New plans have been revealed for a 17-story residential tower at 826 North Winchester Boulevard in San Jose, Santa Clara County. Renderings revealed by the Bay Area News Group show two towers rising from the same podium and connected with a curving skybridge. San Jose-based VCI Company is responsible for the proposal.
This most recent proposal is the second pitch in recent years to redevelop the well-positioned plot. Plans were filed in February of last year by Kenneth Koch for a five-story apartment complex with 100 market-rate homes and retail. However, those plans were withdrawn in early April, and the site was foreclosed in June.
826 North Winchester Boulevard rooftop amenity deck, rendering by VCI Companies
826 North Winchester Boulevard aerial view highlighting the potential skybridge connecting the two residential towers, rendering via VCI Companies
VCI’s proposal is certainly taller, with two towers extending up 14 and 17 floors tall in a mostly suburban neighborhood with some four-story apartments. has yet to submit any applications to the city’s planning department. The project was first shared with the neighborhood in a late January meeting hosted by the Cory Neighborhood Association.
The 17-story plan will span 179,250 square feet with 135 apartments, roughly 25,000 square feet of retail, a 170-car garage, and 18,800 square feet of privately owned public open space. The POPOS extends to a landscaped second-story deck. Apartment types include 70 one-bedrooms and 65 two-bedrooms. VCI has said 20 units will be designated as affordable housing. Residential amenities include a rooftop deck, indoor facilities within the skybridge, and a third-floor courtyard with a pool deck.
826 North Winchester Boulevard ground-level courtyard, rendering by VCI Companies
826 North Winchester Boulevard, aerial view with Westfield Valley Fair and Santana Row visible to the left, rendering by VCI Companies
Renderings show the steel-frame towers wrapped with curtain-wall glass above an L-shaped podium deck. The two-story base will include roughly 25,000 square feet for retail. While the skybridge with a warren truss pattern is the most notable feature of the tower, portions of the curtainwall will be carved out with columns of inset private balconies. The project architect is not listed.
The 0.6-acre property is in the Cory neighborhood at the corner of North Winchester Boulevard and West Hedding Street. Future residents will be just two blocks from the Westfield Valley Fair and four blocks from Santana Row, two of South Bay’s most prominent shopping malls.
826 North Winchester Boulevard site map, illustration by VCI Companies
826 North Winchester Boulevard, image by Google Satellite
Alec Wang, president of a real estate financing firm named Brenance, is listed as the property owner. YIMBY could not independently verify the identity of VCI Companies or the VCI director of entitlements, Kelly Erardi. City records show that VCI purchased the site in September last year for $6.5 million.
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I would love to see little towers like this sprout all over the south bay, but I imagine the neighbors in this area will be up in arms over this.
Macy’s is leaving the most important city in the Bay, they would literally shoot themselves in the foot with a gun if they wanted to
I already see a lot of it happening in Santa Clara and some parts of San Jose. It’s encouraging, especially in downtown San Jose where there are height restrictions due to the nearby airport
Builder’s Remedy, by definition, enables this greatly.
But I have yet to see any large Builder’s Remedy project get to the point of dirt-moving and cranes.
This needs to be built
Please add my name to your affordable apartments waiting list for a one bedroom apartment.
Thank you
We need one in Moutain View at Dale Ave., close to El Camino Real.
Someone’s thinking! Residential highrise near Westfield Valley Fair and Santana Row! I believe this will spurt new vertical developments outside downtown core in very near future!!!
I wonder if the sentiment on the people that say this is wonderful and “needs to be built” would still feel that way if it was next to their house ….
My neighbors and I are in one story houses. I don’t want a tall building, 2 blocks from my house where residents can look into my backyard. Where are they going to park? I already have competition for street parking on my street.
This is a terrible eye sore to a neighborhood . The roads we have on Hedding can’t even handle the flow now. . Not neighborhood friendly. Make something that is not 17 stories. Make something reasonable. It’s funny because the developers said at the meeting the wanted to be good to the community. Well that was just a lie.
This is ridiculous. First proposing 11 stories, now increase to 17 stories. The builder and the owner is really doesn’t care of the neighborhood and the surrounding resident’s privacy. Just want to make money for it. Doesn’t care about bringing the whole neighbor to trash. Why don’t you go listen to what people has to say. Highly rejected.
This 17 story building will overlook a halfway house that shares its backyard fence and is currently housing 10 previously incarcerated people including five (5) ex-felons convicted of forcible sexual assault and lewd and lascivious acts against children under 14 years of age. Check the Megan’s Law website for yourself because the builder of the halfway house didn’t disclose what he intended the property for either (2470 Woodland Avenue San Jose). Whether it is a 17 story building or a house of felons, these property owners are not disclosing truthful information to the surrounding community.
I grew up in the neighborhood and my two daughters live there now. You are proposing a 17 story is way too tall! You need to limit it to 5 stories, max! Traffic is bad enough as it is, adding a 17 story is way too big and will cause traffic problems.
A low rise residential building similar to the other recent nearby projects could be a reasonable proposal. The added traffic will cause too many problems and a high rise does not even fit the neighborhood with the nearest high rise 10 miles away in downtown San Jose. The parking for a high rise on the tiny lot is ridiculous. The existing building only has 28 parking spaces. 170 parking spaces would require a minimum of 6 stories of underground parking.