Downtown San Jose may be on the brink of change. Meet the new CEO of one of its biggest stakeholders
During Super Bowl week, the city of San Jose scored a touchdown.
With all the ceremony, glitz and glamor close as Santa Clara’s Levi Stadium hosted the big game, the city of San Jose welcomed nearly half a million visitors as people filled bars and restaurants – a significant improvement from 10 years ago when Silicon Valley also hosted the Super Bowl.
Success, a city hoping to make it this year with the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament coming to the SAP Center and Levi’s Stadium to host several FIFA World Cup games, has provided a brief respite from the challenges the city is facing as office vacancies are high and development is slow.
It also provided a glimpse into the power of the city as the city of San Jose and many others across the country contemplated the need for change and the establishment of a new common area as a place to live, work and play.
Late last year, the San Jose Downtown Association – one of the key stakeholders – named Brian Kurtz as the new CEO to help influence local development.
He sat down for an interview with the Bay Area News Group to discuss his role and what he saw in the past.
Question: He has a long history of work in economic development and specializes in metropolitan areas such as Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Tulsa. Where does your interest in cities come from?
A: My love for urban areas comes from my grandparents. My grandmother would take me to downtown Pittsburgh – sometimes on the bus, sometimes in her car – whether it was to see the holiday windows at Kaufmann’s department store or to eat at one of the many restaurants there. That Kaufmann’s store is where my grandparents met and got married, and he loved it so much, and he just loved exploring the city of Pittsburgh with me. Growing up, I would even take the bus downtown to meet my father for lunch when he worked there, and walk the public areas. After about a decade or so, I found myself working for an organization that took care of that community and I was the manager of economic development programs in the city center. I think these public spaces and urban spaces are intersections where people cross and interact. It’s a natural point of conflict in all the best ways. There is something incredibly special about it.
Question: What drew you to this position?
A: When I came here for my interview, it was actually my first time out in San Jose or Northern California. There was something, when I was walking and engaging with people during the interview, that reminded me of Tulsa and Pittsburgh. It comes down to people. There is something clear about the energy here, the excitement, the love that people have for this community. I see the basics of what we have in the city – light rail, beautiful tree canopies, and a dynamic first-floor experience full of small businesses – and we have built-in residents and offices with Fortune 500 companies. While all of these things are good starting points, there is so much more potential for what’s to come and what can be created if we all come together and work together.
Question: It has been three months since your appointment was announced. How well did San Jose meet your expectations?
A: San Jose has exceeded my expectations and that is down to the people and how this community has welcomed me and my family. We are very happy to join such a wonderful place. My first six weeks were all about listening, reading and watching. I have been walking all over the city with stakeholders, small businesses, residents, property owners across the gamut, to be able to see the city through their eyes and learn about the history of what was in the building or the plans for what is to come, taking all these lessons learned and understanding heard and taken. That will help plan our way and plan for the San Jose Downtown Association.
Question: What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities given the current state of the city?
A: It’s no secret that the city lost day laborers and office workers. We have more vacant square footage of office space than before the pandemic. And it’s no secret that we need to increase the density of people in the city. Trying to reach that 20,000 population in our community is what we need to not only grow, but, frankly, sustain small businesses and increase the number of businesses on our street fronts and our street presence. It’s not an easy task, especially when you’re looking at the most expensive housing market in the country just to get housing built… It’s been challenging and rewarding working with the city early on as they look to move the needle on incentives and policy priorities that help see more development happen downtown across the spectrum of affordability.
Question: From a legal and policy perspective, what other ways do you think local officials can help move a healthy and resilient city?
A: If we want more development to happen, whether it’s parks and public spaces, mid-rise or high-rise residential towers or more office space, we need to find ways to lower development costs. It will be important to increase our daytime and evening population in the city. I think it’s also important that we create spaces that are good for more small businesses in the city. We want to make sure that they continue and grow. I can only imagine that as I continue to work with stakeholders in the coming weeks and months, some important things will emerge. Another thing that comes to mind right now is that we are entering a period where the city is moving forward with the budget process and priorities, and we are looking at a very large budget gap for the upcoming fiscal year. We will continue to promote that it is not only important but necessary for the city to reduce its investment in the city. This should be a hub for economic activity and growth and generate tax revenue that will flow back into the city’s bottom line. Targeted investment in economic development in the city can create huge returns for the entire city.
Question: Apart from the big emphasis on sporting events in 2026, what are your goals for this year?
A: My goals for this year are actually part of what I’ve been doing for the first few weeks – to continue to listen and learn more about our city and the wider community – and then help our community align with the North Star: where do we want the city to be in five to 10 years and beyond? So, what do we need to do not only in the coming months but over the next few years to get to that point? I am very excited to work with the community to help define what the future of the city is for our organization.
Profile
Name: Brian Kurtz
Age: 40
Education: BA in Political Science from Gannon University; Master’s of Urban Planning from the University of Buffalo
5 things you should know
1. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA (I’m a proud Nazi)
2. Married since 2011 and has three wonderful daughters
3. Big hockey fan and I’ve grown to love the Sharks – my record is 1-1 in Sharks games since I moved here.
4. Nothing gives me energy like going to a concert and live music – I’m on the verge of a festival or two later this year.
5. Cooking is my tool for relaxation. I see food and shared meals as a natural connector and I love planning big events, milestones, and everyday life with delicious food.
