San Jose officials have long known about mismanagement concerns surrounding Little Saigon’s signature commercial center. But now they’re taking action this week after San José Spotlight’s reporting and a lawsuit by merchants showed the extent of Vietnam Town’s neglect.
The city’s Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Department has ordered Vietnam Town management to remove barricades and garbage dumpsters blocking access to the plaza’s main parking garage by the end of Thursday. The garage’s closure had mystified business owners who said it needlessly choked out customer traffic, turning the plaza into a ghost town at certain parts of the day. Merchants have banded together and filed a lawsuit accusing the management organization — known as the Vietnam Town Condominium Owners Association — of ignoring grievances and wasting business improvement funds.
The city has also ordered plaza management to address several building violations — and obtain proper building permits — related to the alleged mismanagement issues. The city has given the Vietnam Town Condominium Owners Association a final compliance date of Sept. 22, 2026.
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City officials maintained they were already probing the plaza issues when previously reached for comment by San José Spotlight. Their code enforcement case has been open since January, according to the city’s online code enforcement portal…