Community & Economic Development Committee
August 24, 2026
Item (d)2 Economic Development Activities
Semi-Annual Status Report
Blage Zelalich, Deputy Director
City Manager’s Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs (OEDCA) Arts, Culture and Creative Programming
Public Art Across Downtown
Four illuminated works displayed from
January to July
Free Throw projection mapping
animated SAP Center’s eastern façade
in a collaboration with SJSU
Gaiascope transformed the Circle of
Palms into an immersive art experience
Hometown Heroes with 55 local artists
Dance Now, Think Later 2026
Six CityDance World Stage events
activated Downtown in June
Enhanced Film Permit Program
New website and email improved
access for applicants
75% increase in permits since program
launch February – July 2026
2 Major Events Spur Activations and Economic Vitality
NVIDIA GTC 2026:
35,942 GTC-related visitors,
nearly 78% above 2025
Generated approximately 360,000
Downtown visits, up 16.2% Y-O-Y
NCAA MARCH MADNESS:
Sweet 16 and Elite Eight men’s
college basketball games hosted
at SAP Center
FIFA World Cup:
Nearly 1M visits to Downtown
Programming in all 10 Council
districts
Entertainment Zones activated for
54 days, including 39 for World Cup February – July 2026 3 Fostering Thriving Businesses + Business Districts
Storefronts Grant Program: $490K distributed to
49 businesses
Small Business Start-Up Grant: 800 applicants, 21
initial grants of $5K or $10K totaling $155K will support early-stage small businesses, with expanded funding
planned to provide additional awards.
Neighborhood Economic Grant: $137,000 program
launched in July to catalyze commercial corridor
investment. Anticipate at least 3 awards of $25K to $45K.
Expressions of Interest due October 2.
Business Improvement Districts (BIDs):
Established four districts along The Alameda,
East Village, Story Road and Alum Rock Ave
Four existing BIDs renewed, including Downtown
Combined FY 26 - 27 BID budget $1.49 Million,
6K+ assessed businesses
February – July 2026
4 Fostering Thriving Businesses + Business Districts
Empréndete 2026: Spanish-language
entrepreneurship event demonstrated continued
demand for culturally and linguistically accessible
business resources, education, and networking
opportunities
San José Works Summer Program:
More than 200 youth participated in the June
kickoff. Participants received onboarding support,
transportation assistance and preparation for paid
worksite placements.
Notable Business Openings:
STRĀTA
T&T Supermarket
Las Cazuelas #2
Sakura Market
5 February – July 2026
San José Positioned for Investment and Expansion
Key Engagements:
SPIE Advanced Lithography -
Semiconductor leaders and
Supply-chain companies
Manufacturing Day at SAP Center -
Advanced Manufacturing, Biotech,
Photonics, Medical Devices and
Data Centers
NAIOP I.CON West - Industrial real
estate developers, Investors,
Brokers and Site Selectors
Silicon Valley Economic Forum -
Venture Capital, Family offices and
Investors
TechEx - AI, Data Centers, IoT,
Automation and Cybersecurity February – July 2026
6 International Affairs
Dublin Sister City Delegation Visit: A delegation
led by the Dublin Lord Mayor visited San José for
four days, commemorating 40 years of our Sister
City relationship.
International Innovation and Investment
Summit: Inaugural event that convened investors,
executives and economic development partners. A
bus tour highlighted innovation corridors, major
employers and development sites. The executive
summit at Zoom headquarters featured a keynote
by CEO Eric Yuan.
Foreign Trade Zone 18 Activity: Four new
applications approved, a 33% increase in program
participation. Six additional FTZ applications are
under federal review.
February – July 2026
7 OEDCA Welcomes A New Team Member
Chris Shafer
Economic Data Analyst
Leads the collection, analysis,
and application of economic data
Informs policy development,
business engagement and support
Supports strategic initiatives that
advance investment, development,
job creation and revenue generation
February – July 2026
8 Community & Economic Development Committee
August 24, 2026
Item (d)2 Economic Development Activities
Semi-Annual Status Report
Blage Zelalich, Deputy Director
City Manager’s Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs (OEDCA)