With BART’s plans for its four-station extension into San Jose and Santa Clara expected to be approved later this month, all eyes are turning to how the extension will catalyze development. …
Diridon Station offers the biggest opportunity for redevelopment. The modest train depot serving Amtrak, Altamont Corridor Express and Caltrain, along with VTA buses, is surrounded by a sea of parking. The approximately 240 acres around the station is slated to be transformed into a mix of offices, restaurants and retail, plus public plazas with the station — a bold, architecturally significant building — as its focal point, said Ellen Lou, director of urban design and planning for the architecture firm, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, which has helped city leaders think about eventual design selection for the station.
“The existing building can still stay, but we need another one that really marks this as a gateway,” Lou said. “This is our chance to fill the gap between the station and the downtown by having a vibrant mixed-use area that serves everybody.”