[usedmedia]

I get that the golf and tennis club property is mostly a blank slate to work worth, but why wouldn't Santa Clara want to focus this type of development in it's current downtown?

When Santana Row was being planned the developer bought and razed the old Town & Country village shopping center to make way for it. I'm not that familiar with Santa Clara's downtown history but could something similar be done with the Franklin Mall? When I drive around that area (I like going to Jasmine Thai :lol it seems that there are many surface parking lots and other underused parcels that seem ripe for redevelopment. Nothing around that area seems cohesive, just sort of randomly placed. Or is it more complicated then that?

You would think that with all the existing population plus Santa Clara University the downtown would be more vibrant, like a smaller-scale downtown Palo Alto.

 

[JoshuaSantos]

It is hard to think of Santa Clara having any sort of Downtown right now. Franklin mall is pretty much just a strip mall at this point. I think they are actually better off starting from scratch and incorporating the new stadium, Light Rail / ACE / Capital Corridor, Great America, the Santa Clara Convention Center, and nearby hotels.

I get that the golf and tennis club property is mostly a blank slate to work worth, but why wouldn't Santa Clara want to focus this type of development in it's current downtown?

When Santana Row was being planned the developer bought and razed the old Town & Country village shopping center to make way for it. I'm not that familiar with Santa Clara's downtown history but could something similar be done with the Franklin Mall? When I drive around that area (I like going to Jasmine Thai :lol it seems that there are many surface parking lots and other underused parcels that seem ripe for redevelopment. Nothing around that area seems cohesive, just sort of randomly placed. Or is it more complicated then that?

You would think that with all the existing population plus Santa Clara University the downtown would be more vibrant, like a smaller-scale downtown Palo Alto.

 

[usedmedia]

I've given it some thought and now this new development plan makes more sense to me. I can see the model for this being more like a Universal CityWalk or a Downtown Disney then a traditional downtown. Basically, a place where tourists or other out of towners can spend more money after visiting Great America or going to a game. Makes perfect sense.

I still wouldn't mind seeing downtown Santa Clara getting some love though!

It is hard to think of Santa Clara having any sort of Downtown right now. Franklin mall is pretty much just a strip mall at this point. I think they are actually better off starting from scratch and incorporating the new stadium, Light Rail / ACE / Capital Corridor, Great America, the Santa Clara Convention Center, and nearby hotels.

 

[fieldsofdreams]

I've given it some thought and now this new development plan makes more sense to me. I can see the model for this being more like a Universal CityWalk or a Downtown Disney then a traditional downtown. Basically, a place where tourists or other out of towners can spend more money after visiting Great America or going to a game. Makes perfect sense.

I still wouldn't mind seeing downtown Santa Clara getting some love though!

First time contributing to this thread, and I want to add on to the Downtown Santa Clara story: I've been to several other cities in the county, including Milpitas, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Campbell, and Palo Alto. Of the three, Palo Alto seems to have the most appealing downtown, while Sunnyvale remains like a huge suburban city lacking a real downtown core. Santa Clara also shares a similar boar with Sunnyvale, while Campbell has an all right downtown area relative to its population size. Milpitas is a world of its own: very culturally diverse and integrated, lots of malls and shops (anchored by Great Mall and McCarthy Ranch, among others), and a downtown that looks more like a run through than an attraction.

However, I understand that Caltrain already runs through a lot of communities in the county. I wonder though:

• How much more time will be needed to have a full build out of those communities situated next to such stations (e.g. Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara)?
• Do you believe that more mid- and high-rise towers can be built outside San Jose to spread the population and business development to more areas of the county?
• If there will be further VTA light rail extensions (aside to the ones to Vasona and Eastridge), how far would you want it to go, and how much development would you like to see happen next to the proposed extensions (along with stations nearby)?

 

[surrill]

Not so sure a football stadium is enough to anchor an entertainment district, unless it doubles as a convention center/ arena where they can host wrestlemanias, final fours and boxing matches ( see Jerry's World).. Most downtowns are anchored by sports arenas and baseball parks that host 100 plus games a year vs football's 8 games and a few monster truck shows here and there. If this new Santana Row on steroids gets built, the Santa Clara convention center and office spaces near by will be the anchor, not Niners stadium. I also agree Downtown Santa Clara needs some love. You have a cal train station near by, bart comming soon and earthquakes and sharks also close by. It's a no brainier to me

 

[fieldsofdreams]

Not so sure a football stadium is enough to anchor an entertainment district, unless it doubles as a convention center/ arena where they can host wrestlemanias, final fours and boxing matches ( see Jerry's World).. Most downtowns are anchored by sports arenas and baseball parks that host 100 plus games a year vs football's 8 games and a few monster truck shows here and there. If this new Santana Row on steroids gets built, the Santa Clara convention center and office spaces near by will be the anchor, not Niners stadium. I also agree Downtown Santa Clara needs some love. You have a cal train station near by, bart comming soon and earthquakes and sharks also close by. It's a no brainier to me

Don't forget that the football stadium can also host to outdoor music concerts as well... I wonder, though, if the Niners will eventually add a retractable roof to the stadium once it's fully built so that it can bring in even more events to the football stadium through the years.

 

[krudmonk]

Don't forget that the football stadium can also host to outdoor music concerts as well...

Enjoy the sounds of.....SJC

 

[surrill]

Enjoy the sounds of.....SJC

No only that, concerts are rarely held in huge 70k seat stadiums anymore. I guess the Jay Z/Timberlake concert is an exception, but most are held in arenas or smaller venues like shoreline.. If the stadium would've had a retractable roof like cowboys stadium, then I think it would work out. But yeah, SJC doesn't make it any easier.

 

[fieldsofdreams]

Enjoy the sounds of.....SJC

:laugh: true! I nearly forgot about that!

 

[vrhunski]

New Santana Row like?

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2013/04/05/49ers-stadium-neighbor-massive.html

 

[pesto]

I've given it some thought and now this new development plan makes more sense to me. I can see the model for this being more like a Universal CityWalk or a Downtown Disney then a traditional downtown. Basically, a place where tourists or other out of towners can spend more money after visiting Great America or going to a game. Makes perfect sense.

I still wouldn't mind seeing downtown Santa Clara getting some love though!

I think that hits it. You can't think in terms of an organic, traditional downtown; that's not what football fields and convention centers are all about. It's hard to picture University in PA or Castro in MV with a football stadium or convention center next to it. It would destroy the feel of the place.

To me the big issue is planning too big. I can definitely see the need for a few hotels and restaurants. But the only thing really being added is 10 games a year, with a large percentage of the food and beverage coming from tailgating. I would contain this area strictly and focus on smaller transit-oriented development (low-rise condo/apartment or tech) for the rest of the area.

 

[JoshuaSantos]

Even without the Stadium, this is the ideal location for a major development. It is within the golden triangle, within blocks of the some of the largest tech companies in the world and by far the largest tech cluster in the world. There is access to mass transit, both LRT and heavy rail. There are tons of hotels and the convention center, not to mention a major amusement park. Many new housing projects are being built within 5 miles. The list goes on and on. They should push for maximum density here.

Also, this stadium is going to bring in a lot more than 8 games a year. Given it's location and the quality of the venue, I think it will be one of the busiest open-air stadiums in the US. It was also designed so that it could be used as an extension of the convention center. What happened with the HP Pavilion will likely also happen with this stadium... become a destination for tier 1 events.

I think that hits it. You can't think in terms of an organic, traditional downtown; that's not what football fields and convention centers are all about. It's hard to picture University in PA or Castro in MV with a football stadium or convention center next to it. It would destroy the feel of the place.

To me the big issue is planning too big. I can definitely see the need for a few hotels and restaurants. But the only thing really being added is 10 games a year, with a large percentage of the food and beverage coming from tailgating. I would contain this area strictly and focus on smaller transit-oriented development (low-rise condo/apartment or tech) for the rest of the area.

 

[SantaTeresaHills]

Long ago Great America was thinking about a City Walk area like around Universal. Ideally the entertainment area would go from close to Great America entrance to the 49'ers stadium. From there it could cross the street to the new area.

In this way it would be convenient for people going to Great America and the 49'ers stadium. Unlike Universal CityWalk and Downtown Disney, it wouldn't be dependent on tourists. That area of Santa Clara along with North San Jose has a lot of people working there.

 

[surrill]

Even without the Stadium, this is the ideal location for a major development. It is within the golden triangle, within blocks of the some of the largest tech companies in the world and by far the largest tech cluster in the world. There is access to mass transit, both LRT and heavy rail. There are tons of hotels and the convention center, not to mention a major amusement park. Many new housing projects are being built within 5 miles. The list goes on and on. They should push for maximum density here.

Also, this stadium is going to bring in a lot more than 8 games a year. Given it's location and the quality of the venue, I think it will be one of the busiest open-air stadiums in the US. It was also designed so that it could be used as an extension of the convention center. What happened with the HP Pavilion will likely also happen with this stadium... become a destination for tier 1 events.

There's also the issue of clean up. This is an old landfill. What will clean up cost? I agree with Pesto. They are being a little too ambitious with this plan. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered. I'm not so sure about this plan yet. A 50 acre downtown Disney type of development makes sense, but a 200 acre monstrosity being anchored by a football stadium? I'm not quite sold yet

 

[pesto]

I don't think we have good enough weather for a large Downtown Disney sort of thing. That's better for Florida or SoCal. But Santa Teresa Hill's version sounds good if it's aimed at local residents as well as tourists. Once again, football stadiums are active about 10 Sunday afternoons a year and that's it.

More generally, focusing on mega-projects is one of the worst mistakes an already booming area can make. Just focus on servicing and taking advantage of what there already is demand for.

 

[fieldsofdreams]

I don't think we have good enough weather for a large Downtown Disney sort of thing. That's better for Florida or SoCal. But Santa Teresa Hill's version sounds good if it's aimed at local residents as well as tourists. Once again, football stadiums are active about 10 Sunday afternoons a year and that's it.

More generally, focusing on mega-projects is one of the worst mistakes an already booming area can make. Just focus on servicing and taking advantage of what there already is demand for.

Question, though: is there enough housing units in Santa Clara County that warrant such expansions, especially that the HSR will be built through the county in the near future? I mean, I look at mega-projects as both positive and questionable: positive because it will bring in more people, jobs, and economic activity to areas that were once had limited growth. The double-edged sword is, how much residential units will need to be built to have a "surplus", in which homes can be handed out to potential buyers at cheaper rates, and will the growth be sustainable in the long-run?

 

[pesto]

Question, though: is there enough housing units in Santa Clara County that warrant such expansions, especially that the HSR will be built through the county in the near future? I mean, I look at mega-projects as both positive and questionable: positive because it will bring in more people, jobs, and economic activity to areas that were once had limited growth. The double-edged sword is, how much residential units will need to be built to have a "surplus", in which homes can be handed out to potential buyers at cheaper rates, and will the growth be sustainable in the long-run?

I haven't given this a lot of thought but we know that rental housing is booming in North SC, SJ, Milpitas. These are usually accompanied by local open air shopping centers with substantial parking. I would say that ST Hill's proposal, which is somewhat like these but more tourist oriented (hotels, restaurants, parking structures) fits this natural growth pattern pretty well.

The basis for my thoughts is that I don't see SC as being a major tourist destination and therefore would stick to conventions (mostly tech) and developing the area immediately around the football stadium. Gt. America is self-contained and mostly locals so not a big player in my view.

 

[usedmedia]

According to The Milpitas Post, a pedestrian bridge over Montague Expressway connecting BART to the Great mall is in the planning stages. Cost is estimated to be $7 million.

To that end, VTA proposes to help the city with preparation of a 2013 grant application to One Bay Area Governments, or OBAG, for design of a pedestrian bridge crossing over Montague Expressway from the planned parking garage for the Milpitas BART Station to the northeast corner
of the intersection at Piper Drive, and, preparation of a 2017 grant application to OBAG for construction of this bridge, reports state.

Full article:
http://www.mercurynews.com/milpitas/ci_23098309/city-sacrifices-park-space-accommodate-bart-milpitas

 

[usedmedia]

The state Department of Finance released their annual city and county population estimates today. According to the press release Santa Clara County was the fasting growing county at 1.6%, and the Bay Area overall was the fastest growing region.

Press Release (PDF):
www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographic/reports/estimates/e-1/documents/E-1_2013_Press_Release.pdf

This is the first time that I can personally remember the Bay Area and the South Bay in particular topping other areas as the fastest growing. In the past it has always been the Inland Empire or parts of the Central Valley leading in population growth.


Here is a link to the DOF home page that has links to Excel tables with lots of stats:
http://www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographic/reports/estimates/e-1/view.php

One interesting thing I learned from looking at the tables is that there are an amazing 69 cities in California with populations of over 100k! Another 13 are between 90 and 100k.

 

[JoshuaSantos]

Wow, San Jose was the fastest growing city on a % basis for all cities larger than 250k pop in California.

The state Department of Finance released their annual city and county population estimates today. According to the press release Santa Clara County was the fasting growing county at 1.6%, and the Bay Area overall was the fastest growing region.

Press Release (PDF):
www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographic/reports/estimates/e-1/documents/E-1_2013_Press_Release.pdf

This is the first time that I can personally remember the Bay Area and the South Bay in particular topping other areas as the fastest growing. In the past it has always been the Inland Empire or parts of the Central Valley leading in population growth.


Here is a link to the DOF home page that has links to Excel tables with lots of stats:
http://www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographic/reports/estimates/e-1/view.php

One interesting thing I learned from looking at the tables is that there are an amazing 69 cities in California with populations of over 100k! Another 13 are between 90 and 100k.