The Stevens Creek Boulevard of Dreams

During today’s, now famous, Rotary Club of Cupertino’s 2011 City Council Candidate Forum a stimulating question was posed; “What would you do to make Cupertino more fun,” Richard Lowenthal narrator.

Well; since I failed to hear a reply that shook my tree I have given this 15 minutes or so of reflection and come up with an idea to put Cupertino on the map as a more fun place to live and work. Here goes nothing folks, stick with me on this as it takes some imagination and vision to embrace the idea.

Overview; we build an elevated, solar powered monorail beginning at the corner of Pruneridge and Wolfe. The rail would proceed to the corner of Stevens Creek and Wolfe where it would turn and advance in the direction of the Blackberry Golf Course where it would end.

Along the way there would be four major stops. There would be a stop at the corner of Stevens Creek and Wolfe, the corner of Stevens Creek and So. De Anza Blvd., the corner of Stevens Creek and Mary Avenue, and Blackberry Golf Course.  The stop at Pruneridge and Wolfe would be a simple on and off portal, mostly for the Apple employees.

Each of these stops would have major elevated retail areas in a circular design around the station. The design would allow for retail and multi-family high-rise housing. Here-in lies the funding opportunity; the City sells the air rights above each of these stations to major developers who are capable of building unique mini-village like areas of different themes.

Each of these stops would have escalator exits and entrances leading to the retail areas immediately surrounding them giving access to theaters, sports clubs, De Anza College, hotels, the flea market, and other Cupertino businesses.

The Blackberry Golf Course would be sold to an entertainment developer who would convert the course to a state-of-the-art driving range, golf school to include 3 holes for practice.

The remaining land would be used for a top notch food cart area similar to those in Portland and other major Cities along with small sports and gaming areas for the younger crowd. The Stevens Creek Trail entrance at this location would then become the trailhead envisioned as a walking paradise and access point to Blackberry Farm Recreation Area and the Bay.

The City would partner with private enterprise to build the “Stevens Creek Boulevard of Dreams” at little or no cost to the City.

In fact; the revenue generated through added sales, hotel and property taxes could be significant if this project takes on the scope I imagine.