While it will be several months before the development plans arecomplete, the construction is likely to go on for years. Asprojects break ground in the coming years – such as an expectedexpansion of the San Jose McEnery Convention Center and therelocation of the civic center to the downtown core - parking willbe gobbled up.

The San Jose Downtown Association say the short-term answer tothe parking crunch is to better use existing parking, and to informdrivers where such parking is available through a computerizedtracking system. The San Jose Arena, just west of Highway 87between San Carlos and San Fernando streets could provide thereprieve the city needs – until construction on a nearby library iscomplete.

Workers can then walk to their office location or take the freeDowntown Area Shuttle.The 800-space lot at Fourth and San Fernandostreets will serve the library, but the project is not slated toopen until 2003 – about a year after the current construction onthe shops, restaurants, offices, hotel and apartments iscomplete.