3896 Stevens Creek Blvd
In Design
3896 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose, CA 95117
Project Overview
• Project Type: Mixed Use + Market-rate
• Owner/Developer: Holland Partner Group
• Presented to our members: March 2025
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Catalyze SV evaluates project sustainability, equity, and vibrancy. Learn about our project review process.
3896 Stevens Creek Blvd Project Scorecard
3896 Stevens Creek Boulevard is a mixed-use project comprising two 8-story buildings, totaling 532 units, of which 5% are affordable for very low-income households. Residents of the project will have access to 724 parking spaces and 134 bicycle parking spaces, as well as up to 25,000 square feet of amenity space for fitness and co-working rooms. Project plans locate a public plaza lined with roughly 14,000 square feet of commercial space at the corner of the site closest to the Stevens Creek-Saratoga intersection. Other public improvements include the installation of a unique sidewalk-level Class IV bike lane along the project frontage.
3896 Stevens Creek Blvd scored an overall 3.57 out of 5 from our Project Advocacy Committee members.
Community Score: 4/5
Catalyze SV members would like to thank Holland Partner Group for making Catalyze SV its first stop in its outreach process on this project. We hope the developer will carry the same level of openness and responsiveness they have had with us forward into their future community engagement efforts. Regarding future opportunities, our members recommended several groups for the developer to contact, especially in relation to the Stevens Creek Boulevard corridor. Members suggest connecting with groups and individuals associated with the Stevens Creek Boulevard Corridor Vision Study, including the Transbay Coalition. Other members suggest reaching out to nearby workers to better understand what retail or commercial amenities might attract them to the project.
Vibrancy Score: 4/5
Parking lots and car dealerships box in the corner of the Stevens Creek Boulevard and Saratoga Avenue where this project is proposed. It is severely underutilized and lacks any streetscape activation. Fortunately, our members believe 3896 Stevens Creek Boulevard has the potential to change all of that. The project offers abundant open space, including a public plaza with space for outdoor dining and a paseo splitting the middle of the site. These spaces are thoughtfully designed, taking into consideration the noise and traffic from the adjacent arterial roadways. As such, the plaza is set a considerable distance from the roadway behind a raised planted berm. Our members are hopeful this design element will result in a pleasant experience despite the close proximity to a busy 7-lane road. Along the protected interior of the plaza, the developer has arranged roughly 14,000 square feet of commercial space designed with a diverse range of possible tenants in mind. Restaurants using the commercial space will also be allowed to use the plaza and paseo for outdoor dining and seating. Active resident amenities, such as lobbies, co-working spaces, and fitness rooms, are located along the Saratoga and Stevens Creek frontages to foster a more inviting pedestrian streetscape. Our members are confident that these design choices will transform a desolate parking lot into an active residential hub.
Transportation Score: 4/5
Stevens Creek Boulevard is a major transportation corridor serviced by the 523 and 23. Among VTA’s bus routes, the 23 has the highest frequent route ridership, and the 523 is the second busiest rapid route. These routes connect important commercial destinations like Main Street Cupertino, Santana Row, and Downtown San José, as well as educational institutions like De Anza College and San José State University. Few locations are better served by bus than Stevens Creek. Our members encourage the developer to communicate closely with VTA to transform this site into one that is truly transit-oriented. Our members also want to emphasize that, as a well-connected project, 3896 Stevens Creek Boulevard could substantially reduce its 724 proposed parking spaces while still bringing in residents and shoppers. The proposed Class IV protected bike lane along Saratoga and Stevens Creek is a standout aspect of the project. This bikelane will be at the same level as the sidewalk, setting it apart from automobile traffic. However, our members shared some concerns regarding the design of the protected bike lane as it approaches the Saratoga-Stevens Creek intersection, and they want to encourage the developer to reach out to the Department of Transportation and the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee for design guidance. Our members also commend the developer for proposing to remove the “pork chop” or slip lane at the intersection because they often lead to dangerous situations for pedestrians.
Intensity/Zoning Score: 3/5
While the proposed 532 units split between two 8-story buildings represent a significant increase in density over current conditions, our members note that the project does not utilize the full density allowed by the Stevens Creek Urban Village Plan. The Plan permits a density of up to 250 units per acre, whereas the current proposal reaches only 110 units per acre on the 4.8-acre site. The developer stated that the reason for pursuing a lower density than what is allowed is due to economic factors related to construction materials. While acknowledging these economic realities, our members consistently encourage developers to build bigger when possible to address the City's and the region’s critical need for more housing. If the land is zoned for higher density, we want to see the developer use it. The original vision of the Stevens Creek Urban Village plan—developed over many years with loads of community input—anticipated a much larger project for this site. Our members would like to see the developer pursue similar densities. However, although 3896 Stevens Creek Boulevard falls short of ideal, it still increases housing density in a predominantly low-density area, which is a step in the right direction. We are increasingly encouraging developers to look at mass timber and modular housing as a means to build more homes and taller buildings, both of which are becoming more common in the Bay Area.
Sustainability Score: 3/5
3896 Stevens Creek Boulevard will be a LEED Silver project. Our members want to see the developer increase this score, but also acknowledge the other planned sustainability measures. Primarily, our members are pleased to see on-site stormwater treatment. Even though our members feel that the proposed parking ratio is set too high, they support the developer allocating nearly 50% of these spots for EV charging. To potentially increase the project score in our Sustainability category, our members want to see the tentative commitment for rooftop solar turned into a definite commitment.
Affordability Score: 2/5
Holland Partner Group's proposal for 3896 Stevens Creek Boulevard includes 5% of units as on-site deed-restricted affordable units for very low-income households. The project will satisfy the remaining requirements of San José’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance by paying an in-lieu fee. This fee will go towards funding future affordable housing projects somewhere else in the city. Rather than paying the in-lieu fee, our members ask Holland Partner Group to designate at least 15% of units as deed-restricted affordable. This is a standard position of our members, who want as many affordable homes as possible integrated into quality developments like this one. As currently proposed, the project is below satisfactory for our members. The developer indicated that car parking is the most expensive part of the building to construct and cuts into the costs of other project areas. Our members suggest reducing parking and putting that money towards affordable units. Additionally, members note that building more on-site affordable housing could have a positive, outsized impact on transit use, as residents of affordable housing tend to drive less and take transit more. As staunch advocates for affordable housing, we encourage the developer to go beyond the minimum requirements.
Legacy Score: 5/5
Our members do not typically score projects in the Legacy category, but have opted to do so for 3896 Stevens Creek Boulevard. We and our members thank the developer for bringing an existing piece of public art to our attention and preserving it. We appreciate the developer’s transparency regarding this important historical resource that will help refine the project’s sense of place.