SAN JOSE — A big village of homes, retail and a grocery market is pushing ahead with wide-ranging changes envisioned for the new neighborhood that will replace a large orchard in north San Jose.
The development would sprout on the San Jose site of a long-time orchard and fruit stand at 2620 Seely Ave. next to Montague Expressway, a planned development permit application with the city shows.
The detailed new proposal envisions the development of 1,470 homes, including scores of affordable residences.
The Hanover Co., a major real estate firm, is leading the development. SummerHill Homes and The Pacific Cos. are listed in the documents as co-developers with Hanover. Pacific Cos. often builds affordable homes.
“The Seely project is badly needed by the city of San Jose,” said Bob Staedler, principal executive with Silicon Valley Synergy, a land-use consultancy.
The village would include about 1,298 market-rate residences consisting of three buildings with rental apartments and a cluster of for-sale townhomes.
Of the market-rate residences, 1,144 would be apartments in three buildings and 154 would be the townhomes that would be sold.
An estimated 172 affordable apartments would be in another building on the project site, the new plans disclose.
“This project is exactly what north San Jose needs, an ideal new neighborhood with apartments, affordable housing, townhomes, grocery and retail, and a new city park,” said Erik Schoennauer, a land-use and property consultant who is helping to steer the project through the city’s decision-making process.
The retail components would be on the ground floor of three of the apartment buildings and would total 52,100 square feet, including a grocery store that could total 40,000 square feet.
The overall project site totals 22.2 acres and is the location of long-time orchards.
Yet like countless orchards in Silicon Valley, the agricultural uses are slated to be transformed into a brand-new development. Tsukuda Fruit Stand, a fresh produce store, is a notable business on the property.
“This development team has a track record for getting projects out of the ground,” Staedler said. “I’m looking forward to seeing this group break ground.”
