Getting your
Trinity Audioplayer ready...SAN JOSE — A project that’s poised to produce several hundred new apartments in San Jose has landed final municipal approval. The housing complex would greatly increase the number of people living in a key section of the city.
The housing development would sprout at the corner of Stevens Creek Boulevard and Saratoga Avenue in west San Jose and is now slated to create 575 apartments, documents on file in the South Bay show.
The prior version of the development envisioned 532 apartments at the site, located at 3896 Stevens Creek Blvd., according to documents on file with the San Jose Planning Department.
The residential structure designated as “Building 1” that has a frontage primarily on Saratoga Avenue near Stevens Creek would remain at 264 apartment units, the city files show.
The housing hub known as “Building 2” that primarily fronts along Stevens Creek Boulevard near Northlake Drive would have 311 units, up from the previous version that envisioned 276 apartments, according to San Jose public records.
Each of the apartment buildings will remain at eight stories, despite the change in units. City planners have given final approval to the project.
A few small buildings now occupy the 4.7-acre property. Hokkaido Buffet, a restaurant, is among the tenants on the site. The developers intend to bulldoze the site’s existing structures, including the dining establishment.
At one point, the project’s developer, Holland Partners, had envisioned a massive office, retail and fitness complex on the property. Holland scrapped those plans, however.
San Jose city planners embraced the wide-ranging project, but economic conditions conspired against such an ambitious development.
“The site … was previously entitled for an 882,000-square-foot office and retail redevelopment which, due to changes in market conditions, was unable to move forward,” Holland Partners stated in its prior filings with the city.
An estimated 29 units of the 575 units in the final version of the project will be restricted to people at very low income levels. That works out to roughly 5% of the apartments.
In Santa Clara County, very low income equates to $71,950 for one person and $102,750 for a four-person household, the state Housing and Community Development Department reports on its website. The state agency also reports that the area median income for Santa Clara County is $143,850 for one person and $205,500 for a four-person household.
The revised plans envision 13,600 square feet of retail space, down slightly from a prior proposed total of 13,800 square feet. Building 1 would remain at 7,600 square feet, while Building 2 would undergo a slight reduction and offer 6,000 square feet of retail space.
The overall number of parking spaces would be reduced to 364 stalls, 4.7% less parking than the prior plans for 382 spaces.
The development site is within an area that is influenced by a special urban village vision crafted by San Jose city officials.
“Holland and the design team believe the proposal meets the intent of the Stevens Creek Urban Village Plan by significantly enhancing the pedestrian experience along the Stevens Creek and Saratoga frontages and creating new public gathering spaces that will give residents and visitors reasons to linger,” Holland stated in an overview letter regarding the project.
The developer is also adding significant amenity features to the project.
“Approximately 25,000 square feet of amenity space will be included” in the project, the proposal states. Both buildings would contain a fitness center, co-working space, clubroom and a lobby, project plans show.