Construction is underway on the retail portion of Jay Paul Co.’s CityView project in downtown San Jose, while plans for the residential component continue to evolve.
The project’s first phase will include about 35,000 to 40,000 square feet of ground-floor retail with a parking garage above it. Construction is underway at Park Avenue and Almaden Boulevard.
The retail space is targeted for completion in the first quarter of 2028, according to Jay Paul COO Maia Harris.
Harris said the space could include shops, restaurants and businesses focused on health, wellness or child care.
Jay Paul is working with a retail consultant to refine the tenant mix, Harris said.
Harris said Jay Paul is targeting multiple audiences: office workers, downtown residents, people at the convention center and San Jose State University students along with any other downtown visitors coming for events or activities.
Jay Paul has discussed allowing San Jose State students to use dining credits at CityView, Harris said.
Jay Paul is also considering a grocery store, though given the size of the retail, it likely could not accommodate a full-sized traditional store.
“I’ve heard from a lot of folks downtown that they want a grocer,” Harris said.
Harris said the leasing schedule is dependent on the tenants. Some businesses need longer lead time than others to set up their spaces, she said.
The company is working with architect DES on the retail design and contractor Level 10 on construction.
Residential plans shift to ground-up construction
The CityView project once involved development of new offices, but those plans later switched to adding hundreds of residential units with apartment buildings. To accomplish that, the firm had looked at creating apartments through an office-to-residential conversion. The company has since pivoted to swap a conversion for ground up residential development.
Harris said Jay Paul is still finalizing the residential design.
Further study found that converting the existing buildings would carry significant costs, Harris said.
“Having to do the seismic retrofit for some of those potential conversions is just incredibly costly,” Harris said.
Harris said conversion costs were close to the cost of new construction, while ground-up development would allow Jay Paul to design the buildings specifically for housing.
“An office conversion can obviously work but ground up gives you the opportunity to really right size everything for the intended use,” Harris said.
Jay Paul made the decision earlier this year, Harris said.The company is working with architecture firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz on the residential portion of CityView.