In the 1990’s, the city of San José embarked on a plan to revitalize the downtown core, which had long been neglected while others neighborhoods thrived. Plans for the downtown core were spelled out in the 2020 General Plan. The area west and south of downtown, around San Carlos Street, was targeted for higher-density housing projects of 25 or more dwelling units per acre. KB Homes developed the Monte Vista community, built on the 12.8-acre site of the historic Del Monte Cannery property at the former Plant #3 site to provide a mix of single-family detached townhomes and multi-story condominium buildings. By bringing more residents closer to the downtown core, the project fulfills many of the objectives of the city’s General Plan.
It has also retained some of Plant #3’s exterior walls with geometric diamond patterns, a feature of the warehouses’ Streamline Modern style. The distinctive Del Monte water tower also remains.
The Monte Vista project totals 383 residences with 235 condominiums and 148 townhouses.
The condos, labeled Cannery Square, are being built in one four-story building with a lower level for parking.
Their five one-level floor plans range from 824 square feet with one bedroom and one bathroom to 1,433 square feet with three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
The townhouses, called Madison Place, feature eight three-level floor plans in a series of smaller buildings. All plans have air conditioning.
All of them also include a ground-level garage entered from the back - eliminating uninteresting garage doors as a dominant streetscape feature. The smallest unit, Plan 1, has a one-car garage, but the others have room for two cars.
That smallest plan has 1,335 square feet with two bedrooms and 2-1/2 bathrooms. The largest, Plan 8, has 1,930 square feet with three or four bedrooms, a den and 3-1/2 or four bathrooms.
Close to the middle in size is the 1,626-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bath Plan 7.
Monte Vista is close to Interstate 280 and Guadalupe Expressway. It's within walking distance of the Diridon Station, which is a hub for Caltrain, Altamont Commuter Express, Amtrak's Capitol Corridor and Coast Starlight trains, and Valley Transportation Authority light rail and buses. The proposed lightrail station will use a portion of the cannery's roof and be directly across from Monte Vista.
The project itself has a small park with a bocce court, barbecue pits and picnic tables. A city park is planned http://supportdelmontepark.org/home.html on the other side of Auzerais, and a portion of the Los Gatos Creek Trail borders the site.
Paths throughout the condo and townhouse communities are also designed to allow residents of the urban community the ability to take in the site that housed the historic Del Monte Cannery.
The outstanding location puts residents steps away from the nightlife and dining in the heart of Downtown and the close proximity of Interstate 280/87 opens up commuting and traveling throughout the Bay Area.
Monte Vista's condos and townhomes combine the history of San Jose's Del Monte Cannery http://www.historysanjose.org/cannerylife/ with modern and lavish amenities demanded by Silicon Valley homebuyers. Unbeatable location, views of the city and access make the urban living at Monte Vista so appealing and some of the best new home construction in San Jose.
