No Completion Date for in San Jose Repaving

Eighth avenue was closed in San Jose last week to begin resurfacing in the second stage of a project to improve downtown. The bad news is the work is expected to last for an indefinite period. The project was started during the rainy season, and has turned the area into a quagmire. Bus routes have been relocated, daily traffic jams are intolerable, and even pedestrians need to steer clear of the filth.

Local business owners have received conflicting information from the city, sometimes being told fifty days and other times five months. The opinion of local workers in the video is to finish up some time by November. According to the news report the mayor has on three occasions refused to meet with business owners.

Should the work drag into December the businesses will miss out on the vital holiday shopping season. In fact many have decided to simply uproot and relocate. The project is expected to cost approximately $400,000, however this figure is just for the road surface replacement and does not count the expense of replacing pipes and sidewalks.

During the video interview the mayor Johnny Araya assures us the project is just a temporary inconvenience, and that the city will benefit from a better road. Apart from this he doesn’t state any other benefit nor estimate a completion date, however suggests October in a separate interview for La Nacion.

Of course this is taking place on what will be a major conduit for the future Chinatown. The replaced road will be composed of concrete and designed for automobile traffic. The question to ask is what is the implication if all the existing businesses depart. Does this create urban blight or will it be replaced by a more upscale neighborhood? Is there some kind of land grab in the mix?

Filed Under: Local News