In 1960, Santa Clara's redevelopment director described the downtown he expected to build on Franklin Street. It would have "old Mission atmosphere with a modern touch," flowered walkways, arcade-style shops, a farmers market under umbrella-covered tables, and public benches along the streets, according to a Silicon Valley Voice history of the city's downtown. The consulting firm Wilsey & Ham went further and predicted the area would someday hold "art galleries, libraries, coffee houses, museums and concert halls."
In October 2026, the City of Santa Clara asked developers for a two-story food and beverage hall, a town square and arts commons plaza, ground-floor retail, a cultural arts space, and a theater re-creating the historic Santa Clara Theater. All of it goes on the city-owned land at 900 and 1000 Lafayette Street, according to the city's downtown RFP page. The two lists are 66 years apart and describe almost the same place. In between, Santa Clara cleared its old downtown and went decades without one. The block the city now wants to build on also became home to businesses that have been open for most of that time.
Two wish lists for the same few blocks
Set side by side, the 1960 promises and the 2026 requirements line up closely.
| What planners described around 1960 | What the 2026 RFP asks for |
|---|---|
| Arcade-style shops along flowered walkways | Ground-floor retail and retail-ready spaces |
| A farmers market with umbrella-covered tables | A two-story food and beverage hall |
| Public benches along the streets | A town square and arts commons plaza |
| Art galleries, museums and concert halls | A cultural arts space |
| High-density housing beside a pedestrian shopping mall | At least 300 residential units |
| A redesigned street layout | Franklin and Washington streets extended through the site |
The last row matters most. The 1960s project cut the old street grid apart. The 2026 RFP asks a developer to run Franklin Street back through the site. The 4.83-acre parcel covers most of Blocks A and B in the city's Downtown Precise Plan, which the City Council adopted on December 5, 2023, along with a form-based zoning code.
How the first version came apart
The first version started with a filing. On January 2, 1958, the Santa Clara Journal ran the headline "Franklin Facelifting Plan Filed." City Manager Lloyd Brady and City Planner William Loretta had applied for federal urban renewal money to address what the paper called blight in "the Franklin street business section." Planners expected about $1.3 million in federal matching funds.
The original plan covered 64 blocks, from the Carmelite Monastery on Lincoln Street to the train tracks behind Santa Clara University, and from Bellomy Avenue to El Camino Real. Federal officials objected that it was too ambitious, and it was cut into three phases.
On September 29, 1960, the City Council approved the Urban Renewal Plan by a 6-1 vote. The Mercury News described it as coming "after a stormy session that came close to bedlam." Councilman James Viso, who made the motion, said, "I know from the bottom of my heart that Urban Renewal is the salvation of this community." According to the Silicon Valley Voice account, he later changed his mind. Austen Warburton cast the only no vote. Bill Wilson Jr. of Wilson's Bakery on Franklin Street was a vocal opponent. When his three minutes ran out, he kept talking, and half the audience walked out with him.
The demolition followed. In February 1965, the Franck Building from around 1900, the Pereira's Men's Store Building from around 1920, and Wade's Mission Pharmacy came down. Later that year, William Wilson Sr. and Austen Warburton became the first buyers of parcels in what became the Franklin Mall.
The theater the RFP wants back
The theater the RFP asks a developer to re-create stood at 956 Franklin Street. It opened as the Casa Grande Theatre on November 1, 1927, reopened as the Santa Clara Theatre on June 4, 1938, and closed in 1965, according to Cinema Treasures.
Dan Ondrasek remembers it. He is a co-chair of Reclaiming Our Downtown, a grassroots group founded about a decade ago to push for rebuilding downtown. He told ABC7 about getting a Teen Burger and driving downtown as a child, and about the theater's neon signs. "I saw the theater right there get torn down," he said. On why the old restoration plans stalled, he said, "It never materialized. Then, the feds pulled the money."
"My dream is to have that theater sign once again rise up 40 feet and say 'Santa Clara,'" he told ABC7. "This city has been waiting 60 years for the return of their heart." The goals the group laid out to San José Spotlight in 2019 include bringing back downtown's original street grid, a comprehensive plan, a mix of uses, protection for existing retailers and residents, and a modernized version of the old trolley system.
What grew on the block in between
The site has not sat empty while the city planned. Several of the businesses on it have now been there longer than the original downtown's demolition took to play out.
- The Hungry Hound is a family-owned restaurant that has been on the site for 42 years, according to ABC7's October 27 broadcast.
- Frozo's is a frozen yogurt shop that has been open for nearly 20 years, according to the same report.
- Togo's operates at 1000 Lafayette Street, Suite A, according to the chain's location page.
City officials told ABC7 they will likely demolish the buildings that house The Hungry Hound and Frozo's as part of the redevelopment. "There are a lot of mom-and-pop shops that have been around for a long time that we certainly want to pay attention to and to support," Reena Brilliot, the city's director of Economic Development and Sustainability, told the station. Several business owners in the area told ABC7 they hope they can afford to return if the project moves forward.
This summer the city also used the lot for gatherings. Santa Clara scheduled a Night Market at 900–1000 Lafayette for July 17 through 19, 2026, as part of its community events calendar.
What happens next, in order
The 1960 plan went from vote to wrecking ball in about four and a half years. The 2026 process is set up to go slower, and the city has published its sequence.
- The pre-proposal conference. The city set an in-person, mandatory conference for Wednesday, November 18, at the American Legion, 958 Homestead Road. Any developer who wants to submit a proposal has to attend.
- Phase I proposals. Developers submit a preliminary vision, project description, amenities, qualifications and proof of financial capacity.
- Phase II shortlist. Shortlisted teams submit detailed site plans, renderings, commercial leasing and operations plans, and financial information.
- Council selection. The City Council picks the developer. City officials told ABC7 that choosing a developer could take about nine months and that construction is still years away.
The public can read the full RFP through a viewer linked from the city's project page. For now, a Hungry Hound order or a Frozo's cup still comes from the same counters on Lafayette, and the city's selection process is just getting started.
Where December's crowds gather this year
Santa Clara's main December gathering will again happen away from the Lafayette site. The city's Holiday Tree Lighting is Friday, December 4, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Central Park, 909 Kiely Boulevard. The city's event page lists a holiday market, crafts and Santa photos, and Discover Santa Clara adds holiday music, performances, food, activity booths and children's activities. Closer to the Lafayette site, Santa Clara University's Festival of Lights is listed for December 4 and 5 at the university's North Parking Garage.
Whether a rebuilt Franklin Street changes the value of the homes around it will depend on what the City Council approves and when it gets built. If you own near downtown Santa Clara and want to know where your home stands while that process plays out, VKG Real Estate Group can walk you through it with a free home valuation built on current local sales.
