Attachment: 2024 - 2025 Downtown Action Plan
Category: Clean, Safe and
Housed
Goal: Ensure Downtown San José is clean and safe for residents, visitors, and employees while also supporting the most vulnerable populations.
Strategy Tactic(s) Outcome Status Lead/
Partners
Enhance coordination and
collaboration among Downtown
social services providers to promote
more efficient services and better
outcomes for unhoused individuals in
Downtown.
Establish list of 20 most vulnerable
people experiencing homelessness in
Downtown and establish crossdepartment and cross-agency strategy to connect them to services and housing.
Transition 45% of people on
the original list who enroll in
services to shelter/housing,
utilizing prioritized referral to
the Arena and Plaza hotels.
Coordination in progress
among relevant social
services agencies.
Housing,
PATH, SIT,
Santa Clara
County
Connect businesses with the right
resource for quality-of-life concerns.
Develop and distribute an easy to use
one-page resource guide.
Businesses Downtown have
the resource guide readily
available and are able to use
the resources to quickly
mitigate Downtown quality of
life issues.
Final draft under
development.
Office of
Economic
Development
(OED)
Address the problem of window
breaks in Downtown.
Enhance coordination among
businesses, Groundwerx and San José
Police Department (SJPD); follow up
on leads.
Increase the number of
reports taken and evidence
collected on window breaks.
Data tracking underway;
Standard Operating
Procedures under
development.
OED/
Groundwerx/
SJPD
Enhance safety perception through
greater SJPD visibility.
Launch Community Service Officer
Downtown Detail.
Additional business contacts,
report writing, and
investigatory support.
Full-time Community
Service Officers expected to
start in July; additional fulltime staffing dependent on capacity.
SJPD
Launch SJPD Field Training Operations
in and around the Downtown.
Increase SJPD’s activity level
in Downtown while providing
more officer visibility.
Program launched in June;
classes to continue on a
rolling basis.
SJPD
Category: Public Realm &
Activation
Goal: Improve the public realm of Downtown San José by enhancing and activating shared public spaces, supporting a more consistently positive visitor and resident experience.
Strategy Tactic Outcome Status Lead/
Partners
Beautify Santa Clara Street from 1st
to 4th streets.
Work with the PBID and execute
interventions. Phase 1: Paint two
buildings and replace every broken
window by Q3 2024.
Before-and-after
improvement in sentiment
among intercept survey
participants.
Working group formed.
$250,000 included in 24-25
budget to be matched by
private sector. Western
Dental slated to be painted by
August.
OED, PBID,
San José
Downtown
Association
(SJDA)
Improve Santa Clara St. as a
transportation corridor and as the
City’s preeminent downtown street
between Stockton and 17th St.
Carry out the Reimagining Santa Clara
Street project
The project will result in
● 10% plan set for preferred
streetscape concept
● Reimagining Santa Clara
Street Vision Document
● An Implementation Guide,
including cost estimates and a
funding strategy
City selected Sitelab Urban
Studio to lead effort, which
will get underway this
summer.
Department
of
Transportatio
n(DOT), OED
Fill vacant storefronts and enhance
services.
Expand Downtown Pop-Up Retail
Program.
Increased pedestrian and
business activity.
Two storefronts w/ five
businesses launched in May.
Next two storefronts on Post
Street leased; targeting July
launch.
OED, SJDA
Enhance the newly established San
Pedro Street pedestrian mall.
Install removable bollards and enhance
lighting; begin consistent programming
with SJDA.
Increase visits and use of
pedestrian walkway.
Bollard funding included in
2024-2025 budget;
programming plans
underway.
OED, PW,
SJDA
Enhance the pedestrian experience on
Post Street.
Initiate the Pedestrian Mall Law for
Post Street from First Street to
Lightston Alley as a next step from the
current pilot closure.
Permanent closure to
vehicular traffic of Post Street
and more consistent
activation.
Property owner outreach
under way; targeting Council
action by end of calendar
year 2024.
OED, Public
Works (PW),
DOT, City
Attorney’s
Office
(CAO), OCA,
SJDA
Encourage visitors to explore
Downtown and better navigate the
area.
Deploy new wayfinding signs; decluttering old ones; update the walking map.
Enhanced visitor navigation
and satisfaction to encourage
visitors to spend more time
downtown and visit more
areas.
Sign placement under
review; sign shop engaged.
OED, PW,
DOT
Category: Public Realm &
Activation
Goal: Improve the public realm of Downtown San José by enhancing and activating shared public spaces, supporting a more consistently positive visitor and resident experience.
Strategy Tactic Outcome Status Lead/
Partners
Improve and update the public realm
experience on Paseo de San Antonio
Work with San José State University
(SJSU) on improved branding and
wayfinding; work with consultant on a
shared vision and guidelines for use of
the public space.
Improved public space
utilization and aesthetics.
Paseo design consultant
engaged; launching efforts in
Q3 2024. 2024-2025 budget
includes $25,000 for Paseo
efforts in partnership with
SJSU.
OED, PW,
DOT,
Planning,
Building, and
Code
Enforcement
(PBCE)
Enhance the “college-town feel” of
Downtown
Continue co-branding partnership with
SJSU – expand banners, install Spartan
head at 7th and San Salvador
intersection.
Increased SJSU presence and
community integration.
Banner 2.0 design complete
and locations chosen; Spartan
head to be installed by
September
OED, DOT,
OCA
Organize entertaining and engaging
events in Downtown parks
Continue PRNS placemaking efforts:
Starlight Cinemas, Friends of Levitt
Pavilion concert series, and produce
four live performance-based
activations.
Attract more people to
Downtown’s parks through
new or enhanced activation
efforts in downtown parks.
Planning under way. PRNS, OCA,
SJDA
Improve Existing Downtown Park
Sites
Start construction on new parks in
North San Pedro District: City Gardens
and Elisabeth Boyer parks.
Attract more people to
Downtown by providing high
quality public spaces.
Projects going out to bid
now.
PRNS
Address blighted property concerns Demolish the former Ranger Station at Confluence Point
Elimination of graffiti and
trash magnet.
Projected to be demolished
by the end of 2024.
PRNS
Develop action plans for Top 3
blighted privately owned properties in
Downtown
Shared understanding of
issues, options, and resource
requirements.
Planning phase. OED, CAO,
PBCE (Code)
Continue Enhanced Vacant Building
Enforcement with a focus on
downtown buildings and storefronts
Ensure property owners are
maintaining their vacant
properties per standards.
Overall reduction in blight.
Pending budget approval of
re-budgeted funding,
Enhanced Vacant Building
Enforcement will continue
into FY 2024-2025.
PBCE (Code),
CAO
Category: Arts,
Entertainment and Culture
Goal: Support and grow our cultural anchors – arts, entertainment, events, and SJSU.
Strategy Tactic Outcome Status Lead/
Partners
Improve the reach and effectiveness
of downtown marketing and
promotions.
Enhance coordination of marketing
efforts among Team San José, SJDA
and OEDCA.
Develop shared marketing
plan and high-level
event/promotion calendar.
Planning stage OED, SJDA,
Team San
José
Make it easier to host certain events
Downtown
Expand SJ PLACES permitting for
more <500-person events.
Increase utilization of SJ
Places.
Launch phase. OCA
Financially support cultural festivals
and arts events
Distribute OCA grants totaling $1.8M
to support festivals, events and
organizations, with many of them (or
their events) located in Downtown.
Generate increased
Downtown attendance at
festivals and events.
Grantee list finalized. OCA
Enhance Downtown’s public art with
an iconic addition to San Pedro
Square.
Advance the fabrication of Lineal, the
planned sculpture for the San
Pedro/Market Street Garage.
A custom programmed
illuminated facade
enhancement for the San
Pedro/Market Street Garage
Construction contract going
out to bid this summer, and
both construction and artist
fabrication/install contract to
go to Council in fall.
OCA
Attract visitors with unique
entertainment experiences.
Co-sponsor SB 969 (Entertainment
Zone legislation), allowing for takeout
alcohol sales within certain Zones.
If passed/implemented,
enables increased foot traffic
and revenue for local
businesses.
Passed State Assembly;
under Senate consideration.
Intergovernm
ental
Relations
(IGR), OED,
SJPD
Enhance holiday attractions. Expand holiday projection lighting initiative from one to three locations.
Increased visitor engagement
and holiday spirit.
Planning stage. OED
Make Downtown a major hub for
2026 events (FIFA World Cup and
Super Bowl).
Begin regular meetings with Sports
Authority and other stakeholders.
Development of a plan,
including policy work,
fundraising efforts and
partnerships.
In progress. OED, OCA
Category: Business
Development and
Investment
Goal: Grow Downtown’s commercial and residential building base through progressive planning, development facilitation, investment/corporate attraction and infrastructure improvement.
Strategy Tactic Outcome Status Lead/
Partners
Retain existing corporate office
tenants
Meet with the top 20 office tenants
to address concerns.
Secure recommitments
from tenants.
Under way. OED
Attract new office tenants Explore Business Tax Incentive for new office leases
Increase in new office
leases; broker buzz.
Early exploration. OED, Finance
Explore Parking Incentive for
City-owned garages for new office
leases.
Increase in new office
leases; broker buzz.
Early exploration. OED, DOT
Develop enhanced CRE marketing
materials.
Increased interest from
potential tenants/brokers.
Planning stage. OED
Launch regular series of broker
breakfasts and other industry
gatherings.
Strengthened relationships
and increased information
flow.
Planning stage. OED
Reduce costs for new housing
development
Propose and implement a revised
Downtown residential high rise
incentive that reduces taxes and
fees for dense product housing
types.
Increased development
activity.
Proposed for June 18
Council meeting.
OED/PBCE/PRNS/Housing