San Jose has elected to purchase a prime downtown property once slated for a major tech campus, which could potentially aid the city’s vision of expanding its convention center and developing a sports and entertainment district.
The City Council has approved the $13.5 million acquisition of 447 S. Almaden Blvd – a 3.56-acre parcel located between the convention center to the east and Discovery Meadow and the Children’s Discovery Museum property to the west – after BXP, formerly known as Boston Properties, put the site up for sale in the spring after abandoning its development plans.
“Securing this property will provide greater flexibility for the city as we consider a range of possibilities, including potential convention center expansion or other sports and entertainment district uses such as a flagship hotel, retail, restaurants, arts and cultural venues, or other gathering spaces,” said Kevin Ice, the city’s director of real estate…