By Robert Haugh

Santa Clara will soon break ground on a new “uptown.”  It’ll be the largest mixed-use development in California.

Construction is likely to begin later this year. The first phases of the development should be open to the public in early 2023.

A couple of months ago The Related Company announced they engaged Sir Norman Foster. He’s one of the world’s greatest architects and designed the new Apple campus and a lot of other incredible buildings around the world.

Last month, they announced that the development could be home to one of the first Uber Skyports — “the world’s first aerial rideshare network with safe, quiet, and electric Uber Air vehicles.”

Yesterday, in a press release, City Manager Deanna Santana announced the hiring of Dolores Montenegro to oversee the development. Montenegro is an experienced project/program manager.  She has 30-plus years of design and construction management experience.

Here’s some more info on Related Santa Clara:

• 9.2 million square feet mixed-use development,

• a city center of commercial office, retail/entertainment,

• a globally-inspired food market,

• 1,680 residential units,

• 700 hotel rooms,

• approximately five million square feet of corporate office space,

• new roadways, and

• a 30-acre city park.

Interestingly, the City’s press release refers to this development as “Related Santa Clara” and not “City Place” — the name the community’s been using for at least a couple of years.

We’re guessing a name change happened or is about to be announced.  Or we missed the memo. Oh well. We can’t be right all the time. We’re just glad we’re not wrong most of the time — like some people we know.