SAN JOSE — A San Jose transit village is poised to expand with two new housing developments that would sprout near a busy South Bay train station.
The transit-oriented development is taking shape next to Tamien Station, a transit hub that accommodates Amtrak, Caltrain and light rail stops.
The emerging residential developments that are components of the transit village are located near the interchange of State Route 87 and West Alma Avenue just south of downtown San Jose.
The principal developers of the transit-oriented neighborhood are three San Jose-based real estate firms: Republic Urban Properties, The Core Cos. and Swenson.
One newly proposed housing development would add 74 townhomes at 1375 Lick Avenue, documents on file with San Jose city planners show.
Another new project that’s in the works would add 132 residences at a nearby site, according to Michael Van Every, president and managing partner with Republic Urban.
Republic Urban is putting the finishing touches on that application before the company submits it to the San Jose Planning Department, Van Every said.
“We are proposing 132 units that would serve the missing middle in the economy,” Van Every said. The “missing middle” term can refer to housing for middle-income residents who are often overlooked in the push to create more residential developments.
The 132-unit “missing middle” housing development would be built with income limits in the range of 60% to 65% of the area’s median income.
In mid-2024, the area median income for Santa Clara County was $184,300 for a household of four on an annual basis. This could indicate an income limit that would range from $110,580 to $119,795 a year for a household of four.
“We would need tax credits to help develop this project,” Van Every said.
While of significant size, the two new housing development proposals are just part of the residential mosaic that is beginning to morph into a full-fledged transit village along Lick Avenue between West Alma Avenue and West Humboldt Street.
“We are looking at roughly 550 to 575 apartments, townhomes and condominiums, when all is said and done,” Van Every said.
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority owns property at Tamien Station that is also slated to be developed. The VTA sites would accommodate residential projects that would be part of the overall total that Van Every envisions.
The proposals to add units to the transit village at Tamien Station arrive at a time when more indicators suggest that the transportation hub is handling more passengers, in Van Every’s view.
“We are seeing increases in Caltrain ridership, particularly at Tamien Station,” Van Every said.