28th Street/Little Portugal Transit-Oriented Development

This transit-oriented development (TOD) will be an 11+ acre property owned by VTA adjacent to the future 28th Street/Little Portugal BART Station (the first of four station in BART Silicon Valley’s Phase II expansion). The property is located on N. 28th Street between E. St. James and Five Wounds Lane, and in the old Union Pacific right-of-way between E. Santa Clara Street and E. Julian Street.

This land has the potential for mixed-used developments with activated ground floor uses that increase transit ridership, catalyze other equitable developments, and help provide revenue for transit capital investments and operations. Projects that are transit-oriented allow people to live and work near public transportation, which helps clear the air, ease traffic, and adds infrastructure investments to the community.   

VTA's Transit-Oriented Development Program works with municipal, non-profit, and private partners to encourage the development of housing, retail, and employment centers in places that will help increase transit ridership and contribute to a vibrant community. 

This project aligns with the BART Silicon Valley Phase II extension.  

    Design Development Framework

    VTA is working with an urban design firm to create and conduct outreach for a Design Development Framework (DDF) that will guide the vision of future development proposals at the site. The final DDF will be used by VTA and stakeholders to evaluate initial and subsequent developer proposals and designs for transit-oriented developments on VTA-owned property.

    This project site is located within the City of San José's Five Wounds Urban Village Plan, which is being updated through 2024 and will influence any development on this site. Both the DDF and the City’s Urban Village update will work in concert to promote equitable and inclusive TOD in the station area.

    Community engagement for the DDF includes outreach to a broad group of stakeholders. The DDF is anticipated to be available for review and public comment in Fall 2024.

    Little Portugal
    A wall with a mural of a church and trees

    Highlight cultural identity and address disparities 

    People sitting at a table outside

    Encourage new development that is both economically successful and grounded in place  

    People walking on sidewalk

    Make walking, biking, and taking transit the preferred mobility experiences 

    Guide to Development

    Community Outreach

    Outreach in this station area is a coordinated effort among VTA, VTA BART Silicon Valley Phase II, and City of San José outreach teams.

    Spring 2023 – Season 1

    The first season of outreach for the Design Development Framework focused on listening to stories, lived experiences, qualities of place, and opportunities to understand what excited and concerned community members about future development.

    Past Meetings 

    COMMUNITY POP-UPS

    • El Rancho Verde Apartments Town Hall (with Vietnamese translator) 5-24-23 
    • Dia De Portugal 6-10-23 
    • Viva Calle, Roosevelt neighborhood 6-11-23 

    YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

    • San José Youth Commission 5-22-23 
    • Cristo Rey San José 5-31-23  

    STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS 

    • April through June 2023 

    Arts & culture and community-based organizations, Cristo Rey San José, East San José Carnegie Branch Library, Five Wounds Portuguese National Parish, Five Wounds Urban Village Plan Small Businesses, Greater St. John Baptist Church, IES Hall, Rocketship Discovery Prep, San José Mobile Home Park 

    The display boards are available to download.

    Fall 2023 – Season 2

    The second season of outreach (Fall 2023) engaged community members around the concept vision and specific opportunities it could unlock for the public realm. The goal was to refine ideas based on preferences and build trust by thoughtfully incorporating input from the previous season.  

    Past Meetings 

    COMMUNITY POP-UPS

    • Viva Parks, Mayfair neighborhood (with Spanish translator) 8-22-23 
    • El Rancho Verde Apartments Community Meeting (with Vietnamese translator) 8-23-23 
    • Mexican Heritage Plaza: Chile, Mole, Pozole Festival (with Spanish translator) 9-16-23 
    • Five Wounds Urban Village Plan Workshop 3 at Mexican Heritage Plaza (with Spanish & Vietnamese translators) 9-21-23 
    • VTA Visionary Network Open House at Roosevelt Community Center 9-27-23 
    • Mayfair Golden Manor Resource Fair 10-24-23 

    YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

    • San José High School 9-21-23 
    • San José Youth Commission 9-25-23 
    • Cristo Rey High School 10-12-23  

    STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS

    • September to October 2023 

    Arts & culture and community-based organizations, Cristo Rey San José, Five Wounds Portuguese National Parish, IES Hall 

    The display boards are available to download.

    Fall 2024 – Season 3

    A third season of outreach will take place once the draft Design Development Framework is available for public comment, anticipated in Late 2024 or Early 2025. Please contact us at community.outreach@vta.org if you have an event near 28th Street/Little Portugal in November 2024 to February 2025 that you would be interested in having VTA Real Estate present or table at about the Design Development Framework.

    In tandem with the BART Silicon Valley 28th Street/Little Portugal station configuration outreach referred by the VTA Board of Directors in mid-2024, several interim touchpoints have been scheduled: 

    Upcoming Meetings 

    COMMUNITY POP-UPS

    • Viva Calle, Roosevelt Park neighborhood 9-8-24 

    Past Meetings

    COMMUNITY POP-UPS

    • BART Silicon Valley 28th Street Community Meeting 8-21-24

    The display boards are available to download. 

    Transit-Oriented Communities Playbook

    The 28th Street/Little Portugal Transit-Oriented Communities Playbook was endorsed by the San José City Council in 2019.

    Development Opportunities

    Learn more about VTA's Portfolio of TOD Opportunities.

    This transit-oriented development (TOD) will be an 11+ acre property owned by VTA adjacent to the future 28th Street/Little Portugal BART Station (the first of four station in BART Silicon Valley’s Phase II expansion). The property is located on N. 28th Street between E. St. James and Five Wounds Lane, and in the old Union Pacific right-of-way between E. Santa Clara Street and E. Julian Street.

    This land has the potential for mixed-used developments with activated ground floor uses that increase transit ridership, catalyze other equitable developments, and help provide revenue for transit capital investments and operations. Projects that are transit-oriented allow people to live and work near public transportation, which helps clear the air, ease traffic, and adds infrastructure investments to the community.   

    VTA's Transit-Oriented Development Program works with municipal, non-profit, and private partners to encourage the development of housing, retail, and employment centers in places that will help increase transit ridership and contribute to a vibrant community. 

    This project aligns with the BART Silicon Valley Phase II extension.  

      Design Development Framework

      VTA is working with an urban design firm to create and conduct outreach for a Design Development Framework (DDF) that will guide the vision of future development proposals at the site. The final DDF will be used by VTA and stakeholders to evaluate initial and subsequent developer proposals and designs for transit-oriented developments on VTA-owned property.

      This project site is located within the City of San José's Five Wounds Urban Village Plan, which is being updated through 2024 and will influence any development on this site. Both the DDF and the City’s Urban Village update will work in concert to promote equitable and inclusive TOD in the station area.

      Community engagement for the DDF includes outreach to a broad group of stakeholders. The DDF is anticipated to be available for review and public comment in Fall 2024.

      Little Portugal
      A wall with a mural of a church and trees

      Highlight cultural identity and address disparities 

      People sitting at a table outside

      Encourage new development that is both economically successful and grounded in place  

      People walking on sidewalk

      Make walking, biking, and taking transit the preferred mobility experiences 

      Guide to Development

      Community Outreach

      Outreach in this station area is a coordinated effort among VTA, VTA BART Silicon Valley Phase II, and City of San José outreach teams.

      Spring 2023 – Season 1

      The first season of outreach for the Design Development Framework focused on listening to stories, lived experiences, qualities of place, and opportunities to understand what excited and concerned community members about future development.

      Past Meetings 

      COMMUNITY POP-UPS

      • El Rancho Verde Apartments Town Hall (with Vietnamese translator) 5-24-23 
      • Dia De Portugal 6-10-23 
      • Viva Calle, Roosevelt neighborhood 6-11-23 

      YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

      • San José Youth Commission 5-22-23 
      • Cristo Rey San José 5-31-23  

      STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS 

      • April through June 2023 

      Arts & culture and community-based organizations, Cristo Rey San José, East San José Carnegie Branch Library, Five Wounds Portuguese National Parish, Five Wounds Urban Village Plan Small Businesses, Greater St. John Baptist Church, IES Hall, Rocketship Discovery Prep, San José Mobile Home Park 

      The display boards are available to download.

      Fall 2023 – Season 2

      The second season of outreach (Fall 2023) engaged community members around the concept vision and specific opportunities it could unlock for the public realm. The goal was to refine ideas based on preferences and build trust by thoughtfully incorporating input from the previous season.  

      Past Meetings 

      COMMUNITY POP-UPS

      • Viva Parks, Mayfair neighborhood (with Spanish translator) 8-22-23 
      • El Rancho Verde Apartments Community Meeting (with Vietnamese translator) 8-23-23 
      • Mexican Heritage Plaza: Chile, Mole, Pozole Festival (with Spanish translator) 9-16-23 
      • Five Wounds Urban Village Plan Workshop 3 at Mexican Heritage Plaza (with Spanish & Vietnamese translators) 9-21-23 
      • VTA Visionary Network Open House at Roosevelt Community Center 9-27-23 
      • Mayfair Golden Manor Resource Fair 10-24-23 

      YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

      • San José High School 9-21-23 
      • San José Youth Commission 9-25-23 
      • Cristo Rey High School 10-12-23  

      STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS

      • September to October 2023 

      Arts & culture and community-based organizations, Cristo Rey San José, Five Wounds Portuguese National Parish, IES Hall 

      The display boards are available to download.

      Fall 2024 – Season 3

      A third season of outreach will take place once the draft Design Development Framework is available for public comment, anticipated in Late 2024 or Early 2025. Please contact us at community.outreach@vta.org if you have an event near 28th Street/Little Portugal in November 2024 to February 2025 that you would be interested in having VTA Real Estate present or table at about the Design Development Framework.

      In tandem with the BART Silicon Valley 28th Street/Little Portugal station configuration outreach referred by the VTA Board of Directors in mid-2024, several interim touchpoints have been scheduled: 

      Upcoming Meetings 

      COMMUNITY POP-UPS

      • Viva Calle, Roosevelt Park neighborhood 9-8-24 

      Past Meetings

      COMMUNITY POP-UPS

      • BART Silicon Valley 28th Street Community Meeting 8-21-24

      The display boards are available to download. 

      Transit-Oriented Communities Playbook

      The 28th Street/Little Portugal Transit-Oriented Communities Playbook was endorsed by the San José City Council in 2019.

      Development Opportunities

      Learn more about VTA's Portfolio of TOD Opportunities.

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