SAN JOSE — An urban and chic dining spot envisioned by a top-notch Bay Area chef is slated to replace the empty KQED space in a prominent downtown San Jose office tower.
Parke Ulrich, of the acclaimed Waterbar and Epic Steak restaurants in San Francisco, will be the executive chef of the new restaurant being planned for the ground floor of 50 West, a highrise at a prime spot in San Jose, according to sources that are close to the deal.
The dining establishment will offer lunch, happy hour specialty cocktails and dinner in an indoor and outdoor concept, the sources said.
The space became available when KQED, a public media organization, decided to vacate the 4,000 square feet that it occupies on the ground floor of the office tower, which is at 50 West San Fernando Street next to South First Street.
The 18-story highrise totals about 357,000 square feet. Phil Mahoney and Mike Saign, brokers and executives with Newmark, a commercial real estate firm, are marketing the building on behalf of Jay Paul Co., the development company that owns the tower through an affiliate.
KQED decided to exit the 50 West tower as part of a belt-tightening effort to trim expenses at a time of slumping revenue for the organization, which is one of the nation’s largest public media outlets.
The public media organization has also reduced staffing by 8%, or 34 positions, through a combination of layoffs, voluntary departures and eliminating unfilled positions.
Two signs bearing the KQED name are perched atop the office tower, one facing roughly west and the other facing east. The fate of the signs wasn’t immediately known.
Chef Ulrich is teaming up with the Jay Paul firm to bring a San Francisco-caliber restaurant to downtown San Jose, according to the sources.
Jay Paul Co., the sources said, intends to revamp the tower’s lobby as part of the restaurant’s upcoming arrival.
The 50 West highrise is located in a core area of downtown that includes San Jose’s hip and trendy SoFA district, the San Jose Museum of Art, a plaza that hosts a winter ice rink and the landmark Signia by Hilton San Jose hotel. The tower provides space of varying sizes to multiple tenants.
The 50 West tower also features the Silicon Valley Capital Club, a spot for dining, drinking and socializing on the building’s 17th floor, a space that offers commanding views of downtown San Jose and the South Bay in all directions.
The Chef Ulrich-led restaurant is scheduled to open sometime during the first three months of 2025, according to the sources.
Ulrich is also involved in a high-profile restaurant in Redwood City called Hurrica.
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Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
