Redevelopment Agency spokeswoman Peggy Flynn tells GlobeSt.com that community input influenced the group's developer selection. "We looked at what people were saying, what they would like to have in the Downtown. That was part of our greater Downtown strategy process."

What has emerged from several months of intensive public-opinion gathering, says Flynn, is the vision of an urbanized, pedestrian-friendly Downtown that doesn't roll up the welcome mats and shut down the doors after 5 p.m. As a longtime developer of national retail and mixed-use development, Palladium appears to be the right fit. The agency initially estimated that it would make a decision by spring.

If the City Council confirms the company as master developer, Palladium will have a hefty bit of Downtown with which to work. The parcel spans from First to Second Streets, from San Fernando to Santa Clara Streets, and from Market to Third Streets, comprising a mix of retail, office, residential and entertainment uses. Previously, Palladium has spearheaded an estimated $4 billion in similar projects nationwide, with work in New York, Texas, Florida and Massachusetts.

Downtown San Jose is in the middle of long-term redevelopment efforts. Developer selection for this particular parcel began in September, when the redevelopment agency put out a Request for Qualifications at the International Council of Shopping Centers conference in Palm Springs, CA. In November, the agency identified 13 potential developers, including Wellington Corp., Henry S. Miller Interests, and AvalonBay Communities. Developers' visions of a revitalized Downtown included a 3,500-seat Broadway-style theater, room for chain retailers such as Costco and an entertainment complex reminiscent of San Francisco's Metreon Center.

Last spring, the Urban Land Institute recommended that San Jose create a mixed-use destination project on the land. And currently, Flynn says, the redevelopment agency is working with a 33-member mayoral task force to give that initial vision a shape.

"We have been revisiting our Downtown strategy," Flynn says. "We've been talking with businesses and heads of Downtown organizations from all different kinds of walks of life... to help us create guidelines."

That mayoral task force has also created a report emphasizing key components of a reworked Downtown, Flynn says. Those elements include transit, parking, pedestrian friendliness and an entertainment district. The report will be presented to the City Council next month.

Instant Insights /

Redevelopment Agency Recommends Master Developer for Downtown Project

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