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This is the 45th Weekly Message to Businesses from San Jose Downtown Association since the end of the COVID-19 "tier" system June 15.
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To our members: 

Street life continues to return as the weather improves, and some members report that business is almost back to pre-pandemic levels. Although we remain optimistic, there are some signs that we are not out of the woods yet.  The CDC is cautiously monitoring the new BA.2 variant of COVID, and the federal transportation mask mandate has been extended for an additional two weeks as a result.  We will continue to stay on top of the latest news so you can mind your business.  

 Do you enjoy receiving this newsletter?  Are there topics of interest to you that we are not currently addressing?  Has this vehicle served its purpose and lost its relevance?  Please drop me a note at nwilliams@sjdowntown.com and let me know your thoughts.
In Today's Message
TONIGHT - Public Forum on Downtown’s Transportation Future 

Thursday, Apr 14 | 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Despite too often being the domain of cars, streets are the primary public spaces of our daily lives. Designing them to better meet the needs of San José residents will help build a more vibrant and welcoming downtown. Downtown is seeing major investments that will affect the day-to-day choices of people traveling in the area. Against this backdrop, the City of San Jose is undertaking the Downtown Transportation Plan to guide these investments. The plan aims to deliver a safer, healthier, more enjoyable, and more affordable way to move throughout the city's urban core. But it’s a process that depends on public feedback to be truly successful. In this forum, the Downtown Transportation Plan team will give a preview of the draft plan. Come provide your thoughts on what you see and help the city advance the transportation moves – both big and small – that will shape the future of downtown San Jose.

Can't join in-person? You can register for the livestream of this program, though it may offer reduced interactivity.
TOMORROW - SJDA Public Meeting on Homelessness 

Friday, April 15 | 8:15 a.m.
San Jose Downtown Association's April 15 public meeting will focus on homelessness, mental and behavioral health challenges.  Hear from Supervisor Susan Ellenberg, City and County staff on how service delivery innovations, proposed temporary and permanent housing options and the County's mental health and substance abuse State of Emergency will impact downtown San Jose. 

Attendees can attend in person at Tabard Theatre or watch from home or office online. Both ways, the meeting begins at 8:15 a.m. Register here to attend in person at Tabard Theatre.
 

For all guests attending in person, proof of vaccination will be required at the door. Masking is encouraged but not required. Click here for complete COVID protocols at Tabard Theatre. Register here to attend via Zoom Webinar.

Thank you to our co-sponsors The Tabard Theatre Company, Nirvana Soul and Pinnacle Peak Advisors LLC. Visit sjdowntown.com’s public meeting page for more information.
Financial Opportunity

Restaurant Grants Available
The Restaurants Care Resiliency Fund is offering cash grants of $3,000 directly to restaurant owners with fewer than three units and under $3 million in annual revenue. All the eligibility criteria and tips to complete the application are at www.restaurantscare.org/resilience. Last year, the Resilience Fund awarded 318 grants to independent restaurant owners. 
Helping Office Workers Feel Safe

Bringing Office Workers Back, Post-Pandemic
Gensler Architecture points out the need to rethink office environments to make workers more productive and feeling safe.  Read this article for helpful considerations for transitioning people back to the workplace.
Candidate Forums

The June 7 Primary is less than two months away and candidates for Mayor and District 3 Council representative are campaigning in force.  For those who are invested in the future of downtown San Jose, this is an important election and we encourage business owners to get to know the candidates. We will share opportunities to do so as we learn about them, such as these forums tonight and later this month:

SV@Home District 3 Candidate Forum
April 14 | 6-7:30 p.m. | 350 W. Julian Street #5

SAP Center Mayoral Forum, moderated by SJDA CEO Scott Knies
April 27 | 7 p.m. | 525 W Santa Clara Street
The goal of this forum is to allow the mayoral candidates to share their vision and plan for how they plan to protect SAP Center during the upcoming massive transformation of SAP Center’s neighborhood, including Google’s Downtown West development, the large-scale expansion of Diridon Station for BART and high speed rail, as well as several other significant planned private developments in the area.

Who Will Lead the Future of San Jose?
April 28 | 6-7:30 p.m. | 149 S 9th Street | Register
SJDA and SPUR are co-presenting a mayoral candidate forum (in-person) at the San Jose State University Student Union Theater. Hear where the candidates stand on the city’s most pressing challenges, including homelessness, housing costs, transportation investments and the economy.
Downtown San Jose and Silicon Valley in the News
Recent media reports involving Downtown San Jose/Silicon Valley. Subscriptions may be necessary to see the article:
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Let us know how else we can help your business by replying to this email. We’ll have another message next week.
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