Google Offers $200M In Community Benefits As Part Of Massive San Jose Campus Plan

Tech giant Google is moving forward with its Silicon Valley expansion with plans for a major mixed-use campus in San Jose near Diridon Station. A proposed development agreement was released on April 6 for the new campus, called Downtown West, as reported by sanjoseinside.

The proposal covers an 80-acre site near Diridon Station and could result in up to 7.3M SF of office, 4,000 housing units, up to 500K SF of retail, arts and cultural uses, 100K SF of event space including a 300-room hotel, and 15 acres of parks and open space.

The city of San Jose has been in discussions with Google since 2017 to devise a project for the Diridon Station area, according to public documents. Following a project application submission in 2019, a draft environmental impact report was released in 2020. The current draft development agreement is subject to city council approval.

The proposed agreement comes with $200M in community benefit contributions on the part of Google toward training, education, jobs and minimizing the displacement of low-income residents. Another $1B in infrastructure improvements would be provided with no city subsidies. Additionally, the project would provide and maintain publicly accessible private open spaces including 4.8 acres of parks and trails.

“I’m proud that together with the City of San Jose, community, and local organizations we developed a project agreement with community benefits that focus on social equity and will help San José come back stronger from the pandemic’s impacts,” Google San Jose Development Director Alexa Arena said in a statement. “Downtown West is a great example of a new way to approach development, where community is placed front and center.”

The proposed development agreement will be presented and discussed at a Station Area Advisory Group Meeting on April 14 followed by a community meeting on April 17.  Hearings for the project will take place at a planning commission meeting on April 28 followed by a city council meeting on May 25.

"In contrast to some large employers' attempts to extract every form of public subsidy and tax relief from local communities, Google has chosen the more enlightened path, making bold commitments to build affordable housing, invest in educational opportunity, and create pathways to better jobs for local residents," Mayor Sam Liccardo said in a statement. "Together, San Jose and Google will establish the national standard for equitable, post-pandemic economic recovery."