By Robert Haugh
The Silicon Valley Business Journal ran a cover story on the biggest development project in Santa Clara history. It’s The Related Companies’ mixed-use development on the golf course north of Levi’s Stadium.
It was a major multi-part story by Editor-in-Chief J. Jennings Moss and Commercial Real Estate Reporter Matthew Niksa. Kudos to them. We learned some interesting things.
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Most importantly, the name has been changed from “City Place” to “Related Santa Clara.” We liked the original name, but the new one has a nice ring to it, especially the Santa Clara part.
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There will be 6 million square feet of office space. According to the Business Journal, the Apple spaceship campus is less than 3 million square feet.
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There will be over 3 million square feet of retail, restaurants, hotels and residential. Santana Row in San Jose only has about 2 million square feet.
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As we reported before, world-renowned architect Sir Norman Foster will be the architect.
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The project will generate an estimated $14 million annually for the City. Wow.
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A major feature of the project will be a global food market. According to the Business Journal, “the market will feature between 40 and 45 individual food stalls, between six and eight smaller cafes, taverns and bistros, and a couple of two-floor restaurants.”
We hear a lot of complaints that Santa Clara does not have enough restaurants. After Related Santa Clara becomes our new uptown, we don’t think we’ll hear many complaints. The Related Companies has close relationships with some of the world’s best chefs and restaurateurs, according to the Business Journal.
We’re excited about this project getting off the ground. We should see some type of ribbon cutting next year, according to City Hall sources. We think most Santa Clarans will be excited, too. (Well, not everyone.)
And hats off to the Business Journal for some good reporting that had a lot of solid facts and new info about this project. (Unlike other reports we’ve seen).
This important development will help change the future of Santa Clara and the entire Silicon Valley.
[…] The ground beneath landfills can be unstable as garbage decomposes, releasing flammable gases and sometimes dangerous garbage juice. But redeveloping the sites — even into housing projects — isn’t unheard of. In Santa Clara, Calif., developers are turning a 240-acre landfill into a massive mixed-use community with 3 million square feet of retail, residential and hotel space. […]
Since this is directly across from the Stadium, is it going to shut down on days where a stadium event is being held? If they do not, the traffic will be worse than its already ridiculous standstill, are they going to have parking attendants making sure that stadium patrons are not parking for free in the parking spots for this development?
Like the poster above, I used to play golf there once in awhile, and the issues with water seepage and being on landfill were an issue then…for a golf course, not a full development and all the attendant issues that would entail
Robert, While it would be nice to read the “good reporting … a lot of solid facts and new info”, the site https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2019/12/12/related-santa-clara-development.html is behind a paywall. So it’s impossible for most of us to be clued in. Also, one assumes that Related housing will be upscale? And that the mandatory “affordable” percentage of housing will be similarly out of reach for people who, say, work in all of those restaurants? There are a bunch of interesting documents on the city’s development project site, https://www.santaclaraca.gov/Home/Components/BusinessDirectory/BusinessDirectory/216/2495?alpha=R, including the volume 2 INFRASTRUCTURE MASTER PLAN & TECHNICAL MEMORANDUMS from August 26, which includes interesting bits about ground “settling” on top of a refuse layer, the difficulties of managing water and “Both the San Tomas Aquino Creek and Guadalupe River are contained within FEMA certified levees adjacent to the site. As such, no increase in the 100 year flood elevation as a result of the development will be permitted without recertifying the levees.” They are going to “dynamically model” .. “on-site stormwater management and treatment features for each Parcel … during final design including buildings, parking garages, site, landscape, etc. The results of the modeling will be used to compare the proposed ‘permanent’ stormwater peak flows and volumes for the Project with the existing peak flows and show compliance with the jurisdictional regulations.” So here’s another question — have the “jurisdictional regulations” been updated for sea level rise, greater water flows during heavier storms, and new information concerning increased probability for a more severe earthquake on the Calaveras fault?
Give me a break. The Northside residents complain about stadium noise, airport plane noise and concerts after 10pm but they are OK with a huge development like this? I hope they understand the noise, traffic will go up and that restaurant may need to stay open after 10pm or will they complain again about this? I hope this development goes forward because the tax dollars will benefit all Santa Clara’s.