San Jose Market Center, a 385,000-square-foot retail center that would transform nearly 40 acres of undeveloped land near downtown, is one step closer to construction.
A draft environmental impact report for the project is done. The city has opened a 45-day public comment period on the report ending Oct. 4. The planning commission expects to certify the report Nov. 10, if no major issues arise.
The developer is Cousins Properties of Atlanta, a publicly traded real estate investment trust. This is its first project in Northern California.
Union Pacific Railroad owns most of the site, which is bounded by Coleman Avenue, West Taylor Street, the Guadalupe River and a railroad line.
Cousins has asked the city to rezone the land from industrial park and heavy industrial to a planned development zoning district. The report is part of the rezoning process.
The project is the largest retail center under development in the city. Cousins is aiming to attract customers from neighborhoods including downtown San Jose, Vendome, Shasta Hanchett Park, Rose Garden and Garden Alameda.
The report details how the project will affect the site and surrounding neighborhoods, and describes plans to mitigate those changes.
Those plans include widening Coleman, extending Autumn Street so the shopping center is accessible from West Julian Street and incorporating a 100-foot buffer between the center and the Guadalupe River.
The report also includes maps and renderings. Primary access to the center will be off Coleman Avenue. Maps show large stores in the back of the property, small shops up front and about 1,870 parking spaces between.
Cousins has not named tenants for the project, but at its North Point Market Center in Atlanta offerings include Target, Circuit City, Old Navy, Babies R Us, Linens 'n Things, Marshalls, Petsmart, Bank of America, Men's Wearhouse, Pier 1, Fuddruckers and TGI Friday's.
The planning department will hold a public hearing about San Jose Market Center from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 27, at the San Jose Hilton, 300 Almaden Blvd.
