San Jose Sharks Invoke CEQA to Protect Arena Parking

"Sharks Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the San Jose Sharks, is going to court with the city of San Jose over a glitzy, $600 million, mixed-use project that the team says will gobble up parking for downtown arena patrons," reports Nathan Donato-Weinstein.

Trammell Crow is developing the project in question, called Diridon, which would add 1 million square feet of high-rise office space, 325 apartments, and 30,000 square feet of retail to the site. The San Jose Sharks are suing to protect the parking lot under the California Environmental Quality Act, questioning the city's approval and public disclosure processes for the project.

According to Donato-Weinstein, "Sharks representatives have for months been raising concerns with city officials that the project would remove crucial parking for arena events — and violate a deal in which the city must ensure there is a minimum number of spaces within a half-mile of SAP Center."