Google eyes hundreds of downtown San Jose homes over BART station site
SAN JOSE — Google intends to build several hundred homes on a downtown San Jose parcel atop the proposed site of a future BART station near the existing Diridon transit hub, according to public records that offer the first glimpse into the company’s plans for a specific plot of land within its Downtown West village.
The development would occur on a parcel whose addresses include 574 W. Santa Clara St., which is across the street from the SAP entertainment and sports center, according to documents posted by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.
“Up to 500 units of high-rise residential in air rights development above the Diridon BART station with 18,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, commercial and service use” are the key components of the Google project, the VTA documents show.
Google has long been planning a mixed-use neighborhood of office buildings, homes, shops, restaurants, hotel facilities, entertainment hubs and cultural sites on the west edge of downtown San Jose near the Diridon train station. The search giant expects to employ up to 20,000 workers in the transit-oriented village, which is called Downtown West.
But what hasn’t been disclosed in detail is how much square footage or how many residential units Google might develop on any particular parcel in the Downtown West project.
That’s because Google has yet to file with San Jose planners specific development proposals for particular sites.
But the new public documents filed by VTA offer the first glimpse at specific plans for one parcel. Google wants to obtain from VTA air rights to develop a project over the location of the future underground BART stop on West Santa Clara Street near the Diridon train station, the transit documents show. Up to 125 parking spaces would be included in the residential and retail development.
VTA officials believe less parking will be required because of the plentiful transit in the immediate vicinity.
The Diridon train station already accommodates Caltrain, Amtrak, Capitol Corridor, ACE Train, light rail and bus lines. The BART stop at Diridon will be one of four in San Jose and one of two in the city’s downtown district.
Affordable homes also are expected to be part of the Google housing development, according to the VTA records.
“Such a project would need to include at least 20% of the units affordable to low- and very-low-income households as set forth in VTA’s affordable housing policy,” the agency stated.
Mountain View-based Google said it wished to limit its comments about the housing development primarily to what was shared in the VTA documents.
“Right now we’re working with VTA to formalize the agreement and more details will be available publicly once that’s finished,” a Google spokesperson said. “Until then, we don’t have more to share.”
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