Focusing on a cohesive plan to strengthen an entertainment district in San Jose could be key to creating a more vibrant downtown area that has been battered by the pandemic and is still struggling to recover. A local developer believes that having a special group dedicated to this mission will make San Jose one of the West Coast’s top entertainment destinations. “To achieve this goal is relatively straightforward. What is needed is a centralized organization with the vision and expertise to attract and accommodate exceptional talent,” Gary Dillabough told the Mercury News.
Dillabough is the co-founder and CEO of the real estate and investment firm Urban Community and is behind several development projects focused on strengthening San Jose’s downtown core. He says big entertainers often bypass San Jose and choose venues in other Bay Area cities. “We should be able to outperform places like Mountain Winery (in Saratoga), Mountain View’s Shoreline Amphitheater, San Francisco, Coachella, and Bottlerock,” he said. Dillabough believes that creating a group like Team San Jose, which manages the convention center and other venues, will help attract talent and fill venues by promoting the downtown area as a vibrant entertainment district.
The fact that San Jose has the 10th largest population in the US, has great weather, and is home to some of the most influential companies in the world is part of the reason it is now a prime destination for sports, festivals, concerts, and movies. However, San Jose doesn’t necessarily have a fun-minded reputation. “Groups like the San Jose Sports Authority, as well as the SAP Center and the San Jose Sharks, have built a solid foundation upon which to build the entertainment district. We have one of the top-performing improvs in the country and one of the most cutting-edge and innovative operas. The San Jose Jazz Festival is a very well-done event,” Dillabough told the Mercury News.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan seems to agree that more needs to be done in terms of creating a more entertainment-centric city, telling the Mercury News, “People need a predictable environment. Any any time a resident or visitor is in our downtown, there should be at least one interesting thing to do that day – 365 days a year program. Currently, there are no concrete plans to establish a city-sanctioned group that focuses on the entertainment district or its promotion, but as the mayor seems to agree, the possibility seems realistic, especially since the downtown area is struggling to make it completely out of the pandemic.