Give a Valentine’s gift that can speak volumes without a word ever being said. Traditionally roses are the expected gift, but what about a rose that will bloom the entire year and whose color represents something unique about your special someone? If this gift sounds perfect for your Valentine, look no farther than the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden!
With your donation of $50.00, Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens can help you select the perfect rose. Perhaps you will choose pink for grace, white for innocence, or red for that deep and undying love and respect you are feeling. We can also search our database of roses to see if your Valentine’s name matches one of our 3,600 historic roses. Your rose will be marked in the garden with an engraved plaque with your own personal inscription for one full year. To present your gift you will receive a beautiful Valentine’s box that includes a small box of decadent chocolates from Schurra’s Candy Factory, a large gourmet cookie from Café Too! at the San Jose Museum of Art, and two tickets for the Children’s Carousel at Arena Green. You will also receive a special gift card announcing your rose adoption.
Gift packages will be available for pick-up, prior to Valentine’s Day, at the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens Visitor & Education Center located at 438 Coleman Avenue.
The anticipation of the start of construction of the 2-acre parcel located at the southeast corner of Lincoln Avenue and Willow Street is a nail-biting experience. San Jose City Council unanimously approved the 58,401 sq ft retail and office building back in January … so when will construction start?
Construction will commence just a short four month from now in June, and is expected to continue until February 2012. The cost of the construction is estimated to be $10M.
During the construction, businesses will continue to operate fully; Willow Glen Yogurt Company will remain open during construction and then relocate into the new structure.
Alex Byer, property owner and developer, plans for retail and office building with a two-level parking structure on the corner. Additionally, there will be a stepped sound wall of 5-8 feet along the ramp to the parking deck with an 11.5 foot rear setback adjacent to the rear of the houses along Blewett Avenue. Sidewalks will be 15 feet at the corner of Lincoln and Willow, with a large plaza and water fountain.
The development has the support of the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association as well as the Willow Glen Business Association. I will check back when I have a solid start date and more architechtual plans. Exciting!
Remember Mervyn’s on Hamilton in Campbell? I remember Mervyn’s closing over a year ago and wondering who will be moving into that space?
After sitting vacant for more than a year, the building finally has a potential tenant that is ready to move in ASAP. City officials are in preliminary discussions with Safeway representatives about a plan to convey the grocery franchise into the 75,000 square-foot space located at 950 W. Hamilton Avenue. Over the year, no other applications have been submitted to the city for approval.
Safeway reps are sorting out the details with Campbell city officials, but they have interest in moving forward; they want to use the 55,000 square feet of the Mervyn’s building for a ‘state of the art’ grocery store, and sub-leasing the remaining 20,000 square feet to another tenant; included in the plans is construction of a new 5,000 square foot retail building and a 16-pump fueling station. An application for development of the grocery-retail-gas station will be submitted in the next few weeks, with construction potentially starting before the end of the year. The construction drawings call for a ‘remodel’ instead of a complete tear down, so the process of building the Safeway will be less complicated and less time-consuming.
Concerns of the project include the operation of the fueling station, which would operate 24-hours, and also the location of the market backing up to a residential neighborhood; could this be good for the neighborhood? Will the proximity of a gas station and grocery store decrease the home values? The public will ultimately become involved and these concerns will be addressed by the planning commission.
Safeway is also proposing the installation of a new traffic signal at the intersection of W. Hamilton Avenue and Marathon Drive to alleviate traffic congestion; a traffic study will be conducted to determine the potential risks.
The site that for years had been occupied by Mervyn’s has sat vacant since the business closed in December 2008, resulting in an estimated $140,000 to $150,000 loss in sales tax revenue from that location.
I would love to know your thoughts of a new grocery store coming to town soon. Not just a super-sized Safeway but fueling pumps and more retail. Does Campbell need another Safeway, when the next closest one is just down the road on Winchester?
A spurt in home sales in 2009, aided by low interest rates and the first-time homebuyer tax credit, has led some economists to forecast a turnaround in the housing market this year. Other forecasters feel this is too optimistic a projection.
Among those who see improvement in the 2010 market is Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR). Yun hopes that the extension of the first-time homebuyer tax credit will provide a new pool of buyers to absorb the additional foreclosures that will hit the market this year.
He expects existing-home sales to rise 13.6 percent in 2010; home prices should go up 3 to 5 percent, with wide geographic differences. The average rate on 30-year fixed mortgages will range from 5.3 percent in the first quarter to 5.8 percent by year end. This forecast assumes there will be no major economic surprises. The weak job market remains a concern.
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) has a slightly different take on the 2010 housing market. MBA predicts existing-home sales will increase approximately 11.2 percent. Interest rates should be about 5.6 percent by the end of 2010. The unemployment rate is expected to peak at 10.2 percent and gradually decline in 2011. National average home prices should stop sliding during the first part of the year and stabilize, depending on area and price range.
The November 2009 Economic and Housing Market Outlook from Freddie Mac expects there will be an increase in foreclosures and short sales this year, even though foreclosures declined significantly in some of the worst foreclosure markets (like Las Vegas) at the end of last year. RealtyTrac reported that foreclosures nationwide decreased 8 percent in November 2009.
Zillow.com, an online real estate marketplace, reported in December 2009 that stabilization and increased home prices were found in 48 of the 154 markets tracked. However, Zillow forecasts a decline in demand as interest rates rise. Foreclosures are expected to stay high and could challenge recent stabilization.
Some economists think prices will continue to decline in some areas through this year. Others feel that at best, the economic and housing recovery will be a bumpy ride. And, we could bounce along the bottom for some time. Few expect home prices to rebound quickly.
HOUSE HUNTING TIP: There will be significant variation from one market to the next. Areas that have a good diversified economic base and limited inventory of homes for sale could stabilize in 2010 and see an improvement in home prices. Areas that are bloated with foreclosure and short-sale inventory and have a weak local economy probably won’t see a turnaround this year.
Credit tightening would put a damper on the market. On Dec. 12, 2009, Fannie Mae took steps to make mortgage qualification more difficult. A significant change is that the maximum allowable debt-to-income ratio is being lowered to 45 percent from up to 64 percent. This means that the housing cost plus all other debt can’t exceed 45 percent of the borrower’s income. Buyers with strong credit and assets have a chance of approval with a debt-to-income ratio of 50 percent.
2010 is not expected to be a banner year for housing. But it could be a year of improvement for some niche markets and some price ranges. Expect to see more purchase offers made contingent on the sale of the buyers’ home. Credit tightening has made it impossible for most buyers to qualify to own two homes at once.
There will likely be an increase in short-sale listings. Buyers have shied away from these listings in the past because they took so long to process, and were often denied by the lender. Lenders are now more open to approving short sales than they were a year ago.
A major mixed-used project in downtown Willow Glen has received unanimous approval from the San Jose City Council.
Work can now proceed on the 41,000-square-foot project at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Willow Street, which will include about 18,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and 23,000 square feet of second-and third-floor office space.
Construction is expected to begin in June, with completion by February 2012. It will be three stories high facing Lincoln Avenue and two stories on the Willow Street side.
The $10 million project will be developed by Alex Byer, managing partner of Paja Investments LLC of San Francisco. The project will be next to a row of retail stores along Lincoln Avenue that Mr. Byer developed in 1996. That project is now home to Jamba Juice, Noah’s Bagels and Peet’s Coffee & Tea.
The new project will feature a plaza with a fountain and seating areas and a 108-space parking garage on the second level.
This will be awesome for downtown Willow Glen. Finally we neighbors will have a place in the area to meet and enjoy the downtown area.
Retail portion of the development will likely feature restaurants and boutique-style shops. The existing Willow Street Pizza restaurant will be incorporated into the new project, expanding its bar and outdoor dining patio. The building that houses the restaurant has historic building status.
Once completed, the Willow Glen Frozen Yogurt and Ice Cream Co. shop at the corner of Lincoln and Willow will be demolished, with the business relocating into the new retail space.
The office spaces will be on the small side to cater to Willow Glen business people who want to stay close to home. The second and third floors will feature conference rooms available to office tenants, and each floor will have kitchenettes. There will be other tenant perks, including a drop-off dry cleaner in the lobby, car detailing, a storage area for bicycles and a bike mechanic on site periodically.
In the past, many Willow Glen store owners had been part of a business improvement district, but last year the San Jose City Council agreed to disband the old district BID (Business Improvement District) and allow the owners of 90 properties to form the new CBID (Community Benefit Improvement District) based on property ownership. The charter of the CBID is to keep downtown WG clean, beautiful, colorful, and a friendly place to visit.
The Willow CBID boundary is ~ 1 square mile; it includes Lincoln Avenue from Minnesota Avenue to Coe Street, as well as Willow Street and other streets in the vicinity. The members of the CBID (business owners, property owners and business operators renting offices on the “Avenue”) have agreed to tax themselves with a new tax on their 2010 property tax statement to maintain the Avenue at their own expense. These business operators are moving forward constructively to respond to the following issues using funds from the new CBID tax:
1. The need for creating a system of daily sidewalk sweeping & steam cleaning throughout Lincoln Avenue.
2. The need for better maintained trash receptacles than what are currently in Willow Glen.
3. The need for two full time employees to maintain the downtown business district at their expense, not the city expense.
4. The need for sidewalk repair, planter maintenance and “tree trimming” at a high standard.
5. The need for improved streetscapes & coordinated design. Daily removal of graffiti.
6. The need to support parking coordination, signage, and public private partnership.
7. The need to improve the overall image of the Willow Glen Business District, building a great place to work, shop, eat, live, and stroll .
Services have begun to take affect and started the week of January 17, 2010. Power washing and street cleaning will continue more frequently with sidewalks being cleaned daily. The majority of the services are being maintained by San Jose General Building Maintenance Inc,; however, the CBID is still looking for a quality service to maintain planter boxes and other plants, as well as a tree trimmer. In addition, the association is revamping its website to make it more compatible with social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Please read about the induction of the CBID
Open House and New Release Celebration
January 31st
12pm – 4pm
Plant 51 is a very chic and modern residential community managed by Brooks Street Real Estate Development & Investment Company. Plant 51 is the epiphany of urban living and has attracted San Jose urban professionals that desire hi-tech living at an affordable price. The classic brick and mortar of the complex were originally part of Del Monte’s Plant 51. The original brink and steel beams dating back to the very early 1900s have been reinforced and retrofitted to house the contemporary collection of residences. With the hip and urban setting of this community, Plant 51 has become one of San Jose’s most sought-after communities with its unique offering of lofts and flats in the desirable neighborhood just off the Alameda and next to the Diridon station.
Since the architectural landmark opened last spring, Plant 51 has received many new homeowners and the community is bustling with life and energy. Because of the sales success, Plant 51 is celebrating a new release of lofts and flats with a special open house on Sunday, Janurary 31st from noon to 4 p.m. The Building B collection features contemporary flats and modern two- and three-level lofts with beautiful parkside locations along tree-lined Bush Street.
For those who are in the market to buy a new home, the last part of January at Plant 51 offers an exceptional opportunity to take advantage of attractive pricing from the $400,000s, historically low mortgage interest rates and generous federal tax credits for qualified buyers.
Homes at Plant 51 are available in a variety of spacious floor plans, ranging in size from approximately 821 to 1,580 square feet with many fine living features and finishes, including gourmet kitchens with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. The centerpiece of Plant 51 is an expansive courtyard featuring greenscaped walkways, lush bamboo and plants, open-air dining and gathering areas, a 15 foot-long fire pit and tranquil water features. Also included the association is the Boiler Room, the original 2-story brick warehouse space which has been converted into the gym, fitness studio and lounge.
If you are interested in this modern urban residence located in the Alameda neighborhood in San Jose, I’d be happy to show you this amazing community and help you get pre-approved to be a homeowner.
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