A step to revive downtown
Adam Thompson is a tall, bearded man with an easy manner and a tough side gig. He is the president of the
Old Quad Residents’ Association in Santa Clara, a job in which you might expect a
NIMBY who hates development. Thompson is not that. In fact, he is ready to deal.
The 32-year-old construction manager has an idea that goes to the heart of correcting Santa Clara’s gravest political mistake — the destruction of its old Franklin Street downtown in the mid-60s. It involves a land swap, or, more accurately, a land-use swap.
I’m a long way from certain he will succeed. But Thompson’s idea is worth considering. It could be a critical cornerstone in the effort to restore the old downtown, now a hodgepodge of parking lots, apartments and odd buildings.
At the heart of the idea is political leverage: To understand it, you have to know that Prometheus, a big real estate developer with offices in San Fran-
cisco, has interests in two key sites that are separated by about eight blocks in the older part of Santa Clara.
The developer wants to build a 355-unit apartment complex at Benton Street and El Camino Real, not far from the Caltrain station. And it owns the Park Central Apartments on the turf of the old downtown, on the other side of Santa Clara University.
The big complex at Benton and El Camino, which initially was proposed by the Irvine Company, involves closing parts of Fremont Street and Sherman Street. Prometheus is seeking 37 more units than the city approved for Irvine, though its apartments would be smaller.
Because that would mean more people — and more traffic and parking problems — the plan has irked the neighbors. Thompson is essentially offering the developer a chance to buy peace from the community in exchange for a deal on the turf of the old downtown.
The residents’ association leader proposes to swing community support for the Benton Street project in return for a concession from Prometheus on Park Central Apartments. He is suggesting that the developer grant the city the rights to the path of old Franklin Street.
This is not precisely a small deal. It involves the covered parking area at the rear of the Park Central complex and a slice of an apartment building. For that matter, it’s not a slam-dunk for the community near the Benton Street project, which is worried about traffic and parking.
Nonetheless, Thompson thinks the ingredients of a deal exist, or at least something worth talking about. He argues that Prometheus could be seen as a good corporate citizen — and the city could take a significant step in reversing its horrendous 1960s mistake.
“I think we have the chance to do something very cool, ” he said, pointing out that the city would probably not need the land for years. “It could be the kick-starter to say, now we have the right to the street. We could build a legitimate downtown.”
Can this idea fly? Here’s where things get a bit dicey. I talked to Jon Moss, a vice-president of Prometheus, who was measured in his response but cool toward the idea.
“We’ve been talking to the city, on and off, for maybe as long as 7 or 8 years on this subject (the future of the Park Central Apartments),” he told me. “But it has nothing to do with this other property that we are proposing for development (Benton Street). They’re not tied at all. Even if one wanted to tie them, it would impact the schedule in an extremely significant way.”
Santa Clara Councilwoman Teresa O’Neill told me by email that there have been “a number of discussions” about a possible land swap. But Prometheus’s coolness toward the idea is not the only hurdle. Some well-connected people believe that Mayor Lisa Gillmor and Councilwoman Patty Mahan could have a conflict. Both have property near the old downtown.
Still, it is one of those ideas that have such innate promise that no one should dismiss Adam Thompson. The city is making a big concession in closing Fremont and Sherman streets. It’s not crazy to think it could get something in return to jolt its old heart back to pumping.