This year marks the 70th anniversary of Milpitas’ incorporation, and Mayor Carmen Montano celebrated its history and future in her State of the City speech.
Her message focused on the city’s history of agriculture and industry, as well as recent investments in affordable housing, public safety, transportation and economic development.
Montano said looking at the city’s past has helped inform how the city will move forward. As a Milpitas native, she remembers watching orchards turn to automotive factories and is eager for the city’s latest evolution — the development of its new innovation district.
“It’s just like every other city, it’s growing, it’s part of progress, but it has to be smart progress,” Montano told San José Spotlight. “You have to think about the future generations, how are these projects going to influence or impact the future.”
The Milpitas City Council approved the 75-acre innovation district as part of its citywide rezoning plan. Montano said the city will focus on attracting artificial intelligence, automotive technology and bioscience businesses. She added that the district is a key component to stimulating job growth in the city, alongside businesses expanding their footprint, such as KLA, Cisco and Apple.