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Sunnyvale has big plans for its downtown remodeling
Fifteen-year development project includes expansion of Murphy Ave.
By Jana Seshadri
If Sunnyvale residents think they're inundated with construction and growth in the downtown area, they ain't seen nothing yet.
According to Robert Paternoster, Sunnyvale's director of community development, the urban design plan for the downtown area calls for an ambitious development project spread over the next 15 years, with the goal of creating a "traditional" downtown.
After many meetings to get input from downtown businesses, residents, the Downtown Stakeholders Advisory Committee finalized the urban design plan for the Sunnyvale downtown area at a workshop on Feb. 12. The Sunnyvale City Council authorized the study last June and now--nine months, six workshops and one public forum later--the committee has unanimously adopted the plan.
Nostalgia played a very big part in the plan, Paternoster said. Approximately a half-century ago, small cities and towns were built around a downtown. People lived close to downtown and residents went there to work, shop, eat and socialize.
The city's services, such as the police and fire departments, were also downtown.
"There are very few traditional downtowns left," Paternoster said.
He added that several cities, including San Jose, don't have a downtown, that would serve the residents' needs like they did in the past. Now, the committee wishes to transform downtown Sunnyvale into a modern but traditional downtown with this plan.
According to Paternoster, the purpose of the plan was twofold. The stakeholders--comprised of residents, business owners, major property owners and developers--had a common vision for the future of downtown, and the idea was to link together all the parts and pieces of the project to become a unified whole, he said.
New developments now under construction in the downtown area include the Mozart Downtown Office Plaza, the Multi-Modal Transportation Center and the expansion of the Town Center Mall, referred to as the WAVE, which would include a 16-screen movie theater.
The urban design plan will add to the current projects. Paternoster said the plan is to extend and build strongly along Murphy Avenue; add parking structures and retail centers; and develop Town & Country into a multi-family, high-density residential area with retail on the first floor. Plans also call for converting Washington Avenue into a retail center; including a large gathering place for concerts; and connecting all of this with an open-air pedestrian walkway through the mall.
The incorporation of small businesses will mean the addition of new small stores to the current retail base, Paternoster said.
"One of the unique aspects of Sunnyvale is the small businesses," he said.
The second phase of the plan is to develop Mathilda Avenue over time into a boulevard by putting in additional landscaping and extending sidewalks with office space on the east side and multi-family housing on the west.
However, Paternoster emphasized that the city of Sunnyvale will not use its power of "imminent domain" to develop Mathilda Avenue, giving due consideration to the businesses and residents on that street.
"Overall the new plan has about the same office space but more residential units," he said. "There will be 2,000 total new dwelling units, compared to 1,000 that we have now."
Disruption to the whole area during the construction is a certainty, although Paternoster said the city would try to minimize it as much as possible. Public input has been a key factor while developing and finalizing the new plan, he added.
"This has been a very public process," Paternoster said.
The public will have two more chances to give input: The plan will be presented to the Sunnyvale Planning Commission Mar. 11 at 7 p.m. and to the city council on Mar. 26 at 7:30 p.m. The meetings, held at the council chambers will provide opportunities for the public to voice their opinions.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
