VTA eyes affordable homes by BART stops and in San Jose’s Google village

TRANSPORTATION

A concept drawing shows the street-level view from the Diridon train station of two office and retail towers at the corner of West Santa Clara Street and South Montgomery Street in downtown San Jose. IMAGE COURTESY OF PERKINS&WILL

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By George Avalos

gavalos@bayareanewsgroup.com

SAN JOSE >> The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is eyeing numerous affordable homes along the BART line planned for downtown San Jose.

The regional transit agency is considering the development of several hundred homes atop the proposed site of an underground BART stop next to the Diridon train station — including scores of affordable homes.

“We are planning to build housing on top of that BART facility next to the Diridon station,” said Ron Golem, the VTA’s director of real estate and transit-oriented development.

It’s also expected that housing, including affordable homes, will sprout next to proposed San Jose BART stops at First Street and Santa Clara Street, and near East Santa Clara Street and North 28th Street, in addition to Diridon Station.

But VTA officials say a housing tower that would create about 200 homes at a site with addresses ranging from 17 through 31 E. Santa Clara St. won’t be feasible.A 26-story housing highrise called Eterna Tower would create 200 homes, including dozens of affordable residences, at this site, according to plans on file with San Jose city officials. Roygbiv Real Estate Development, headed up by real estate executive Loida Kirkley, has proposed the project.

DCI Engineers recently evaluated the feasibility of the construction of housing towers next to the proposed entrance to the downtown San Jose BART on East Santa Clara Street and said it could be done. And Kirkley believes the development of more housing next to BART could be a crucial component of the rail line’s success.

But the VTA has pushed back.

“The challenge is that between the combination of a very small site and the very substantial extra expense to build on that site, the amount of additional cost would make any kind of housing infeasible,” Golem said.

Construction atop an underground train station can be more expensive than towers that aren’t built on rail lines.

“Both affordable and market-rate housing wouldn’t work there,” Golem said. “It’s not possible to build on that site.”

The VTA is seeking to seize two parcels at the 17 through 31 E. Santa Clara site through an eminent domain proceeding so the site can be used for BART’s Downtown San Jose station.

The transit agency said up to 500 units are slated to be developed at the site atop the proposed BART stop at Diridon Station.

The transit agency owns the land where the housing project would be built over the station. Google gained approval for the 500 units as part of the city of San Jose’s endorsement of the tech titan’s Downtown West mixed-use neighborhood near the train station.

“Our policy requires that at least 25% affordable housing be included in any project built on VTA-owned property,” Golem said.

In the case of the Diridon Station housing project, a 500-unit development would translate to 125 affordable residences.

“VTA is very much trying to support transit-oriented development and affordable housing,” Golem said.