angels Ultra Lounge in the SoFA for underage drinking. Obviously, underage drinking shouldn't be tolerated, but it seems like any police citation, big or small, means a bureaucratic quagmire for downtown businesses. I don't think I've ever seen a city so actively try to kill its successful entertainment establishments. Meanwhile, San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau's SanJose.org website proudly proclaims "The fun never stops." What a joke.

The Living End

2007-08-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

I'm anxious to see what the innovative folks at SOM Architects have in mind for Living Tomorrow's new San Jose location on San Fernando (btw, check out their elegant proposal for San Francisco's new Transbay Terminal). According to the July Downtown Management Report from the RDA, "The developer is currently working with SOM Architects to redesign the building to allow for hotel, residential, and Living Tomorrow uses. The hotel portion of the design is said to be for a new eco-friendly "1" Hotel and Residences from Starwood, the folks that brought us the "W" hotel chain. Downtown could sorely use a new hotel, so this is a welcomed addition. Plus, its an exciting concept to pair with Living Tomorrow.

I have high hopes for the design of this new building. If Living Tomorrow's Amsterdam and Vilvoorde locations are any indication SOM's vision could radically challenge downtown San Jose's less than impressive architectural face. Living Tomorrow, combined with CIM's Tower 88, could make San Fernando an exciting downtown locale. Hopefully, Living Tomorrow renders will be out by the end of the year.

Living Tomorrow Amsterdam (Photo: UNStudio)

Living Tomorrow Vilvoorde (Photo: Maisons Privees)

The San Jose Century

2007-08-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

San Jose City Hall (Photo: Tak)

Not long ago, I came across a book called The San Francisco Century. Its a lavish book about San Francisco during the 20th century. The City by the Bay certainly had it pretty good during the last hundred years. But the book got me thinking about San Francisco's sister to the south, San Jose. The 20th century, particularly the latter half, was also very good to San Jose. In the space of one hundred years, our city was transformed from a sleepy agricultural town into the technological center of the world. And so I wondered about what the 21st century would hold for the Silicon Capital.

Santa Clara Street (Photo: Michael Patrick)

As I see it, the 21st century will continue to be good to America's great cities, such as San Francisco. However, I predict the emergence of a new tier of cities. Over the course of the next hundred years, places such as San Diego, Salt Lake City, Portland, Miami, and Austin will emerge to challenge the nation's traditional centers of power, like Los Angeles, Boston, and Chicago. I believe San Jose will be on the forefront of these 21st century cities. Indeed, San Jose should be.

Evergreen Valley (Photo: lisa.amorao)

But in order for San Jose to take its place amongst the premier cities of the 21st century, nationally but also internationally, some thinking in the city will have to change. Specifically, the city's leaders will have to expand their vision of what San Jose can and should be. Small-town thinking by city leaders and developers over the past few decades has left San Jose with a lot of catching up to do. Likewise, the biggest obstacle the city must overcome is its own perception of itself. San Joseans have always had to endure snubs from prickly San Franciscans, but the worst smears come from San Joseans themselves. Too many San Joseans think in NIMBY-ish and short-sighted terms, preferring instead for the city to stay a grand suburb. But great cities aren't built upon suburban hopes. Instead, great cities set forth to create unique identities for themselves. San Jose will never be San Francisco. And we shouldn't try. We can be something different. Something our own. A city as diverse as ours deserves nothing less.

Downtown Ice (Photo: Michael Patrick)

And so, hopefully SJ/21 will do its part in contributing to a new dialogue in the city. With downtown San Jose in the midst of unprecedented development, now is the time for serious questions to be asked and unique visions to be heard. This site may not always have nice things to say about those that make the decisions, but SJ/21's purpose is to push the boundaries of the San Jose that can be. Let's be aggressive in our pursuit of the San Jose of tomorrow. In the future, we'll look at all sorts of issues pertaining to the future development of the city. Its an interesting time to live in the city, for sure. With major issues, such as BART, North First, and Coyote Valley, and fascinating proposals, like those of the San Jose Downtown Association and 1stAct, there should be plenty to talk about.

Alum Rock Park (Photo: So Sylvie )

This website would also like to thank all of those at Skyscraper City's San Jose Development News thread. Its very informed participants, many of whom we hope will contribute here, served as SJ/21's inspiration. Likewise, SJ/21 hopes its readers will contribute to the dialogue. Please feel free to comment anytime. This site will always welcome all perspectives. Links on your sites are also appreciated.

Okay, now let's get to work...

-DH,
08.01.07