Google Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan

A place inspired
by San José

We’re working together to imagine this part of downtown — one that draws from San José’s culturally-rich history, vibrant personality and innovative spirit.

Wall mural with a patchwork of colorful pictures

Neon sign that says, “Stephen’s Meat Products”

Location

Downtown West

In 2014, the City of San José adopted the Diridon Station Area Plan to create a mixed-use urban destination near public transit. Google is working with the City and community to help bring this vision to life.

People gathered around a poster board listening to a woman explaining the information on it.

A woman places a sticker with feedback about the plan on a poster board.

Approach

Building on a decade of engagement

We've drawn on 10 years of the City of San José's planning and spoken to thousands of locals to create our mixed-use framework plan. Google is here for the long haul, and we’ll continue to engage with the City and community members to build a place that’s of San José.

As told by the people of San José

What I love most about San José…
What excites me most about Google in San José…
What concerns me most about Google in San José…
What I wish San José had…

What I love most about San José…

Diversity • The people • It isn’t pretentious • Small city feel with big city amenities • The potential • It’s a nerd mecca • It’s not San Francisco • The parks • Libraries • We keep it real • We’re the underdogs of Silicon Valley • It’s filled with people like me • The rich cultural history and racial diversity • How family-friendly the city is • The amazing people that cultivate the arts and the culture that exists and THRIVES here • Inclusivity • Great neighborhoods • The culture and people and food • Openness to new people • The art • Community events • Unique • It's growing and changing quickly • Weather and outside activities • One of the most beautiful cities • Variety, mix of culture and influences • Peaceful • Historic neighborhoods • It’s authentic
What excites me most about Google in San José…

Job opportunities in the heart of SJ • The innovation and advances we could make • Using vacant lots to activate SJ’s downtown core • Walkable community with parks, recreation, and retail • SJ is coming up • My mom will get a job close to home • They will invest in the area and my family’s future by committing to the long run • Taking SJ to the next level • New jobs and new opportunities • Hands on learning • Providing opportunities for young people • Real community involvement • Better streetscapes and transit • Connecting greenways • More vibrant and safe Diridon • Opportunities to collaborate and innovate • More jobs more people more housing • Busier trails and parks • More night life • Positive upgrades to infrastructure • Community gathering space • Jobs for San Joséans
What concerns me most about Google in San José…

Retaining our local culture • Not hiring San Joséans • The cost of housing • Displacement of low income residents • It isn’t here fast enough • How it will affect me financially • Don’t make the areas too stark, cold, museum-like • Traffic • Becoming a big city like SF, losing that sense of community • Enhance the education and wellness of our youth • Losing mom + pop shops • The people who live here feel welcomed everywhere • That it won’t actually happen • Loud voices in small numbers can be divisive • Keeping an authentic non-corporate character • Increase in congestion on highways and boulevards • Losing the city’s charm • Ensuring the project integrates surrounding neighborhoods • All the construction • Not having infrastructure to support it, losing our history to trying to be a tech center
What I wish San José had…

More kid-friendly venues for teens • Late night establishments • Better public transportation • Affordable housing for the middle class • A history trail • More small shops and grocery stores • More community involvement • More lively downtown • More block parties • More vibrant hangout spots • Community events and functions • Awareness of how beautiful this city really is, we have so much to offer • Multicultural center • Skyscrapers • More places for kids downtown • More fun things to do • Safer walks to downtown for women • Improved creeks and rivers • More youth employment focused on tech • More jobs for locals • More cool public art • More festivals • Taller buildings more density • More affordable housing • More outdoor music and dance • More playgrounds • Cleaner streets

Objectives

Initial objectives for the project

In response to City priorities and community input, we developed some initial objectives to help realize the project site’s potential and address local concerns, such as creating housing and new jobs.

Create jobs near transit

The Diridon Station Area Plan envisions a job center next to an intermodal transit station. We’re proposing about 7.3 million square feet for office to support this goal and add to the economic vitality already underway in downtown San José.
Build housing alongside jobs

The Diridon Station Area Plan allows for 2,588 new housing units over 240 acres. We made room for 4,000 units in our approximately 80-acre plan area. We also committed to optimizing affordable housing through the project and public benefits.
Create opportunity pathways

We’re creating opportunities for locals to work, grow and learn within the plan. Starting now, we’re investing in workforce development programs and designing an ecosystem model for retail, the arts and small businesses.
Connect people to nature and transit

We’re allocating approximately 15 acres of parks, plazas and green spaces across the plan to better connect pedestrians, cyclists, commuters and nearby neighborhoods.
Make a place that is of San José

We created a 50/50 balance of office sites and other land uses so that people step out of Diridon Station into the center of a city, not a suburban office park.
Better together

A place inspired by San José can only be created with the people of San José. So we’re engaging with the public to program approximately 500,000 square feet for retail, cultural, arts, educational, hotel and other active uses.

Plan

A mixed-use plan for a variety of experiences

A range of experiences at the creek
World-class multi-modal transit hub
Local neighborhoods with diverse character and community

Downtown West will be a connected hub of activity and culture with easy access to nature and transit.

7.3M sf

Office
4,000

Housing units
*Studying up to 5,900 units
15 acres

Parks, plazas and green spaces
500K sf

Retail, cultural, arts, education, hotel and more

Our proposed land use

Map of proposed land use for the Downtown West Plan shows different zones.

Legend

Augmented Trail
Proposed Trail Connections
Existing Trails
Downtown West Boundary
Newly Proposed Office
Housing
Hotel
Retail, Cultural, Arts, Education + Active Uses

How it all comes together

Take a walk across the site

We will foster four distinct characters of place: industrial, arts and maker-oriented areas in the north; lively learning and social spaces close to transit in the core; and a neighborhood that connects people to nature in the south.

A place for creativity

The north draws from the energy of creative community that exists in San José today while strengthening key connections. Experiences range from entertainment and local gathering at the terminus of the St. John corridor to a neighborhood focused on making and arts culture. Characteristics of industry, fabrication and making will coexist and complement with the ever-present rail lines, adjacent residential area and regional event center.
An active core

The mixed-use core will become the civic heart at San José’s gateway. The connection from the Diridon Station to downtown offers varied experiences: retail-lined public open spaces in a mix of new and old buildings, a robust creek ecology and cultural and educational amenities that complete the link to downtown. The Cahill, Montgomery and Autumn will define unique experiences by serving as a transit hub, main and urban-to-nature transition streets, respectively.
A public greenway and open spaces

The south will be set in an immersive landscape fronting the Los Gatos Creek, with connections to the regional trail network. A public greenway and outdoor gardens will become local spaces for families and friends to gather, taking full advantage of the rich nature and ideal climate that San José offers. There will also be neighborhood-serving retail and amenities that will expand existing communities.

Where are we in the process?

2009

2009
City forms Good Neighbor Committee
2014
City approves Diridon Station Area Plan
AUG 2019
Google unveils draft mixed-use framework
OCT 2019
Google submits Downtown West development application
OCT 7, 2020
Draft documents for public review
OCT 19, 2020
Development Application Community Meeting
SPRING 2021
City Council considers Google's application approval

2021

How we think about placemaking

Four guiding principles

We know when our local communities thrive, Google thrives. That’s why we committed $1 billion towards creating 20,000 new homes in the Bay Area. As we think about designing great places for people, we look to four guiding principles.

Principles of place

Community

Places are about people and connections between them. We want to contribute to vibrant places that promote well-being, inclusion, and interconnectivity.

Innovation

We aim to have a healthy disregard for the impossible. We design for adaptability and flexibility.

Nature

The well-being of people depends on the health of the planet. We aspire to build spaces and places that are resilient and circular, connect people to nature, and help us conserve resources and reduce waste.

Economics

We invest in bold ideas that create replicable solutions for a better future. We want our designs to give something back to the world that wasn’t already there.