Welcome to “Mission Green,” San Jose’s Neighborhood of the Future
Last week, I put forth the idea for a Google or Yahoo “Search and Discover Museum” to be developed at the old Martin Luther King Library property on W. San Carlos. Before such an exciting project (or any other project) could be built there, space would have to be found for the 150 or more city employees who currently hold their offices there.
What if a major developer offered to put up a new building at the old City Hall site that would provide space for these city employees and some additional office space for the already crowded and soon-to-be expanding police department, in exchange for the rights to develop a mixed-use project on the site?
Let’s call the new development at First and Mission Streets, “Mission Green.” All aspects of the Mission Green project would feature the latest advances in green technology and environmentally-friendly construction (i.e. use of recycled building materials, solar panels on every roof, high-tech windmills, etc). Mission Green could become a showcase development for other cities to follow. The project could help to promote San Jose’s image as a worldwide leader in the effort to develop green technology and the promotion of eco-friendly building practices.
Imagine the appeal of a new housing development that would be environmentally-friendly, have a police station down the street and a light-rail station right outside its door! From the ashes of the old City Hall, San Jose’s neighborhood of the future could rise!
Note: One rumor swirling around City Hall is that the county would like to acquire the old City Hall property site and would be willing to trade the Fairgrounds property to the city for the rights to the First and Mission site.
it makes since for the County to take over the old CH and try to consolidate most of their staff at the civic center area. They should also develoip that parking lot north of Hedding. Right now, it’s an eyesore. They could build a multi-story car park and offices. All of the parking should not be replaced, rather they should encourage people to take transit, since it’s right on the light rail line.
In my view, five acres of the old city hall site (which I’m told is at least 17 acres) should be set aside for a downtown hospital in anticipation of the day (expected within the next 15 years according to a consultant study commissioned jointly by the city and county) when a downtown hospital will be an absolute necessity.
Currently, there is a “stakeholder process” to determine what should be done with the shuttered San Jose Medical Center site on Santa Clara St. But the process (like most of them) is illusory because the owner, HCA, has made clear that it will not allow the property to serve as a hospital site. So the City of San Jose has two options: (1) take the site by eminent domain, paying just compensation for it; or (2) locate another site downtown for a hospital.
The second option is least painful to a city in a budget crisis, especially if the city can find another worthy site it already owns. The best of these sites (perhaps the only one) is the old city hall site, which is well situated along light rail and adjacent to Highway 87.
Long term smart planning necessitates that a site be identified for a future hospital in the downtown, which will be growing substantially with high-rise residential housing. Failure to plan now for the eventuality will mean that in 15 years or so we will need to condemn and raze a large parcel of developed land to build the necessary hospital—probably in a residential neighborhood and at astronomical cost. Better to land-bank five acres of the old city hall site for that day which we know is coming.
Sounds good Pete, but what about all those consultant fees that would have to be paid …
Don,
Can I have just a drop of whatever you put in your coffee or a pinch of whatever you put in your brownies.
The old city hall could never be used and brought up to code for a hospital.
Why don’t we make the old city hall a public pool / bathhouse!
Gee, a city government headquarters next to a county government headquarters, located directly on a light rail line, with close freeway access…oh, that’s right we moved it from there to a location away from the county headquarters, not on a light rail line, poor freeway access, etc.
Maybe it should be left as it is as a monument to poor planning.
I say if the county is ready to trade our old city hall for the fairgrounds real estate we should jump at the chance. We are in dire need of more parks and sports fields. There is no other site in the city with as much potential.
It seems fairly obviouse what to do. Reduce the size of city government sufficiently to fit in the old CH. This will relieve the concerns of out of control benefits and get the budget in shape.
The new CH can then be fittted out to be a nice hospital.
Greg #1:
You might be right about Ruffo. I do not know the details, but I’m guessing that the heirs might be willing to “make a deal.” After all, they’re getting ZERO under the current arrangement.
Pete Campbell
# 3 Good thinking Don.
Another thing to consider if there is a land swap; move the Berryessa Flea Market to the fairgrounds. The city would make a fortune on the parking fees along!
Nice job Pete. I hope you decide to run for City Council one day Pete. You’ve got my support if you do!
Not a rumor though. The County does want to exchange the fair grounds for the old City Hall. Would be a great swap! The fair grounds are huge.
During our Public Health and Safety Transition Committee Meeting, the Fire Chief suggested it would be a great place for the Fire Department. Apparently, right now they don’t have enough room for training, admin etc., all in the same building. Either way, they need to do something with the building. Time and money’s a wastin!
#8—yeah, and the GonzoDome could be a surgical amphitheatre.
#5 (RU Kidding): I’m not suggesting that the old city hall “building” become a hospital, but instead that five acres of the 17-acre property be set aside for a hospital to be built on the site.
Good suggestion on use of the site. With Valley Med totally overcrowded these days, there also might be an interest on the county’s part to use part of the site for medical facilities; they’ve outgrown the Valley Med site and will have to be looking elsewhere in the future. And, while a pool/water park idea was tossed out there with a smile, water therapy is a big component of rehabilitation; a pool adjacent to a medical site would provide both recreation and rehabilitation opportunities.
In any case, it’s public land and should remain public land. We have the county who needs more room, the city needing fire and police expansion capabilities and the need for a hospital closer to downtown. Our regional emergency response teams could certainly benefit from localized space to coordinate in case of disaster. Since this land is adjacent to public transportation and Hwy 87, retaining this for the public use should be a top priority. Under no circumstances should it be turned over for housing.
Don – I do think that you’re on to something with your land-banking idea. Hopefully, the current discussions about what to do with the old City Hall – and other potential acreage of vacant or unused land – will become part of the community planning process associated with the long-overdue update to the General Plan. Quite frankly, I think that the land-use ideas submitted by local residents dwarf the well-intentioned “good ideas” discussed and promoted by our elected officials and the Mercury News.
Another blathering comment from Pete “Chuck lets me cut his lawn” Campbell.
Why not use the MLK Building for a expanded downtown school for kids, Pete.
Never thought of that, did you?
Like Chuck, you think education is something the poor do not need!
Pete, I seem to recall that the old City Hall property was willed to San Jose in the 1940’s, and that the will contained a covenant that the land could not be sold without the property reverting to the heirs. Al Ruffo’s lawsuit a few years back revealed something to that effect. Do you have any details on that issue?
Hey, Jay—Maybe if you went to school you’d know the city does not provide schools. Look up the various levels of government—yew culd lern sumthng.
#2 Hugh Jardonn,
Holmes, learn to spell, you sound like your uneducated.
1. City and University created the library and own it jointly,
2. Cities could provide land and buildings to private and public entities, AND DO IT ALL THE TIME, YOU NITWIT.
Why not cut KB Homes loose on the old city hall and library site- we need more traffic and more people to add to the confusion-just look what Barry Swenson is doing to the old Alma bowling alley site ,but wait where are all these people supposed to get there groceries, 5 or 6 miles away ,and the nice rough and pot holed Alma Ave is just about the same condition it was 100 years ago when horses and buggys rode on it. The same goes for Willow Glen Place that is nowhere near Willow Glen but the name sounded good. The street or trail to get there, who cares about that. Minnesota Ave between Meridian Ave and Weaver Dr might as well be dirt ,less then an 1/8 of a mile. Its ok, leave it alone and since when did the bridge over Los Gatos Creek and Meridian Ave become a parking lot? Built in 1948 and cracked in more than one or two places. While I am at it, did anyone tell all the home buyers at Dairy Hill and Communications Hill that they are right on top of a live surface fault and the quicksilver thats been there for who knows how long plus the numerous indian burial sites all around them?