Caltrain plans 1.2M sf development in Downtown San Jose

A massive mixed-use development by Google in Downtown San Jose may be joined by a tandem complex of office towers, shops and restaurants around a central plaza.

The governing board of Caltrain has unveiled new plans for a 1.2 million-square-foot mixed-use development next to Diridon train station, where Google plans to build its 80-acre campus known as Downtown West, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, which oversees Caltrain, plans to build two Class-A office towers on the Caltrain site, with 31,300 square feet of “active ground-floor uses,” according to a planning document. It submitted a preliminary application for the project in August.

A northern tower and a southern tower would border a plaza that would connect the train station and part of Google’s Downtown West village, according to a site plan. The Joint Powers Board wants to make the plaza a lively part of Downtown San Jose.

“Located across Cahill Street from Diridon Station, the site offers a public open space with iconic art features, a comfortable pedestrian environment and vibrant activities along the building frontages,” planning documents state.

Each of the two towers would include multiple terraces to serve as gathering spots for office workers. As many as 6,000 people could work in the offices, based on typical office ratios for employees.

The Mercury News didn’t name a developer. Renderings for the project are credited to Perkins&Will, an architecture firm in Chicago, and Arup, a design company based in London.

The angular buildings look like imperfect stacks of four glass blocks in brown, green and blue tints.

The two 265-foot office towers with ground-floor shops and restaurants would be bounded by West San Fernando Street, Cahill Street, Crandall Street and South Montgomery Street near the Diridon train station, to replace some surface parking lots.

Pending project approvals, a developer could break ground in early 2024 and be completed by the third quarter of 2026 after an estimated 30 months of construction.

Last month, Google cleared a hurdle for its Downtown West, with a thumbs up from the San Jose Planning Commision.

The plans call for up to 5,900 homes, 7.3 million square feet of offices, 500,000 square feet of shops and restaurants and 15 acres of parks south of Diridon Station, the city’s main transit hub and a future location for BART.

– Dana Bartholomew