25 years ago – January 1994 – City Times featured a new business, the Sainte Claire News Stand, owned by Abdi and Senayit Ahmed, who got the idea for their store while working as parking attendants. stand remains in business at First and San Carlos streets 25 years later.
20 years ago – January 1999 – Three of six Automatic Public Toilets were installed at Plaza de Cesar Chavez, St. James Park and Almaden Boulevard at San Carlos Street. Four others would be installed at San Pedro Square, First and Santa Clara Street, South First near San Salvador Street and Market and Santa Clara streets.
The 12-foot-by-7-foot bathrooms belong to JCDecaux, a French advertising company that refer to APTs as street furniture. In a 55-second cleaning cycle, the toilet retracts into the wall where it is washed, disinfected and steam-dried for the next user.
San Jose Redevelopment Agency entered into a 20-year rental agreement with JCDecaux in December 1997.
