Worries about traffic and housing sometimes overwhelm the fact that 20,000 jobs for San Jose will be a great thing, and Google will help build a great downtown
Google’s ambition to expand in downtown San Jose with up to 20,000 jobs and, by the way, reshape the heart of the city burst into the public forum in June to a resounding chorus of —
Euphoria? Anger? Pride? Panic? Excitement? Greed?
Hope? Despair?
All of the above, actually. And more. The full Monty. It was a dissonant chorus for sure.
That may have surprised some Googlites, who didn’ t expect quite the level of public antipathy voiced at the June San Jose City Council meeting where negotiations to sell publicly owned land to the company were authorized.
Concerns about more jobs escalating both the housing crisis and traffic snarls were expected, and they’ ll get plenty of attention and public discussion as plans are developed. But it was unnerving to hear some speakers imply that an infusion of good jobs, and tax revenue, to job-poor San Jose might be a terrible thing on its face.
Let’s be clear. The Google plan is a tremendous opportunity for San Jose — not just for downtown but for all neighborhoods, which ultimately will see millions in increased revenue for public safety and other services.
Having a master developer for the Diridon area will produce a far better community than selling off land piecemeal. Google is committed to the city’s vision of a transit village, weaving together jobs, retail, entertainment, public spaces and, yes, housing. In Mountain View, it wanted more housing around its campus than the city council did, and was willing to help pay for it.
But placing primarily jobs in the immediate ring around the station is the best way to improve transit ridership. And best of all for San Jose, it means many people who live north of here will be riding transit to downtown jobs, not out to Palo Alto or San Francisco. Finally.
There is time — years, most likely — to work through planning, community benefits and other issues. But first, Google needs to acquire the land. And for much of it, that means negotiating with public agencies whose officials are beholden to different elements of that discordant welcome wagon.
The company is committed to paying market price. Its development partner, Trammell Crow and affiliates, already is gobbling up private tracts from willing sellers like a cash-spewing Pac-Man.
San Jose and the Redevelopment successor agency need to negotiate the public land sale quickly and cleanly. Leave discussions of community benefits for the planning process. This will show good faith from government and will bring top value for taxpayers.
Google is not Apple. Apple’s spaceship in Cupertino turns its back on the community, as if it is indeed from another planet. No housing was added nearby, no mass transit is convenient. Talk about a looming traffic nightmare.
Google’s corporate character is the opposite.
Let’s get the land sale done so we can start working on the rest.
