![](https://mega-portal24.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/SJM-L-SJWHOMES-x-01-YjF2Ut.jpeg)
SAN JOSE — An affordable homes project being eyed on the former San Jose site of a domed movie complex is getting a bit bigger and is being pitched through a “builder’s remedy” gambit.
The proposed housing development would be constructed at 741 South Winchester Boulevard in San Jose, the site of the former Century 24, a domed movie house, according to documents filed in July with city planners.
The current development plans envision a 264-unit, seven-story residential building at the site, the San Jose planning files show. That’s somewhat larger than a previous proposal for 257 units.
The Century 24 movie house has already been bulldozed. A fitness center at one point had been proposed for the property, but those plans have been scrapped.
The developer is SyRes Properties LLC, according to a July 5 filing with the city. SyRes is a unit of Syufy Enterprises, which for decades owned and operated a string of Century Theaters movie houses known for their domed structures.
The 264 units will consist of 35 studios, 113 one-bedroom apartments and 116 two-bedroom apartments, according to the project plans.
Potentially, 52 or 53 of the units could be affordable, according to a letter written by attorneys with Holland & Knight, a law firm that is representing SyRes Properties in its development efforts with San Jose.
“The project will reserve 20% of its units at rents that are affordable to low-income households,” Holland & Knight attorneys Tamsen Plume and Genna Yarkin wrote in a letter to San Jose city officials.
As a result of this, the proposed complex qualifies as a housing development project “for very low, low-, or moderate-income households,” the Holland & Knight attorneys stated in their letter to city officials.
Related Articles
No apartment projects broke ground in Silicon Valley during first half of 2023
Concord Naval Weapons Station project moves forward with new master developer
Letters: Save CEQA | Impolite bicyclists | Equal coverage | Trump’s notoriety | Big Pharma
SJ Chamber seeks CEO amid “doom loop” for downtown San Jose
SJSU eyes prominent downtown San Jose hotel tower for student housing
The attorneys also notified San Jose officials that the development firm intends to employ a “builder’s remedy” gambit to attempt to speed the proposed housing project through the city planning process at a brisk pace.
The “builder’s remedy” maneuver enables developers to build beyond what local rules would usually allow in cities that don’t have state-mandated housing plans in place as long as a proposed project includes units for low- or middle-income families.
San Jose approved its long-range housing plan in June but has yet to receive a formal endorsement from state government officials. A builder’s remedy endeavor might be applicable when a city housing element has yet to be certified by the state.
As a result, multiple projects are being pitched in San Jose on a potential fast-track basis through the “builder’s remedy” approach. The 741 South Winchester housing development is one of these.
The 741 South Winchester project includes a community room and outdoor space for residents on the third floor. The ground floor includes leasing offices, a gym and co-working spaces for residents, the project plans show.