On Tuesday July 17th, the City of Santa Clara voted unanimously to approve 355 new homes in the downtown area. The project, which has a density of 62 units to the acre and also includes significant retail and community space, will be located next to the Santa Clara Caltrain station, which is also slated to be the future location of a BART station. Only 10% of the units will be affordable, as this project was not subject to the City’s new 15% inclusionary requirement.

The City Council meeting was also notable for the near-unanimous public support for the project’s approval. The developer, Prometheus, engaged in a long process of community engagement, particularly with the Old Quad Residents Association, many of whom showed up to support the project during public comment.