San Jose city leaders gathered at Plaza de Cesar Chavez in downtown San Jose Friday to showcase new improvements.
The park now has new benches, colorful umbrellas and furniture, game tables and new flower beds. It was all made possible by investments from the developer Jay Paul Company.
"It's no mystery that the pandemic was incredibly hard on our downtowns,” said Mayor Matt Mahan. “But we are bouncing back. And what is leading the rebound — in fact, our downtown has the fastest rebound of any downtown in the state of CA — and what's leading that rebound is experiences."
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Plaza de Cesar Chavez honors the legacy of the human rights leader it’s named for. It’s also home to several San Jose staples, including Christmas in the Park, Music in the Park, San Jose Jazz and more.
It’s also the city’s first and longest serving public gathering space. But it hasn’t seen significant or attention from the city in decades.
All that’s changing now.
"This budget season, I'll be proposing a budget document requesting to fund a master plan for this park, hoping that future investments and improvements come to fruition — while also honoring our amazing leader Cesar Chavez, who did so much for the city of San Jose,” said Councilmember Omar Torres, who represents the district that covers the Plaza.
Part of that is partnering with organizations like Jay Paul Company, which has been involved in other developments in the revitalization of downtown.
"This park is in our front yard. Jay Pail recognizes the significance of Plaza de Cesar Chavez as a vital communal space for workers, residents, students, visitors, tourists, alike,” said Maya Harris, the director of special projects and community relations for the company.
