Google Takes First Steps to Formalize San Jose Plans

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While Google’s plans in San Jose haven’t exactly been secret, a big milestone was recently passed when Google submitted formal applications for it’s mixed use community in San Jose. These plans are expected to be transformative in downtown San Jose. The location will house Google’s 2nd headquarters site.

Based in Mountain View, CA, Google plans around the historic Diridon train station, which forms the anchor for the project, is now dubbed Downtown West, and spans 60 acres.

The plans submitted by Google include 3,000-5,000 residential unites, 6.5 million sq ft of office space, and 418,000 sq ft of light industrial space. In addition, the mixed use plans include 300 hotel rooms, 500,000 sq ft of retail space, and a 100,000 sq events center. Surrounding the area will be 16 acres of open green spaces.

Diridon Station, San Jose (Sergio Ruiz, City of San Jose)

Click here to view the Downtown West: Mixed-Use Rezoning and Development Plan

Revitalization of the downtown area is a key goal for San Jose. While other Silicon Area communities have benefited heavily from tech development in the region, San Jose is a late-comer to the development boom. While other communities have been imposing caps on new construction due to adverse affects of rapid growth, San Jose has been actively pursuing development.

“In partnership with Google, we can reimagine Silicon Valley’s landscape by creating a vibrant, architecturally iconic, transit-focused village that provides a model for a more sustainable future,” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said in a 2017 statement, just as talks with Google were gaining traction.

The application process is the first phase of many, as it formally kicks off the local San Jose approval process. After a period of environment reviews, the San Jose City Council is expected to vote on the plans in Fall of 2020. At this point, Google has not provided details on timetables, cost projections or concept renderings.

San Jose officials hope that Google’s project will encourage other companies and developers to bring jobs and additional housing to the area. Many of the employees of various Silicon Valley firms actually live in San Jose and commute to other communities in hubs like Cupertino and Mountain View.

Keystone Commercial Brokerage serves the needs of commercial real estate investors in the Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, specializing in commercial property, multi-unit residential, office space, and multi-use property. Paul Phangureh has over 16 years of experience in buying and selling in the Santa Clara and San Mateo County areas. Contact Paul at 650-924-2544, or email at [email protected]