A few weeks ago, I attended MacWorld for my company. As I was driving to San Francisco, fighting traffic every step of the way, I had a thought: Why am I driving to San Francisco for this show?
After I paid my $23 for parking (and we think we have issues here) near the Moscone Center and got inside the convention center, I was awed by the size and scale of this show and the sheer volume of people attending. I know, our rinky-dink convention center does not have the capability of hosting a show anywhere near that size; but why should that be? Why can’t we get it together as a city to make our convention center a place where these world-class shows can come?
Can you imagine the revenue for restaurants, shops and hotels when thousands of people flood to a show of this size from all over the world? The impact on San Jose and the boost to the economy would be amazing. It seems that, with all the money thrown around on City Hall and other large-scale projects, the city could expand the San Jose McEnery Convention Center so it can host more than the local flea market (and not inside a tent either).
Perhaps now that Chuck Reed is at the helm, he will be able to find a way to get the people of San Jose to trust him enough to take on an event of this size and do something for the future of our local companies.
Then, the 10th largest city will have one more reason to act like it.
Good point. Small minds do small things, The first thing that needs to be done is getting a person that knows what needs to be done in getting shows here without getting sued.
We will never have the great big shows like Macworld but that being said I’m not sure that (DAN FETON) is doing his job? and somebody please tell me why the paper has to out these guys you have a guy making 250K a year that has to answer to nobody, wheres the line for that job?
Now that no neck Ron & Cindy are gone I expect a few more surprises along the way.
The answer to funding is taxation and naming rights. Are the people of san jose willing to invest tax money in the convention center. And will san jose and the McEnery family allow the center to be renamed?
I will give the first few name ideas:
San Jose Flea Market Convention Center
SJPD’s Safest most boring city convention center
Napper: Good point about taking the train to the City. Weekday Caltrain service is getting pretty good although the 4th and Townsend station location in the City is still a bit out of the way if you’re going to Moscone. However, one can always transfer to BART at Millbrae or hop a MUNI bus at the Caltrain station.
On weekends when Caltrain is a bit slow and only running hourly there is also the option of driving to Fremont or Millbrae and taking BART.
Single Gal: A much larger, signature convention center is part of the vision of FirstACT San Jose, the cultural and arts initiative headed up by executives of the Children’s Discovery Museum and San Jose Art Museum. A beautiful concept, involving a joint venture between the convention center and the art museum was floated, but talks broke down. (Perhaps someone has a web link to the conceptual drawings?)
Revival of the FirstACT San Jose vision on a grand convention center is currently being pushed as a priority by the “First 500 Days” program of the San Jose Downtown Assn., which has already been presented to Mayor Reed.
It would be a great thing for local hotels, Valley corporations and arts groups to get behind this aspect of the FirstACT vision. The city is, of course, not in fiscal shape to do it alone.
We could call the Convention Center “Everything is Free and Brad Pitt is Here” and it wouldn’t change anything…
While I always appreciate Single Gal’s recommendations, forgive me if I start to tremble whenver people in San Jose start talking about Big Projects. I think City Hall. I think The Pavilion. I think the Airport. I think the Sobrato Tower. I think we do better when we Think Small.
And re: caltrain ridership—a good way to void the 4th and Townsend outtatheway-ness is to transfer at the Millbrae Caltrain station and take BART into S.F.—same time and you get dropped off at better location.
San Jose has a dinky convention center and airport because the city thinks small; therefore, it gets small facilities + treatment and respect. The skyline is small because of the airport is just 2 miles north of downtown and built in the 1930’s when San Jose was a hick town. It’s really the city’s own fault. Just read the national press, and the city is treated in the league as Fresno, Newark, Hartford, and Topeka. It’s minor league city, really!
Repeat after me:
San Jose is not San Francisco
San Jose is not San Francisco
San Jose is not San Francisco
Yes SF has a bigger convention center, but it is a very very very small reason why conventions are held in SF and not SJ.
SF is a tourist destination and San Jose never will be. No matter what we build and what free subsidies we provide, we will never have the picturesque hills, bay and bridges. We are a suburban city of neighborhoods, and we choose to live here because we like low crime rates, good schools, shopping malls, and single family homes with yards, so let’s embrace it.
Let’s stop flushing all the RDA money into downtown and start sharing with the neighborhood business districts. Let’s make San Jose a great place to live and improve our parks, libraries, and schools.
Stop chasing a dream that will never become a reality. If you want to live in city, move to the city.
SG – do you really think anyone in the city would sign off on an expansion of the already underutilized McEnery Center in light of the history of the construction of the GonzoDome?
Single Gal,
Next time you go to San Francisco, try the train. Roundtrip is $ 13.50 Caltrain station is across the street from the Sharks arena. Time is about 90 minutes or about 1 hour if you ride the “bullet train”and no parking or gasoline costs. A very pleasant and non-stressful trip. A starbucks shop is just 1/2 block from the station so you will have all the amenities that we enjoy in San Jose. Oh and you might meet a handsome businessman commuter and not be a “single gal” anymore.
Single Gal:
Sorry, but you are wrong. The big shows do not come here because is nothing significant to offer the attendees of the big shows. Even if we had the convention center of the appropriate size, you would be lucky to get the size of show you are talking about more than once every few years. The big shows I have attended over the last 5 years are all in cities that have something significant to offer. Philadelphia, Chicago, Orlando, New Orleans, New York, Las Vegas, San Antonio and yes, San Francisco. I am sorry but although I live and work here, I cannot see how San Jose can compete with any of those places. I enjoyed each and every one of those shows as well as thousands of other people and don’t see how they would be attracted to San Jose. We are a flat suburb. Trusting Chuck Reed will not change this. I trust that Chuck Reed will do a good job and will use some common sense. To increase the size of the convention center would just be dumping money down a black hole. It would never generate a return. If San Jose were such a big attraction, the Grand Prix would be paying money to be here instead of demanding millions to stay. This is not a tourist town. I don’t imagine people saying, Honey, we need to get to San Jose to see the Fallon House. People line up for hours to see Independence Hall or the Liberty Bell. That is a real tourist attraction and part of history. Something San Jose does not have. While Fallon House may have local significance, it does not have an international identity. We do not have anything that has international identity that would entice a large convention and a convention center alone will not do that. It is underutliized now and will just be a bigger empty space.
John this one’s for you…..
HEADLINE: ACCOSTED IN FRONT OF SJ’s EBAY CONVENTION CENTER!
In a horrific act of desperation, Mayor Chuck Reed was accosted by former Mayor Ron Gonzales (Gonzo). Gonzo in fear that the new “no lying, no cheating, and come on folks small amount of stealing” will illuminate any chance of prosperity for his consulting business. Correction, his wife’s consulting business. Reed, unable to return to mayor-ship will be succeeded by Vice Mayor Coretese. Mayor Dave Cortese and head of the transition team(s) both Reed and now Cortese, former mayor, land owner of most of San Jose, Bellermine alum, and all around nice guy Tom McEnery rename the convention center in Reed’s honor. The name to be unveiled at the Tom McEnery annual benefit dinner benefitting Tom McEnery was leaked. The new name is “San Jose,CA south of San Francisco Convention Center”
With the new name at convention center Businesses are lining up at the Elm Correctional Facility to seek advice from Tony Arreola and Sean Kali-Rai. The Gap is considering moving headquarters to SJ, H&M, West Elm and Potterybarn flagships are expected to brake ground next fall.
” The answer to funding is taxation and naming rights ” – You are either new to San Jose or been asleep for last 5 years
San Jose taxpayers are unwilling to invest more money in losing downtown after $2 billion + and last 10 year history of poor large project management – City Hall, Big Tent, gifts of public funds to many groups, RDA projects etc
Naming Rights were given away to McEnery for no money – So can not sell naming right
City does not have money after years of Council poor management and wasting millions
I think that the problem is that people need trust Chuck Reed and the new administration because of he GonzoDome and how that ruined the trust they had for the city and the way they spent money. Which I agree, will be hard. I think that people who say to not put money into the underutilized Convention Center are missing the point – the reason its underulitized is because the big shows can’t fit!
SG,
We got the point, but like the GonzoDome, we are done with the McEnery redevelopment experiment. MacWorld is not coming to downtown San Jose, and it not because the convention center is too small. San Jose is not a tourist city.
We have been dumping too many tax dollars into downtown for too long. The general fund is suffering for it and the rest of San Jose is suffering for it.
San Jose to SG, why do you think the parks are going unmaintained and people have to wait in line to get a sports field?
Dave Milton, your post is the most important one in this thread and the problem you cite is the easiest one to change.
San Jose thinks small because its predominantly small-minded electorate puts similar small minds into office. We have a small thinker from Topeka in charge now, so expect more of the same hick town decisions for another four years.
I don’t think half the people who come for shows actually see the sights, they are working and especially tech geeks, they rarely leave their wireless internet connection in their hotel rooms!
Why do companies locate here? The companies are in San Jose…and the outlying areas, I really don’t think it would be hard to encourage people to come to San Jose for a show. Look at the networking possibilities.
I see your point Michael Schwerin, but I disagree that it isn’t possible.
Hey don’t knock the tourist possibilities of the Fallon House and the Peralta Adobe! That is about 15 minutes of fun right there – and when you are a tech geek, that is something!
WITH ALL THIS NAMING THING WHY DON’T WE SELL SAN JOSE NAME. ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR A NEW CITY NAME?
I’m with number 2, if Single Gal gets married would we then have to refer to her as Married Gal? As for a new City name too bad Gotham has already been taken!!
#14 Michael,
We have the history, we just destroyed the buildings.
John H –
Let’s just cross that bridge when we come to it. I wouldn’t hold your breath to see Married Gal and MacWorld at the top of any articles anytime soon.
I mean, look at the crop of men I have to choose from. They are angry!
yeah, the $5.25 million to save the Fallon House has brought tons of folks here, I’m sure. The painters’ netting has been around it for months now. I guess the original $500k opaint job wasn’t so good after all.Portions of the fence along St. John are broken. The Peralta Adobe is rarely open. What a waste.
So, all you sanctimonious PAC folks—get out and raise some $$ to fix it up again.
I totally agree with # 14 San Jose has nothing to offer. Other than scandal in the last few years. Putting money into expanding the conventiton center is idiotic, didn’t the VOTER’s / Taxpayers vote against the expansion. Who is the idiot that thinks they can sneak an expansion past the citizens of this city? Team San Jose tried with that STUPID circus tent that is in a parking lot… How shameful is that eyesore. It really looks like crap! I would like the City Council to tell us why Team San Jose needed that fire trap? Why did they waste $7 million of our tax dollars for that TENT? It appears that somone has been watching too much Barrett-Jackson on the Speed Channel, and they copied the TENT idea.
Lets see if I have this correct. Hmmmm, POWER + MONEY+BAD IDEA’S = STUPIDITY I think that any civic’s or mathmatics professor would agree with that computation!
San Jose Has NOTHING to offer except the Winchester Mystery House. And that is over priced.
Single Gal you are correct, we would have to call you Married Nerd Gal!!!!!
Geez, I really feel sorry for all you folks out there (living here, actually) who insist that there is “nothing to do here”, “nothing worth seeing”, etc. Just what is it that you folks like? I’ve lived here my whole life and never get tired of the great weather, the east foothills (whether they’re green in winter/spring or the gold of summer); Opera, Ballet, AMTSJ, Symphony, the Rep, City Lights Theatre, concerts at the Pavilion; Cinequest, Jazz Festival, etc., etc. True, we got rid of way too many of our historic buildings and put up, uh, OK let’s just call it crap, but we finally came to our senses and stopped that nonsense while we still had some decent architecture left. So my question to you folks who keep yammering about how crummy this town is: why don’t you leave?
Ah, the old “Love It or Leave It” argument. We don’t leave because we want to make the place better than it is. We also see the potential that has yet to be reached. We are hopeful that others will face reality and see this city for what it is and work to make it better. Leaving is the easy way out. Staying and working to make things better is harder—it takes time, energy, and commitment.
As for demolishing our historic buildings, we have not come to our senses yet. While there is hope for improvement, there are currently at least two historic buildings threatened with demolition: Almaden Feed and Fuel and IBM Building 25. There are probably others so the fight continues.
#25. Don’t feel sorry for me. I love living here after spending my first 25 years in Chicago. The weather is great and to be able to golf year round is a great perk. But just because the weather is great and the golf is good does not mean the tourists will come and we should spend the millions of dollars it will take to increase the size of the convention center. There is a difference between living here every day and making a living and enjoying myself and going someplace for a conference or vacation. I could not see coming here for a vacation or a conference. It would just not be my destination of choice. When I was 14 my family came out here on vacation to visit an aunt and uncle living in Sunnyvale. We never once visited San Jose but we sure went up to San Francisco a number of times. There was nothing significant to draw us here then and there still isn’t. So, why spend millions more to make the convention center bigger and emptier?
Depressed read this story about the Convention Center and tell me you can be happy.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/16512518.htm