December 17, 2004

Retail’s future in Evergreen

By City Councilmember
Dave Cortese
Special to the Times

If I had a nickel for every time a constituent asked me about retail in Evergreen, I could retire early and head for the hills.

Each and every inquiry is absolutely legitimate, and since becoming a City Councilmember in 2001, one of my major goals has been to find creative ways to improve existing retail in Council District 8 and bring new opportunities to the area.

On this front I am happy to report that on the horizon potentially are great things for Evergreen’s future.

As many of you are aware, Eastridge Mall has begun a significant “face-lift” that the community should see and feel come fall 2005. This multimillion-dollar construction project will bring a variety of attractions into one destination such as a vast food court, a multiplex theater, specialty shops and cafes.

The last two features are of particular interest because they will be located along a main street promenade that will enhance the shopping experience. San Jose’s East Side has been long overdue for a sparkling shopping experience that rivals West San Jose’s Valley Fair or South San Jose’s Oakridge.

Along a different front, a process called the Evergreen Visioning Project (EVP) has been underway since August 2003 to
try to address a longer-term vision for Evergreen’s future right now—one that will benefit San Jose residents and businesses today, and our children and grandchildren down the line.

EVP is governed by a Task Force, which consists of about 25 neighborhood association and community-based leaders representing an area of more than 100,000 residents. I have asked Evergreen landowners to re-direct development applications through this community-based planning process so the district’s development and infrastructure needs could be considered in totality.

The Task Force has prioritized retail development as a key consideration in this regard and has suggested great ways to advance this.

The first, and perhaps most provocative, is the idea to locate a “main street” through the Arcadia Property: a privately-held area bounded by Quimby Road, Capitol Expressway, Meadowfair Park and the Meadowfair Neighborhood.

Invoking images of Santana Row, this street would have commercial uses on the ground floor ranging from medical offices (a use which many people have said is lacking in Evergreen) to boutiques, as well as residences on the higher floors.

The street would be lined with shade-giving trees, benches and plazas—many of the features integral to creating a successful pedestrian-oriented corridor.

Another idea forwarded by the Task Force has been the rehabilitation of the shopping center at the southeast corner of Quimby and White Roads. While this center does contain a few neighborhood-serving stores, the overall center is in severe disrepair and largely is not serving the needs of the greater whole.

The Task Force has proposed focusing developer dollars into this area to lift it from its current “eyesore status” and propel it into a premier shopping and living experience. Similar to the Arcadia Property, commercial uses could line the ground floor with the potential for housing, possibly targeted for our senior community, on the subsequent levels.

There is also the possibility of adding a small anchor retail center at the southwest corner of the Pleasant Hills Golf Course, and Evergreen Valley College may be interested in expanding pedestrian retail opportunities on its site. The college district owns the land that houses the busy new shopping center at San Felipe and Yerba Buena Roads.

In all of these instances, Task Force members have reiterated their interest in not harming any existing retail and have therefore directed the city of San Jose to have a market retail study performed to determine how much retail Evergreen could absorb. This study is expected to be available by January or February and will be considered by the Task Force in their deliberations.

The end result is for people in Evergreen to feel as though their community offers a plethora of opportunities and experiences and lessen the need to go west of Highway 101 to find satisfaction. I invite your input in this regard, and like you, remain hopeful for Evergreen’s prosperous future.

If you have any questions for Councilmember Cortese or his staff, contact them at (408) 277-5242 or by e-mail at dave. cortese@sanjoseca.gov.