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*-------------May 11, 2000--------------*
*---San Jose News and Gossip Bulletin---*
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**Demonstrating just how hot the downtown business market is becoming, yet another major
hotel chain is coveting a location here. The chain in question opts for only
cream-of-the-crop markets, caters to young professionals, and features top-notch
restaurants and guest services. Rumor has it that the trendy, ultra-modern hotel would be
situated at the edge of San Jose State campus, though any infringed-upon classroom space
would be replaced.
**The former UA building's status remains in limbo, as negotiations wear on between
Forest City Development and at least two theater chains. The owners of downtown-San
Jose-based Camera Cinemas have put together an impressive proposal, which is both
consistent with the city's branding objective as well as the Camera's own plan to update
their successful concept for 21st-century lifestyles. A credible source says that the
Camera's plan involves 10 movie screens (some with digital projection), a dinner theater,
and a cafe. Alternatively, word has it that another cinema chain, based in Concord, CA,
has submitted a proposal for a more mainstream cineplex. However, with the San Jose metro
area clearly dominated by AMC and Century, it's hard to believe that another company
could win blockbuster films for this location. Stay tuned.
**We've been hearing it for 6 months, but two separate sources claim that House of
Blues' announcement for a First Street location is due any day. Whenever word arrives,
expect a delayed bandwagon effect, with other destination entertainment and retail
powerhouses trickling in for a piece of the action.
**Treat Ice Cream is one of the few independent ice cream manufacturers remaining in
California, and it's based right here in San Jose. Owner Al Mauseth has been overseeing
the traditional operation for nearly four decades, and shows no signs of quitting.
Currently, the Alum Rock plant produces over 600 half-gallons an hour, distributing the
creamy stuff to parlors and gourmet supermarkets from San Jose's Almaden neighborhood to
San Bruno on the Peninsula. And the best part of the CEO's job? Chatting with San Jose's
Finest, who know just where the back-entrance is!
**Neighborhood tidbits: A new health spa is a step closer to reality in Willow Glen;
plans
call for a full-service B&B/day spa near Broadway and Lincoln, filling a significant gap
on the Avenue. Also in Willow Glen, rumor has it that Black Sea Gallery, already expanded
into the old Julian's Bakery space, is readying to open an upscale children's furniture
store in the former Winchester Auto Parts building; while a neighborhood meeting last
night emphasized the need for new businesses to maintain the charming, historic character
of the village, few folks have addressed the impact of a predominance of furniture stores
on the Avenue. Foot traffic is much more dependent on stores selling everyday goods (like
coffee, clothing, and food) than big-ticket, rarely-purchased items that require a car to
transport them home...Meanwhile, in the Alameda neighborhood, two new service-oriented
shops fill vacancies near the Towne Theater; a combination nutrition store and tanning
salon as well as a real-estate office are on the way...Sad news in Westgate, as one of
the last large-scale indie video stores in the city closed up shop last month; Video
Mania, which had housed a large collection of foreign, anime, and other hard-to-find
flicks, finally bowed to the two corporate giants up the road. The closure reflects a
growing trend in city neighborhoods, with local video stores in Midtown and the Alameda
suffering similar fates. Any economist will tell you to let market forces award the
fittest, but, in most product categories, chain stores do not provide the same level of
customer service, openness, flexibility, and friendliness as Mom and Pop's...Speaking of
video stores, Blockbuster is ready to sign a lease at 4th and San Fernando, after
securing a permit to remain open till midnight...With Cisco and several other high-tech
firms looming on the edge of Alviso, the tiny neighborhood may be on the way to becoming
a gentrified coast-side village; supporting the new and future office buildings, 59
single-family homes are slated to be built at the corner of North First St. and Grand
Blvd, adjacent to the Alviso Branch Library. Alviso is at a critical crossroads right
now, and has a rare opportunity to leverage its location (near the Bay and close to these
office buildings) to formulate a new neighborhood business district that enriches the
quaintness and culture of this unique part of the city.
**New noises eminating from the closed Burbank Theater of late, as the former adult
moviehouse undergoes a major remodeling. While there was some talk of the Burbank
resurfacing as an artsy cinema, which would be a mammoth boost to the struggling block,
most nearby merchants say, "Don't hold your breath." Similarly, no one has yet approached
the city's only chain of artplexes. So the old building, with its grand marquee, awaits a
new future - in the Valley's funkyest, eeriest neighborhood, on the street that just
won't die.
**From the "Only in San Jose" file: On a recent flight to the city, as is usually the
case, 100,000-mile frequent fliers were given first priority to board; but, this is
Silicon Valley, a world-wide business destination, and as such gate agents' jaws dropped
as over 60% of the plane hustled into line.
++ Downtown-based Circa 2000, the beatniks of the 2000's, launches a marvelous
outdoor theater series for the warm summer months. Screening classic films under the
stars and between the buildings, the choices range from Hitchcock to West Side Story.
Next up: "When We Were Kings," a documentary on famed boxer Mohammed Ali; the film begins
at sundown on Friday, May 19th at 96 N. Second Street. And, don't forget to BYOLC (Bring
Your Own Lounge Chair).
++ Visit the San Jose News and Gossip Bulletin web site at
www.angelfire.com/ca4/sanjosengb. The site features past issues, links to EVERYTHING that
screams San Jose, as well as the Bulletin's mission statement.
ATTENTION: Online neighborhood groups, business associations, and city promotions
organizations -- if appropriate, please provide a link to the Bulletin from your own
site.
++ Keep the gossip coming!! I want to emphasize that all sources shall remain completely
anonymous.
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Please send all news or gossip regarding new business openings, redevelopment projects,
celebrity sightings, and other interesting gems concerning San Jose to
todd_95130@yahoo.com.
To be added to the monthly bulletin, please email the above address.
The San Jose News and Gossip Bulletin is a free monthly newsletter intended
to boost city pride, to foster a vital link between city districts, and
to provide information on current and future plans for downtown and the
neighborhoods. Information is gathered from a variety of sources,
including non-profit organizations, neighborhood business
associations, local and national newswires, as well as city government
meetings and documents. All items are written by myself, unless otherwise noted.
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