The City of San José Office of Cultural Affairs Public Arts Program held a community meeting on February 12, 2020 with artist Mark Reigelman, who was selected to collaborate on artistic enhancements of St. James Park.

March 2017

The St. James Park Design Competition was featured in World Landscape Architecture Magazine.

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

The St. James Park Design Competition item was before the City Council, on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 Agenda Item 5.1. City Council accepted the recommendation to negotiate and execute a contract with CMG Landscape Architecture.

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Staff presented the Master Plan and EIR to City Council. 

Conceptual Design

• Refined Conceptual Design and PowerPoint Presentation of the Proposed St. James Park

The St. James Park Design Competition winning team has further developed the concept plan through working closely with Friends of Levitt Pavilion San José Board, collaborating with related agencies and City departments, and incorporating community input from several community outreach activities.

St. James Park Imagineer Finalists Chosen

• News Release Regarding the 14 Responsive Proposals for St. James Park Renovation

The City received 14 responsive proposals to the request for proposal (RFP). Four proposals were selected as finalists to participate in Phase II. The City is very pleased to receive such a robust response. The proposals represent a great breadth of work and experience. The following is a list of all responsive proposers, organized alphabetically, and firms selected as finalists are CMG Landscape Architecture, !melk-free, Meyer & Silberberg, and Wallace roberts & Todd (WRT).

• BFS Landscape Architects
• CMG Landscape Architecture
• Groundswell
• GLS/Petersen Studio
• James Corner Field Operations
• Melk Free
• Meyer & Silberberg
• MPA Design
• RHAA Landscape Architecture + Planning
• Surfacedesign, Inc.
• SWA
• Walker/Macy
• Wallace Roberts & Todd (WRT)
• Why + Verde Design

Jury Day Results

The St. James Park Jury Day event was held on October 15, 2016. During this event, the Jury saw presentations from each of the four finalist Design Teams and had the opportunity to ask questions. After the presentations, the Jury faced the difficult challenge of ranking the four teams. The Jury deliberated throughout the afternoon, reviewed the public input received to-date and narrowed the selection down to two Design Teams: CMG Landscape Architecture and !melk Fr-ee. The Jury reconvened on November 3, 2016 to discuss further and come up with their final ranking and recommendations.

A Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared for the St. James Park Capital Vision and Levitt Pavilion. The NOP was available for public comment between May 25, 2016 and June 25, 2016. Comments received on the NOP and other Information related to this EIR is available on the Planning Division's Active EIR website under St. James Capital Vision and Levitt Pavilion EIR. The Environmental Review Project Manager is Krinjal Mathur, krinjal.mathur@sanjoseca.gov, (408) 535-7874.

Project Description Clarification: The NOP states that the Levitt Pavilion is "an approximately 7,000-spectator outdoor music and performance venue." The 7,000 population value references the approximate total occupancy of St. James Park, not the anticipated attendance at a Levitt event. The seating area for the Levitt Pavilion will be designed to hold a maximum occupancy of 5,000 attendees; however, the average attendance at Levitt concerts in other cities is typically between 1,000 - 2,500 people per concert. The City will not schedule concurrent events in the park during a Levitt Pavilion concert.

The following documents represent the exciting journey of the redevelopment of St. James Park.

• Conceptual Design and PowerPoint Presentation of the Proposed St. James Park
• Winning Design From CMG Landscape Architecture

CMG: Remember - Imagine

• Chapter 1. Park Vision & Features
• Chapter 2. Park Systems
• Chapter 3. Levitt Pavilion
• Chapter 4. Implementation
• Chapter 5. Historic Narrative
• Chapter 6. Appendix

25% Design Plans

• 25% Design Plans: October 3, 2018

• Historical Evaluation: St. James Park Fountain (2016)
• Levitt Pavilion San José Steering Committee Update to City Council (2016)
• St. James Park Revitalization Strategy Memo (2015)
• A Roadmap for St. James Park, SPUR (2015)
• Environmental Noise Analysis: Saint James Park Outdoor Music Events (2015)
• Levitt Pavilion Exploratory Report (2014)
• Re-Activating St. James Park: A Community Café Proposal (2014)
• Evaluation of Trees at St. James Park (2008)
• Downtown Design Guidelines (2004)
• San Jose Downtown Historic Design Guidelines [DRAFT] (2004)
• Downtown San Jose Historic District Design Guidelines (2003)
• St. James Park Master Plan Update (2002)
• Saint James Park San Jose Historical Analysis (2001)
• Downtown Strategy 2000
• Historic and Architectural Design Analysis for a Proposed Playground (2000)
• St. James Square Historic Design Guidelines (1989)
• St. James Park Master Plan (1985)
• Levitt Pavilions Site & Structure Requirements
• The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards (SIS) for the Treatment of Historic Properties
• The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards (SIS) Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes

Schedule 

May 2020

The St. James Park Draft EIR and documents referenced in the Draft EIR are available for review online at the City of San José’s “Active EIRs” website at www.sanjoseca.gov/activeeirs.

The public review period for this Public Review Draft EIR begins on May 19, 2020 and ends on July 6, 2020. Written comments must be received at the Planning Department by 5:00 p.m. on July 6, 2020 to be addressed as part of the formal EIR review process. Comments and questions should be referred to Thai-Chau Le in the Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement via e-mail: Thai-Chau.Le@sanjoseca.gov, or by regular mail at the mailing address listed for the Department of Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement, above (send to the attention of Thai-Chau Le).

For the official record, please your written comment letter and reference File Nos. PP16-037.

September 2020

September 2: St. James Park Presentation to Parks and Recreation Commission

September 23: St. James Park Presentation to the Planning Commission

October 2020

October 7: St. James Park Presentation to Historic Landmarks Commission

October 27:  St. James Park Presentation to City Council