The city of San Jose spent decades and millions of dollars to develop a plan to rebuild a city park, but the project is at a standstill after a court found the city broke its own laws.
St. James Park sits right next to downtown San Jose and city officials would love for it to become an amenity for all the new housing they want to build. But those plans are on hold, as the park’s future has run head-first into its past.
“It’s extremely historic. The park has been around for hundreds of years,” said Fil Maresca, who lives less than two blocks away.
But in more recent times, St. James Park became a haven for drug sales and, lately, a hangout for homeless people.
“It’s an urban park that people are — Outside of downtown, people are afraid to come here. It has a horrible reputation,” said Maresca.
But he is part of an effort to change that. The city has spent 10 years and $4.6 million to develop a redesign of the park. And the centerpiece would be a new music venue called the Levitt Pavillion San Jose.