Westbank has submitted updated plans to pivot from offices to housing to replace the Charles Davidson Building at 255 West Julian Street in Downtown San Jose, Santa Clara County. The project was one of several high-profile projects within the Westbank masterplan developed in collaboration with Urban Community. This shift marks the fourth iteration for the vacant freeway-side parcel and the second time Urban Community proposed housing.
255 West Julian Street, via Google Street View
Residential proposal for 255 West Julian Street from 2018, development by Terrascape Ventures LLC
Last week, Westbank submitted the updated permits with the city Planning Department, outlining a potential 18-story mixed-use tower with housing, commercial space, and four floors of below-grade parking. Arbor, as the project is named, is located next to 201 West Julian Street, where the team and Studio Gang have collaborated on another 18-story residential tower. Studio Gang will still be involved as the architect for Arbor, though the design has yet to be shared.
Prior plans for Arbor by Urban Community started in 2018 with two 17-story apartment towers, with 653 apartments and 10,250 square feet of retail. By 2019, Urban Community pivoted to a 14-story office tower designed by Arquitectonica. In 2020, Urban Community and Westbank collaborated on the 14-story office building, which has around half a million square feet.
Terraine at 201 West Julian Street establishing view, rendering by Studio Gang
Arbor at 255 West Julian Street vertical elevation, rendering by Westbank and Studio Gang
The 2018 bid would yield 653 new residential units between two 17-story buildings with 10,250 square feet of ground-floor retail and parking for about as many cars as units. The next design was for new office buildings to be built on the 78,000-square-foot site. This most recent proposal will renovate the existing building and place beside it a new 14-story office project.
The project is located directly across from 188 West Saint James, a two-towered apartment complex developed by Z & L Properties with 640 apartments, 26,500 square feet fo retail, and parking. The project, of course, is best recognized today for allegations and guilty pleas related to corruption and bribery. Z & L was fined $1 million related to bribing San Francisco officials related to construction at 1554 Market Street.
The estimated cost and timeline for construction have yet to be shared.
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Nice just 10 min walk to future downtown San Jose BART. Which will likely open when this opens given current economic conditions lol.
Ross Gellar : “PIVAAAT!!”
It is an excellent decision to pivot. I hope it gets built in a timely manner.
Meanwhile, a huge lot on the corner of El Camino Real and Spruce Ave in South San Francisco sits empty for many years because the developer messed up with financing and the city is too lazy to find a developer who is ready to go, even with a different project…
Yeah, that lot should have a 20-story building on it.
But don’t other developers approach the city of their own accord? I thought developers are proactive about this sort of thing.
Like every proposed new downtown San Jose development, I will believe it when I see it. Talk is cheap. Renderings are NOT buildings.