A speakeasy is headed for an empty tower in downtown San Jose.
SAN JOSE — A speakeasy is headed for an empty tower in downtown San Jose, a unique and lively bar that the highrise’s owner hopes will spur a revival of a moribund section of the city’s urban core.
DivcoWest, through an affiliate, paid $14.4 million for the 10-story tower in 2017. The real estate firm then launched a wide-ranging renovation of the building. The tower has yet to attract a tenant. Bottom line: The intersection of First and Santa Clara streets, which in a long-gone era was the lively heart of downtown San Jose — before suburban malls siphoned off the city’s retail base — has deteriorated into a desolate quartet of corners.
The establishment is legally allowed to open as early as 6 a.m. but likely won’t open until sometime in the early afternoon. This proposal arrives at a time when DivcoWest has signaled to San Jose officials that it is considering a wide-ranging transformation and conversion of the office tower. DivcoWest is pondering potential residential, co-living, or hotel rooms to replace the office spaces.
DivcoWest believes the speakeasy would offer at least three features to benefit the downtown, according to a letter submitted by company consultant Erik Schoennauer on Oct. 12 to San Jose government officials, including the mayor and the rest of the City Council.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
San Jose hotel tower sale moves closer to reality — but job and tax-loss fears ariseA deal to convert a downtown San Jose hotel tower into university housing for SJSU students has moved closer to reality.
Read more »
Newsom approves automatic speed cameras for San Jose, Oakland pilot programNewsom’s approval marks the end of a nearly two-decade-long battle to bring automatic speed cameras to the state, even as they continue to raise privacy concerns and debate over whether they will h…
Read more »
Tiny homes proposal in San Jose would be all solar-powered, on land leased for $1The site would be located in South San Jose on the Southeast corner of Via Del Oro and San Ignacio Avenue.
Read more »
San Jose Sharks’ parade to penalty box proves costly vs. Carolina HurricanesThe San Jose Sharks couldn’t protect a third-period lead or stay out of the penalty box Tuesday in a 6-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes
Read more »
Some 1st time DUI offenders in San Jose can avoid jail thanks to pilot programOfficers will decide case-by-case to either take the first-time offender to jail or arrest them with a criminal citation and allow them to sober up.
Read more »
San Jose Sharks’ Quinn blasts ‘soft, slow’ play after latest home lossDavid Quinn after 6-3 loss to Carolina Hurricanes: “We’ve just got to be harder to play against and tonight wasn’t good enough. Way too soft and way too slow.”
Read more »