Google's Downtown West megaproject revives business hopes

Editor's note: This article was written for Mosaic Vision, an independent journalism training program for high school students who report and photograph stories under the tutelage of professional journalists.

Nearly a year after development was paused, there are signs that Google is moving forward with a major project adjacent to downtown San Jose — and some local businesses and residents are eager to see construction move forward.

Last year, growing pessimism about Google's plans for a mixed-use campus to develop 80 acres of new office buildings, residential units and retail space around Diridon Station sparked rumors that the tech giant was reevaluating the project.

But Google officials met with residents in September, demolition work resumed in the project area in February and in early June the company indicated it was considering an affordable housing project on the site, which could be called Downtown West.

Downtown businesses are hoping that this will bring thousands of new workers and residents to spend money in stores, restaurants and theaters.

“Any increase in density is good for business,” said Eric Johnson, owner of the downtown location of Thrift Bookstore, just a few blocks from the proposed Downtown West. “The campus will bring more high-end restaurants and businesses to the Alameda area and increase pedestrian traffic. The more people you can have near your store, the better it is for your store.”

Many downtown residents would like to see more businesses open. Sophia Copeland, a teenager who lives near downtown, said she thinks more local businesses would improve the services the downtown area offers to students.

“Downtown has a lot to offer, including the Tech Museum, the San Jose Museum of Art and MACLA,” Copeland says, “but it can be disappointing because there aren't many shops. More shops, preferably local businesses and activities for students and teens to get involved in would really improve the area.”

Google did not provide any new information about the development in a statement. “We take a measured approach to ensure our real estate investments meet the current and future needs of our hybrid workforce, businesses and communities,” a Google spokesperson said.

Plans for Downtown West were announced by Google in 2019, and the project was approved by the San Jose City Council in 2021. Since then, Google has been demolishing vacant buildings and preparing the land for new uses.

Plans for Downtown West include 7.3 million square feet of offices and 500,000 square feet of retail space including shops and restaurants. As The Mercury News previously reported, the campus is expected to create between 20,000 and 25,000 new jobs.

The development will also include 4,000 housing units, 25 percent of which will be affordable, as well as a 15-acre public park.

The properties are strategically located around the Caltrain hub of Diridon Station, providing easy access to the Downtown West campus, where BART and rapid rail service are also planned.

The project has faced difficulties: Before ground-breaking work resumed in February, it had been postponed indefinitely after the company paused construction until April 2023 as part of cost-cutting measures. In the meantime, Google has adjusted its plans and built more office space.

City Councilman Omar Torres, whose district includes downtown, believes the delays are negatively impacting residents and shopkeepers who are enduring disruptions from the large-scale development.

“Google's promises are impacting residents in resource-poor communities as real estate developers and business owners use Google to inflate prices, harming the most vulnerable communities,” Torres said.

“Every day that Google isn't building delays the creation of new construction jobs, the shift to food service, and dollars that are not put back into our communities.”

Despite the work stoppage, Google has fulfilled its promise to donate millions of dollars to homelessness, employment opportunities for residents, and rental assistance: The company has paid a $7.5 million community contribution to the city and agreed to donate an additional $15 million within 120 days of construction starting on the first office building, according to a city memo.

Community activists are watching closely to see how the money will be distributed and when the rest of the funds will arrive.

“The benefits to the community are mostly delayed,” said Elizabeth Gonzalez, an organizer with the community advocacy group Silicon Valley Debugging. “It all comes down to the city and what they allow Google to do.”

Ella Pollack is a senior at Leland High School in San Jose.

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/19/googles-huge-san-jose-project-moving-ahead/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

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