Dupont Station
Approved
244 McEvoy, San Jose, CA 95126
Project Overview
• Project Type: Affordable Housing + Market Rate Housing + Commercial
• Owner/Developer: MNN Diridon LLC
• Presented to our members: January 2021
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Catalyze SV evaluates project sustainability, equity, and vibrancy. Learn about our project review process.
Dupont Station Project Scorecard
Dupont Station by MNN Diridon LLC proposal is a partnership between Miramar Capital, Pinion Property Company, & The Pacific Companies, which is for 689 homes with 54% affordable housing & 4,000 sq ft of commercial space. Each unit has a bike rack & the development will have 502 car parking spaces. It is located a short walk from the Diridon Station multimodal transit hub.
Dupont Station scored an overall 4 out of 5 from our Project Advocacy Committee members.
Community Score: 5/5
Our members were impressed with MNN Diridon LLC’s early community engagement & active participation in the neighborhood. Despite having few neighbors, it appears that Dupont Station has reached out extensively to community groups. We appreciate that you are working with local stakeholders on directing park fees into the neighborhood. Coordination with First Community Housing is key to ensuring the block’s success for the 1,000+ families that will call it home & we are excited to see this effort continue.
Vibrancy Score: 3/5
While we appreciate the large sidewalks, building design, & amenities within the development, our members believe more should be done to activate the block & improve placemaking. The connection to the Los Gatos Creek Trail could be enhanced by opening up public access behind the development parallel to the train tracks with a stairway down to Park Avenue. This would shorten the walking distance to Downtown West for trail users & residents of both Dupont Station & First Community Housing’s adjacent affordable housing building. The 4,000 square feet of commercial space located on Park Avenue & McEvoy Street’s corner will help improve the vibrancy. Still, with over 1,000 new units planned on this block surrounding an established residential neighborhood, more commercial could be supported. We recommend additional commercial space or at least designing the first floor facing Dupont Street & the plaza between the two buildings for future conversion to commercial space.
Transportation Score: 4/5
With the proximity to the region’s central transportation hub, your project will encourage transit & lead to reduced automobile usage. By offering bicycle storage in every unit, residents will be able to take advantage of the easy access to Downtown on the Park Avenue bike lane. While our members appreciate unbundled parking, we believe this project includes too much parking for such a transit-accessible site. The amount of parking could be reduced through additional TDM measures such as providing VTA Smart Passes at the cost of $135 per resident per year to residents. Finally, we have concerns with pedestrian safety around the three driveways on McEvoy Street and wonder if the central garage entrance would be better served as an expanded public plaza.
Intensity/Zoning Score: 4/5
While we understand the limitations of cost-effective construction methods, our members would love to see this site developed to the 285 feet height & 450 units per acre density proposed in the draft Diridon Station Area Plan. For a development using wood construction, we appreciate that you can get to 165 units per acre & are excited to see modular construction, hopefully allowing for faster delivery of new homes. We have seen many recent projects putting parking underground or using stackers & wonder if reducing the space needed for parking (or the number of parking spaces) could free up area within the podium for additional homes or commercial space.
Sustainability Score: 4/5
With a commitment to GreenPoint Gold, rooftop solar, all eclectic building utilities, & energy-efficient appliances, Dupont Station incorporates measurable green building features & reduces its environmental impact. Our members appreciate that the project is designed for the environmental performance ahead of a score yet still believe developing to GreenPoint Platinum level would make this a top-tier project. We would also be interested in knowing the number of EV charging spaces & if this will go beyond San Jose’s requirements.
Affordability Score: 4/5
Our members are excited to see Dupont Station deliver an impressive 54% of the homes as affordable. We also appreciate that 39% of the affordable homes will be 2-bedroom & that the building can serve a variety of different needs with an average of 60% of the Area Median Income. While we understand that the exact breakdown has not been determined, we hope the project will include homes for extremely & very low-income households. Though project financing creates the need to develop separate market-rate & affordable buildings, our members are worried about the segregation of amenities. We encourage Dupont Station to explore shared amenities among all residents of the entire development.
Legacy Score: N/A /5
Members of Catalyze SV didn’t think this category was applicable to this site.