Bay Curious
Bay Curious
KQED
Redevelopment in San Jose is Hard. Cambrian Park Plaza Shows Us Why.
17 minutes Posted Apr 9, 2026 at 10:00 am.
0:00
17:47
Download MP3
Show notes

Cambrian Park Plaza, a strip mall in San Jose, was once the heart of the neighborhood. Featuring a bowling alley, grocery store, post office, clothing stores and more, it had everything nearby residents might need. But it's faded significantly since it's heyday in the 1960s-1980s. Now the smattering of stores that are there are on short term leases, and may storefronts sit empty. On today's show, we explore the fight to redevelop this space, and the market conditions that have made moving forward a challenge. It's the story of one neighborhood, yes. But it's also the story of San Jose, and in many ways the entire San Francisco Bay Area.

Additional Resources:

Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts


This story was reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices