A relatively small road project in DTSJ, may end up being the needed catalyst for numerous nearby projects:
One of the last islands of blight in downtown San Jose could soon become the city's next luxury neighborhood. And that future could hinge on bringing back a large part of the area's past.
As soon as this fall, crews will take apart the high-speed swoop of Julian Street as it heads southwest toward Highway 87. They'll then begin restoring a pedestrian-friendly street grid that was erased 31 years ago to help shuttle cars to and from the freeway.
Money for the project — $24 million in expected state bond proceeds — was awarded to the San Jose Redevelopment Agency late last month. It will help kick-start plans for three residential high-rises, 100-plus townhomes and two new parks that otherwise may have languished amid the dismal economy.
In turn, those new homes could become a vital complement for an ambitious plan, led by former Mayor Tom McEnery and his family, to remake nearby San Pedro Square into an urban market akin to Seattle's Pike Place. The market, scheduled to open next summer, even has a development partner in common with the housing plan: Barry Swenson....
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