Posted by Josh Burroughs on Fri, Mar 12, 2010 @ 06:31 PM
I've been waiting a while to post something about the possible new ballpark that would arrive in San Jose next to the San Jose Diridon Transit Station in Downtown. I think that the Silicon Valley Leadership Group has summed it up great below. If this actually happens, the surrounding area is going to be a great redevelopment area and will employ thousands of people in all sectors. If you have any questions, let me know and I can connect you with the Project Managers at the SVLG.
-Josh jburroughs@barryswensonbuilder.com
CREDIT: Silicon Valley Leadership Group
Silicon Valley Leadership Group endorses San Jose’s effort to bring a privately built baseball stadium in downtown San Jose
Board of directors vote was unanimous
San Jose – March 11 – The board of directors of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group voted unanimously today to support the San Jose City Council’s effort to bring a privately built and operated major league baseball stadium that is expected to create nearly 1,000 jobs and generate more than $5 million dollars a year of revenue for local governments.
“The stadium effort touches all the bases,” said Carl Guardino, CEO and president of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. “It provides jobs, strengthens our economy, offers a cultural aspect for our families and is a stone’s throw from the future BART station, already home to Caltrain, light rail and Amtrak.”
San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed said, “I want to thank the Silicon Valley Leadership Group for endorsing our efforts to bring major league baseball to downtown San Jose. Silicon Valley’s business and technology leaders know that professional baseball makes fiscal and economic sense for San Jose and our neighboring communities. As the largest city in Northern California and one of the most dynamic markets for sports in the U.S., the time is right for professional baseball to turn its attention to San José.”
San Jose has identified a fourteen-acre site at the western edge of downtown for a 32,000-seat major league ballpark. The was chosen because it is readily accessible by major public transportation facilities including Caltrain, VTA bus and light rail, as well as a future BART station.
Major League Baseball is currently reviewing site options and territorial rights for the Oakland A’s. Pending a favorable conclusion, a vote by the citizens of San Jose will be necessary. It is anticipated that this will occur in November 2010. The earliest a ballpark would open is Spring 2014.
Posted by Jessie Woodyard on Tue, Feb 09, 2010 @ 01:23 PM
The Big Top is back at 737 N. San Pedro St (the corner of Taylor Street, immediately by Hwy 87 on-ramp). Cirque du Soleil 
presents Ovo, a spectacular show based on the life of bugs that are disrupted when a gigantic egg appears in their home. It reminds me of the soda can that reeked havoc in The Gods Must Be Crazy expect in Ovo, the mysterious soda can is this egg that draws mystery and is a host to an array of surprises.
From February 4 - March 7, the Silicon Valley Business Journal reports over 135,000 people will attend Ovo. For a concrete lot that typically sits vacant or at best holds San Jose employee vehicles, having Cirque for a few weeks is not a bad use. But as any real estate professional might ponder, is it the "highest and best use" for a vacant 4.85 acre San Jose lot?
Using recent San Jose land comparisons, the lot could be valued at approximately $100 per square foot, or a translated value around $21m. It sits in a prime location with easy freeway access, sits about 300 yards away from the nearest light rail stop and is less than a mile from Downtown San Jose condos. For a mixed use residential or commercial project, the size and shape is close to ideal; it is a near rectangle and with nearly 5 acres to develop; the potential added value is huge.
It's hard to argue with Steven
Brewster though, the City's economic development officer who estimates $20.5m is injected revenue directly from the show's 7 week run.
The San Jose lot is a unique case. For the majority of the year, it's used as an overflow parking lot but in the 50 or so days Cirque du Soleil is in town, a $20.5m revenue injection is not all bad and makes up for the 315 days it sits drastically underused. 
Don't we all wish we were the lucky owners of that 4.85 acres....
Posted by Josh Burroughs on Tue, Dec 29, 2009 @ 03:45 PM
I was reading the other day that TransForm, an advocate for smart public transportation and walkable communities, just awarded its first-ever GreenTRIP certification to a new development in San Jose called The Ohlone. That's because The Ohlone development will keep the number of new parking spaces as low as possible and offer
incentives for new tenants to drive less. Here's a quick link to
The Ohlone Project website.
Formerly TALC (the Transportation and Land Use Coalition), Transform advocates programs and projects such as green communities, safe routes to schools, smart growth, and innovative public transportation options.
When it comes to green building, how people get to a building is just as important as what that building is made of. They want GreenTRIP to become the gold standard for low-traffic development.
Click
here to learn more about their program, and if you know of a project, it's simple to apply for a certification!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To learn more about sustainable building practices and green construction techniques for your next project, e-mail Jeff Current at jcurrent@barryswensonbuilder.com today to see how your project can reach maximum efficiency.
Posted by Josh Burroughs on Wed, Oct 21, 2009 @ 01:59
I recently attended a presentation of the VTA’s plans for a Bus Rapid Transit system in San Jose and I thought I’d share some of the benefits it will bring to our area. As our future city planning calls for more efficient, upgraded transit corridors with multiple modes of transportation, BRT will be a key part of our future growth in the South Bay.
KEY BENEFITS:
- BRT will provide a quicker ride with 30% increased travel speeds along the cooridors.
- BRT will serve more people by being placed where the demand exists.
- BRT will attract new transit passengers leading to a reduced carbon footprint for the South Bay (40% of total emissions stems from transportation currently)
- BRT is affordable- a fraction of the cost compared to rail
- BRT is cool and safe, and will encourage development of areas around the stops to create both day and night activities.
Here's an example of the transformation to take place at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose along with the VTA route outline.
** all photos from VTA Transit Plan June 2009
Posted by Jessie Woodyard on Mon, Sep 28, 2009 @ 07:19 PM
What's your property's Walk Score? Don't know? You should.
http://www.walkscore.com was created a few years ago to rank the most walkable places to live. It rates the walkability of a property by finding nearby public amenities and commercial venues such as schools, parks, restaurants, stores., etc.
Here's an example, if you live in Downtown San Jose, the average Walk Score is 82 out of 100, practically a Walkers' Paradise. If you are live in Willow Glen, your average is 60, a Car Dependent neighborhood.
So how does a Walk Score make you rich?
Well, the website doesn't actually make you rich but living in a walkable community does. Chris Leinberger from The Brookings Institute in Washington DC stated at the most recent ULI South Bay's TOD Marketplace event that, "one Walk Score point equals $500 - $1,300 in value to a residential property," and can be as high as $17,500 per point in various neighborhoods of Washington DC.
CEO for Cities has done a study that outlines the value of Walk Score points in various metro areas. San Francisco's Walk Score points are valued at $2,985 each.
Pretty valuable website.
And if you're curious about the Bay Area's statistics:
San Francisco leads the Bay Area as #1 in Most Walkable Community in the nation, according to WalkScore. New York ranks second followed by Boston and Chicago ranking third and fourth respectively. San Jose trails as 17th in the nation beating cities such as Las Vegas, Dallas, and Sacramento.