Revised plans have surfaced for the El Paseo De Saratoga development in southwest San Jose. The latest iteration would result in fewer homes, slashes the apartments above the Whole Foods grocery store, and bring on a new architecture team. Sand Hill Property Company is responsible for the application.
El Paseo Whole Foods box store, rendering by Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Lantz Boggio Architects
El Paseo senior housing aerial view, rendering by Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Lantz Boggio Architects
The permits were filed in early December but remained uncovered until reporting by George Avalos for the Bay Area News Group. The application suggests changes to the three residential buildings as part of the El Paseo Signature Plan. The tallest building is now expected to rise 12 floors, or 136 feet tall, with 376 apartments and 13,500 square feet of retail. The next tallest will rise 10 floors, or 102 feet tall, with 371 apartments and 15,500 square feet of retail. The shorter building will be seven floors tall, or 80 feet. The building will be a 120-room senior residential care facility.
El Paseo senior housing side-view, rendering by Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Lantz Boggio Architects
El Paseo parking lot view, rendering by Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Lantz Boggio Architects
A conventional box-style store will be constructed to house the new Whole Foods. According to Avalos’s reporting, “construction lenders nixed the idea and forced Sand Hill Property to propose a conventional stand-alone grocery store on that site.” While the new plans will be easier to finance and construction will be able to start sooner, it will reduce the overall residential count from 994 to 867 units.
El Paseo de Saratoga site roughly outlined by SFYIMBY, image courtesy Google Satellite
Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Lantz Boggio Architects are collaborating as the development architects. Lantz Boggio Architects is a Colorado-based firm that specializes in senior care and interior design. Renderings show the three buildings will have a characteristic contemporary design with articulated curtain-wall skin punctuated by balconies and setbacks.
The estimated timeline for construction has yet to be established.
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Bleh – another big apartment along a wide stroad. No one is going to comfortable cross the street and walk for their daily errands and activities. I’m counting 9 lanes? One thing I appreciate about SF is pretty much all new construction is required to improve the pedestrian experience by planting trees, adding curb extensions, public seating, greenery, etc. in some cases they add pedestrianized pathways and public open space.
1.5k people suddenly added to the space isn’t going to help all the traffic issues that plague the area.
I blame San Jose for not reducing lanes and promoting walk ability as it approved projects. The developers are just following the requirements.
“1.5k people suddenly added to the space isn’t going to help all the traffic issues that plague the area.”
False. Half of the retail spots within walking distance of this are vacant. New people nearby will restore a lot of their business.
To not have apartments above the Whole Foods is the most BoomerNIMBY meme ever.
It is amazing how NIMBYs think reducing lanes will improve traffic.
A walking bridge across Saratoga Ave. is clearly a far better answer. There can be park benches on the bridge.
lol Kartik – I’m far from NIMBY. I follow this site like it’s my religion and comment on most posts (literally). That said- what you’re describing sounds a lot like Las Vegas. Which I wouldn’t consider peak urbanism.
I’m don’t agree that removing traffic lanes will reduce traffic, but I’m saying that space should be designed to promote the various modes of transit. For ex, you put in a protected bike lane and encourage people to bike, or put a bus lane / 3 car lanes, or a wide sidewalk, etc. In this case, having 9 lanes for traffic only encourages driving. Even if you can walk, people will choose the option that’s right in their face. In Mountain View where I’m from people literally never walk across the street to the other strip mall, they drive. It’s just how people are accustomed. But in SF, I literally would never remark my car to cross the street because it’s physically closer. Anyway, San Jose isn’t designed that way. That’s my point. Developers are making due with the plots of land they are allowed.
Pedestrian bridges are terrible lol. They are the result of conceding that the ground level plane should be dominated by cars instead of people, so you force pedestrians to waste time by navigating up and down stairs to cross a road rather than redesigning the road to better serve non-car users.
This is a very, very suburban neighborhood. Even after this construction, there is no ability to make the ground mostly pedestrian. After there are 50,000 housing units in 4+ story buildings we can re-assess.
Great project; area needs it along with the new Costco.
And where will the water come from? Sick of they constant droughts we had, but they keep building anyway. Politicians never think about that. Just how much tax money they can make from it and then how waste it. Traffic is bad enough as well.