Vision for Downtown San Jose’s Night Culture

The following appeared on the “Viewpoint” page of the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal on April 21, 2006

By Blage Zelalich
SJDA Deputy Director

There will be a day when downtown San Jose’s night culture . . .
 
Engages an eclectic mix of people of all ages in entertainment options from live music cabarets to major league baseball.
 
Brims with an assortment of late-night dining choices – customers willing to wait an hour for barbecue or Asian-fusion – and everything in between.
 
Touts a central pedestrian district with robust sidewalk cafés, restored historic buildings and continuous storefronts of eye-catching window displays.
 
Enjoys an expanded arts scene bustling with theater and gallery-goers year-round.
 
Showcases a revitalized Santa Clara Street returned to its former elegance as “the great street.”

Boasts urban neighborhoods full of residents and their guests strolling in and out of high-rise condos, lofts and apartments.

But when?
 
There has been talk of developing downtown into a 24-hour urban center for two decades but recently the focus has been on how to improve the current downtown experience from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. An unacceptable incident at a downtown nightclub resulted in an urgency ordinance from the City Council in November. Subsequently, downtown stakeholders (residents, business owners, police and city officials) have all agreed a transformation in downtown night culture is necessary. This agreement is critical because real change for such a complex issue will only be achieved through public and private sector collaboration and strong and committed leadership from San Jose’s elected and appointed leaders, including the city manager and police chief.
 
Now is the time to push forward.
 
We must establish a downtown detention center to address the number of under-aged teenagers wandering the streets past curfew.  We must also expand social gathering opportunities for young adults, 18-20 years old, beyond our current hookah lounges, movie theaters and billiard halls.
 
The city’s “no cruising” policy must be strictly enforced along Santa Clara Street, even if it means turning parts of the busy street into a pedestrian-only zone later in the evening.
 
Adjustments in operating hours to allow bar and nightclub patrons to exit establishments until 3 a.m. will create a more customer friendly environment while mitigating the existing strain on security when thousands of nightclub patrons spill onto city streets and sidewalks all at once.
 
The private sector can provide some relief to the city’s budget resources if businesses are allowed to hire off-duty officers through San Jose Police Department’s Secondary Employment program to monitor establishments throughout the evening and at closing – thus eliminating the current expense of overtime officers.
 
The time has come for everyone interested in a safe, friendly and successful downtown night scene to roll up our sleeves and find ways to turn talk into reality. Fortunately, many of the building blocks for a vibrant and enticing downtown night culture are already in place.  We will be looking for San Jose’s next mayor and District 3 councilmember to actively support our efforts to fulfill downtown's promise.