Google’s huge downtown San Jose transit village project review is delayed slightly
SAN JOSE — City officials have delayed the release of a crucial report about a Google transit village proposed for downtown San Jose, saying Friday the game-changing project is so complex that more time is required to fashion the study.
Google has proposed a transit-oriented neighborhood near the Diridon train station that would consist of offices, homes, shops, restaurants, hotel rooms, cultural hubs, entertainment centers, and open spaces where the search giant could employ 25,000 people.
It’s anticipated that the project could be the largest — and most complicated — single development considered by the city of San Jose, and that complexity contributed to the delay.
The next major step in the city planning process was an initial environment impact report about the Google village, officially known as Downtown West, that had been slated for release by the end of this month. However, a delay is necessary, said Rosalynn Hughey, San Jose’s director of planning, building, and code enforcement.
“Release of the Draft Environmental Impact Report on the Downtown West project was planned for the end of August,” Hughey said. “The size and complexity of the project are such that the City and consultant team are still working on this draft and are now anticipating its release later in the fall.”
Mountain View-based Google remains committed to the project, a spokesperson said Friday.
Google is looking forward to the next steps as the search giant, the city, and its residents work towards the city’s consideration next year, a Google spokesperson said.
The report is now slated to be released in October. It is expected to be formally discussed at a city study session on Nov. 16, said Nanci Klein, the city’s director of real estate.
“It is not uncommon for large projects to continue to refine their analysis,” Klein said.
Google has spent at least $459 million buying an array of properties to assemble the land it needs near Diridon Station and the SAP Center to develop the transit village.
The properties include office buildings, industrial facilities, restaurant sites, commercial parcels, residences, an old union hall, a fire training site, and parking lots.
Google began its purchasing activity in December 2016 when it bought an old telephone company building on South Montgomery Street.
City officials and other observers suggested that the coronavirus and its effects on the priorities of municipal leaders as well as the cumbersome procedures to undertake meetings contributed to the delay.
“There is just some blocking and tackling that was needed on Downtown West, things like the rezoning and the environmental review work,” said Scott Knies, executive director of the San Jose Downtown Association.
The key takeaway is that the fundamental attractiveness of San Jose and its transit facilities remain, despite the coronavirus-linked uncertainties.
“Long-term, the fundamentals of San Jose have not changed,” Knies said. “Long-term, this is one of the most resilient and dynamic regional economies in the world. Google can own and build its mixed-use development in a place that is next to transportation and allows them to attract, recruit, and retain skilled workers.”
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