The Neighborhood Business District Façade Improvement Program offered special grants from the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Jose to qualifying businesses in the Agency’s various redevelopment areas. The intent was to restore architectural and economic vitality to aging commercial districts and streets with a focus on pedestrian-friendly design. Ideally, the building stock was improved for the long term and although buildings were designed individually, they were part of a larger urban design concept. As each façade was completed, the ensuing ripple effect benefited the entire neighborhood via increased property values, pride of ownership, and renewed economic interest.

For The Village, an iconic local shopping district in the Alum Rock neighborhood, two original curved corner parapets that faced each other across the street were replaced by matching angled “gateway” towers announcing the district’s entrance and defining its Western boundary. New recessed arches and windows are contemporary, yet allude to traditional thick-walled California Spanish and Mexican architecture typical of the area. The “village” concept was further enhanced by more substantial built improvements like projected pilasters and recesses, new parapets and trims. Economical additions like sidewalk awnings, custom signage, accent lighting and individual storefront color schemes lend each business its own unique identity.

Antiques Colony was a prominent business on West San Carlos Street faced with limited resources, so it was necessary to maintain the original form of the building and all of the original windows and parapets. Dated facade elements were removed to create a blank canvas for new pilasters, arches and two-toned awnings that provide three-dimensionality to the large, flat, façade. The pilaster arches are the backdrop for the starring features of the composition: two lily murals in the Art Nouveau style designed by EBA. While several of our facade projects involve actual building construction and exhibit EBA custom-designed feature items such as murals, gates, trellises and distinctive signs, the extent to which a facade can be revitalized with relatively inexpensive improvements should not be underestimated. Modest additions like new trim, a stucco skim coat, paint, signage and awnings can transform an older building. Peters’ Bakery, a Village institution since 1936, perfectly illustrates how a well-designed but seemingly minor façade improvement can have dramatic results.