The 49ers Foundation and Bay Area Host Committee may partner with Santa Clara Unified School District to rehabilitate Townsend Field, which is connected to Buchser Middle School and home to the Santa Clara Lions Youth Football and Cheer club. The project is still in the design phase and cost details need to be worked out before it comes back to the district board of trustees in the fall for approval.

School district employees presented some of the project’s early plans at a June 12 board meeting and most of the SCUSD trustees were excited about the project, though they raised multiple questions about the fine print.

“I share the concern with just wanting to know what costs are going to be involved, getting a little bit more detail on that, because there might be ongoing costs and we know that we have a challenging budget picture so we just want to get a better handle on that, but I think it’s very exciting,” Trustee Michele Ryan said at the meeting.

This field rehabilitation is part of the 49ers Foundation’s philanthropic work supporting the greater Santa Clara community, but it’s also coming at a pivotal time, as the city prepares to host two of the world’s largest sports events — the FIFA World Cup and Super Bowl 60.

Zaileen Janmohamed, the Bay Area Host Committee’s CEO and president, said this is one of nine projects in the committee’s Sports for All initiative, as they aim to engage athletic groups throughout the region ahead of the sports events.

“It’s (one) of many legacy investments we’re making to ensure that the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup aren’t just events that pass through the Bay Area, but moments that leave a lasting impact in the communities that need it most,” Janmohamed told San José Spotlight. “This initiative is about equity, access and building opportunity.”

A spokesperson from the 49ers Foundation said they’re proud of their ongoing partnership with the school district

“Because of the relationship with the Santa Clara Lions, we thought this was a great opportunity to give them a safe and sustainable playing space for years to come,” 49ers Foundation Executive Director Justin Prettyman said during the board meeting.

Linda Connelly, Santa Clara Lions president, said she’s excited about the field rehabilitation. When the team moved in about 25 years ago, she and her husband and former president Craig Connelly personally renovated the two snack shacks and painted the bleachers.

She hopes the renovations include updating the field’s bathrooms and paving the dirt track with rubber, as the dust kicks up into the snack shack. Connelly also said she wants the field to remain natural grass, citing some of the health dangers of artificial turf.

“My concern is for the health of our children, that’s why I don’t want turf,” Connelly told San José Spotlight. “I’d rather have them recrowned or replanted with grass. The field’s all dirt, if they really want to improve this place, put a rubber track around the place. That would really improve the facilities.”

The dangers of artificial turf have been a growing debate, as Santa Clara County almost banned it in January 2025. Multiple cities have removed artificial turf fields from planned park renovations, including Sunnyvale and Palo Alto.

Trustee Andrew Ratermann wants more information on the projects, such as 49ers expectations or whether the timeline is attainable given the district’s need to run projects through state regulators. Despite his concerns, Ratermann said he’s been hearing good updates about the project’s development, and is looking forward to learning more when the full proposal comes back to the board.

“I do know that sometimes, when you get into asking questions about these details, it comes across as negative, and I don’t really want that to happen,” Ratermann told San José Spotlight. “Here is … one of our corporate entities that is reaching out to do something very positive, and I want to keep it in that positive vein.”

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The Santa Clara City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the crosswalk’s installation at the intersection of Monroe and Franklin streets. Mayor Lisa Gillmor recused herself because her office is at the nearby Franklin Square mall. The city set aside $100,000 in the fiscal year 2025-26 budget to paint the crosswalk with colors from the progress Pride flag. It’s expected to be completed by this fall, with a cost of about $35,000 to install and roughly $1,000 annually to maintain.

The rainbow crosswalk was championed by former Councilmember Anthony Becker, who is openly gay. He pushed for the crosswalk to be added to the council’s list of priorities in 2024.

Becker told San José Spotlight he proposed the idea in 2021 as “Progress Corner”. He originally wanted two crosswalks with arrows in the progress flag colors, to inspire free speech and an open mind.

He was disappointed that his name wasn’t mentioned during the items discussion, but he’s happy to see it approved unanimously.

“I’m just glad to see that it’s moving forward and I’m looking forward to its unveiling,” Becker told San José Spotlight. “Ours will be a little different than the other cities because we’re including the trans colors, they’re including the brown and black (stripes).”

Councilmember Suds Jain, whose district includes the Franklin Square mall and future painted crosswalk, said the council’s full approval shows the city’s commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ residents.

“There’s this whole onslaught from the federal government about (diversity, equity and inclusion),” Jain told San José Spotlight. “This really is a mark, our approving this under these conditions, is a testament to the fact that we still think this is important.”

Visible support for the LGBTQ+ community has been growing in the past decade through the creation of rainbow crosswalks, raising the rainbow flag and supporting Pride events. The first rainbow crosswalk in Silicon Valley was painted in 2016. It crosses The Alameda in San Jose in front of the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center.

Gabrielle Antolovich, the center’s executive director, said they suggested painting the crosswalk when Former Mayor Sam Liccardo was looking for ways to support the local LGBTQ+ community. They said it was well-received when it opened and still encourages people to engage with the center, whether they identify as LGBTQ+ or not.

Antolovich said officials should prioritize supporting the community given threats from the federal government, but local officials juggle multiple priorities, so it’s up to residents to push their representatives. They added this kind of support affects other services the community may need to combat discrimination.

“The more you acknowledge and elevate who we are, it can make a huge difference in people’s confidence,” Antolovich told San José Spotlight. “Not only in them as an elected official, but maybe the elected officials can make sure that all of the services are welcoming in our community.”

Santa Clara will create the crosswalk using thermoplastic and special grips in the paint to make sure it doesn’t become a slip hazard.

Santa Clara spokesperson Janine De la Vega said there will likely be lane closures on Monroe Street during the construction, but the city aims to minimize impacts. The approved design has the rainbow colors perpendicular to the crosswalk.

Following San Jose, Cupertino added a rainbow stripe to the crosswalk at the intersection of Stevens Creek Boulevard and Finch Avenue in 2020. In Los Gatos, there are similar rainbow stripes at the intersection of Main and Villa streets, and Main and Church streets, though elected officials faced backlash from anti-LGBTQ+ residents when it was installed in 2021.

Ken Yeager, former Santa Clara County supervisor and San Jose councilmember, said he isn’t surprised to hear about Santa Clara’s support for the LGBTQ+ community, as the city’s been raising the rainbow flag for the past nine years. Yeager became the county’s first openly gay elected official when he won a seat on the San Jose Evergreen Community College District in 1992, and has spent a decade in local government advocating for LGBTQ+ rights.

He said there are more considerations when it comes to putting in a rainbow crosswalk, as some cities don’t have an obvious location. Santa Clara’s rainbow crosswalk will be in a significant location, as it’s near the city’s weekly farmers market and on the route for the annual Parade of Champions.
Yeager stressed the importance of showing support for the LGBTQ+ community, which he said is becoming more commonplace locally.

“Maybe if more cities do it, it catches on, then other councilmembers say, ‘Hey, we should have one too,'” Yeager told San José Spotlight. “Maybe we’re finally getting to that point, where they become less controversial and more routine.”

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The Santa Clara City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a $1.9 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2025-26 and $1.4 billion for fiscal year 2026-27. The city anticipates ending it’s current year with a surplus, restoring its reserves to $80 million after becoming dangerous low during the COVID -19 pandemic. In order to maintain the city’s financial stability, councilmembers also approved putting aside $500,000 to hire a consultant to review its finances including revenue sources, infrastructure needs and various reserve funds.

City Finance Director Ken Lee said the consultant would then propose an action plan to tighten the budget going forward, which would enable the city to fund more services.

“The goal is to create additional capacity to fund services, infrastructure and other needs that aren’t included in this budget,” Lee said at the meeting.

Councilmembers supported plans to analyze the budget, as the city’s inability to fund public infrastructure maintenance has been a paint point during the past year. The city has a estimated backlog of $624 million in public infrastructure repairs. Voters passed a $400 million general obligation bond in November 2024 to begin fixing crumbling infrastructure, including the George F. Haines International Swim Center, which has been closed since January 2023 due to unsafe conditions.

Councilmember Karen Hardy said the swim center is an example of what happens without funding for proper maintenance. But there are other public services that could be impacted, such as the city’s aging sewer system and old fire stations.

She wants the analysis to show whether the city’s spending serves residents well.

“In all cases with the budget, (we’re asking) why are we charging ourselves for this, is this a good choice,” Hardy told San José Spotlight. “You don’t have a lot of room in a city budget for fluff.”

The budget sets aside money to make headway on specific priority projects, including funding for an analyst to manage the city’s homelessness response plan and another analyst to support the city’s sustainability goals.

Councilmembers questioned if the city is setting aside enough money for public safety and other costs associated with hosting Super Bowl 60 and the FIFA World Cup next year. While the city isn’t spending on the stadium, the Santa Clara Police Department is expected to spearhead public safety.
Santa Clara University’s graduation is scheduled for the same day as the first World Cup game at Levi’s Stadium. Councilmember Kelly Cox and Mayor Lisa Gillmor raised concerns about a possible lack of police at graduation in light of the World Cup. City Manager Jovan Grogan said the city has already talked about the conflict with the university.

“There’s a lot on the work plan for the next year, we certainly recognize that,” Grogan said at the meeting. “Having the premier outdoor stadium venue in Northern California, where entities bid for events and we have a role in helping to execute them, certainly has an impact on Santa Clara.”

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Representatives from the Bay Area Host Committee and Santa Clara celebrated the one-year countdown to the World Cup Wednesday with speeches and a youth soccer clinic led by the San Jose Earthquakes. Levi’s Stadium will host six games in 2026, beginning June 13. City officials dedicated a plaque to commemorate the games and unveiled a one-year timer, which will be moved around the community and presented at various city events.

“Let’s make sure that when the world looks at Santa Clara, they’re not just seeing a host city, but a community that never stopped believing in its children’s future,” Mayor Lisa Gillmor said.

About 160 children from Santa Clara youth sports groups participated in the soccer clinic after the commemoration ceremony, according to Bay Area Host Committee CEO Zaileen Janmohamed.

She said the host committee is working on events to include Santa Clara and Bay Area residents in the World Cup festivities, such as more clinics and watch parties. She said the World Cup has historically had seismic impacts on the nation’s soccer communities, as the 1994 World Cup helped create Major League Soccer.

“Today is a really good example of what you can expect,” Janmohamed told San José Spotlight. “We want to make sure that we have … a way for people in the community to feel like they’re part of the World Cup, even if they’re not coming to a game. That’s what you should start to see.”

Santa Clara is gearing up for a busy 2026, as Levi’s Stadium will host Super Bowl 60 Feb. 8, only a few months before the World Cup matches in June, both facilitated by the Bay Area Host Committee. Preparations are underway for both events and Janmohamed said the largest lift — a roughly $25 million renovation of Levi’s Stadium’s field to fit FIFA requirements — is nearly complete.

“We’ve been in this planning phase, ‘what if we did it this way,'” Janmohamed said. “We’re moving from that ‘what if’ to a ‘let’s do this.'”

Santa Clara officials have been looking for ways to get residents involved and see more local economic benefits from these mega sporting events. When Santa Clara hosted Super Bowl 50 in 2016, the Bay Area collectively saw a $240 million boost, but only about 7% of that revenue went to Santa Clara.

Councilmember Karen Hardy said she wants to work with the host committee and FIFA to bring more benefits into the city. She suggested letting Santa Clara youths have a moment on the field during the games or letting residents purchase discounted tickets, but both are up in the air. The city is working on hosting a concert at Santa Clara University in the months between Super Bowl 60 and the World Cup games, to give residents more opportunities to celebrate.

“We’re working on getting that funding and doing that for the community … as a present to our residents,” Hardy told San José Spotlight.

Engaging the community will be key in this year’s run up to the events. Aly Wagner, founder of the local National Women’s Soccer League team Bay FC, said engaging with the larger soccer community as a youth during the 1994 World Cup inspired her to pursue the game. Wagner won two Olympic gold medals and two FIFA World Cup bronze medals during her 20 years playing internationally.
Wagner said she hopes the upcoming World Cup games similarly inspire Silicon Valley’s youngest generations of soccer players. FIFA is expected to announce the World Cup’s group stage teams on Dec. 5, which includes all teams in the various groups and who will play at which stadiums. She said it’ll be easier to rally the community around the games once it’s known who will play at Levi’s Stadium.

“Touching it and feeling it and being a part of it is very different from watching it on a broadcast,” Wagner told San José Spotlight. “We’ve always been a hotbed for talent in soccer, now we have an opportunity to grow that because more people are going to be exposed and fall in love with this game.”

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Although the proposed 2025-26 city budget anticipates a $9.3 million surplus, the following five years are projecting red ink. To bridge the gap, the city is hiring a consultant to study charging for parking at city-owned lots, including the Santa Clara Convention Center and Franklin Square mall, the latter of which is part of the city’s historic downtown and home to more than a dozen small businesses.

District 5 Councilmember Suds Jain, whose area includes Franklin Square and the city’s downtown, said he supports the study. He’s focused on stabilizing the budget and wants city services to be more self-sustaining.

“When I came to City Council, we had a budget deficit, and of course, given that it was COVID, we had run down our reserve from 25% to 15%,” Jain told San José Spotlight. “I’ve been very, very fiscally conservative.”

City officials raised various costs to patch the budget, such as charging sports groups to use fields and increasing business taxes. Voters passed a $400 million infrastructure bond last year to help support the city’s crumbling facilities, including the George F. Haines International Swim Center.

Craig Mobeck, director of public works, said the mall’s property owners and the city are part of a maintenance district encompassing Franklin Square, through which the city pays for maintenance and operations in both places where it’s considering installing paid parking.

He said the mall’s property owners contribute a capped amount of $14,200 annually toward maintenance. Meanwhile, the city spends about $140,000 on landscaping, tree trimming and other maintenance work — and costs are going up.

“Council discussed paid parking as an opportunity to help recover costs,” Mobeck told San José Spotlight.

He said the city wants to hire a consultant this summer to study the paid parking proposal. The study’s findings will be shared publicly to help councilmembers decide if the project should move forward.

While the city spends thousands of dollars to maintain Franklin Square, Jain said his focus is on the convention center. The city’s budget for 2025-26 allocates about $940,000 to maintain the convention center’s common grounds and parking lots. Jain said charging for parking can help offset those costs.

“My priority is at the convention center, because I think we can make quite a bit of money,” Jain told San José Spotlight. “It’s just like the (International Swim Center), where we never set aside any money to rebuild it.”

Other local shopping centers have switched from free to a fee in recent years. In 2022, Westfield Valley Fair began charging shoppers $1 per hour after the first two hours with a $10 daily maximum. Santana Row started charging for parking last year at $2 per hour after the first two hours with a $10 daily maximum.

John McGrew, owner and manager of the Mio Vicino Italian restaurant, said it makes more sense to charge for parking at the convention center or larger shopping centers.

“We’re not Valley Fair, we’re not a large strip mall, we’re just Franklin Square,” McGrew told San José Spotlight.

McGrew has worked at Mio Vicino for more than 30 years and grew up across the street from Franklin Square. He said most of the Franklin Square businesses are locally owned — which is why residents enjoy supporting them. But paid parking could deter the support.

“Maybe for someone like us, it won’t have a large impact, but some of these other places, (customers say) maybe I’m not gonna go to Franklin Square,” McGrew told San José Spotlight.
Jim Silva, owner of Big Jim’s Barber Shop in the mall, said business has been slow since the pandemic. He’s worried paid parking could make it worse.

“We’re still recuperating from COVID, we’re just trying to come up again,” Silva told San José Spotlight. “Who’s going to benefit (from paid parking)? Not us.”

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Less than two years after its grand opening at 76 N. Winchester Blvd. in Santa Clara, residents haven’t been allowed to plant seeds or tend to the garden. Multiple older adult residents say they’ve experienced respiratory issues resulting in hospitalizations. Room accommodations for those with disabilities have been ignored, and last year a fire broke out on the third floor caused by an e-bike battery exploding after charging, according to a fire incident report. The aftermath has resulted in health issues, and repairs have been delayed.

“It’s smoke and mirrors,” a resident who requested to use the name Sammy for privacy reasons told San José Spotlight.

Shortly after the October fire, Sammy said she began experiencing difficulty breathing. She said her service dog died in March due to respiratory failure. Sammy, who has a history of asthma, took herself to the hospital emergency room numerous times, and was hospitalized for multiple days in April. She was sent home with an oxygen tank.

“I thought I was going to die,” Sammy said, while wheezing. “I couldn’t walk two steps without feeling like I couldn’t breathe. It was scary.”

Residents showed San José Spotlight pictures of exposed walls on the third floor — where the fire started — and unfinished repairs. They said they feel harassed by the management firm, which controls their environment. One resident was written up for videotaping a maintenance worker, according to a letter reviewed by San José Spotlight, in which the action was described as “harassing” the worker. It’s also considered a violation of house rules. The resident, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, said they were attempting to film overflowing garbage bins and rats running around, and the maintenance worker wasn’t nearby.

A representative with John Stewart Company, which manages the building, did not respond to requests for comment on what work has been done since the fire about eight months ago. They referred all follow-up questions to the building’s owner, Core Affordable, LLC, which is under the umbrella of The Core Companies.

A spokesperson for The Core Companies told San José Spotlight property management is working to quickly repair the building from fire damage, but couldn’t provide specifics on what has been done.

Health issues persist

Multiple residents, who requested anonymity, said they’ve experienced health issues while living at Agrihood. A couple months ago, a resident sitting in the common area started having difficulty breathing. The resident said she felt a burning sensation in her eyes and incurred a headache. Another resident said she often wakes up violently coughing. She said her glands are swollen, something she didn’t have before moving into the complex.

“I’ve lived here for about a little over a year, but I’ve never felt this bad before, ever,” she told San José Spotlight.

One resident was hospitalized twice due to an inability to breathe and now gets oxygen through a tank. Having been homeless for more than a decade, they said they’re thankful to have a roof over their head, but fear living in these conditions will kill them.

“It scares the hell out of me that by staying here, I am going to get worse than I would have been in the streets,” they told San José Spotlight. “And I’ve lived in some really bad areas.”

After having persistent breathing issues, residents contacted Breathe California, a nonprofit that provides free indoor air assessments. Before assessors were permitted to conduct tests in the common area and in residents’ apartments, residents said management had maintenance workers remove all the air filters. San José Spotlight reviewed a photo of one resident’s air filter that was completely black.

The air quality assessment to Sammy’s apartment reviewed by San José Spotlight revealed the air quality was fair, just a notch above poor. But that hasn’t eased Sammy’s anxiety, who said the tightness in her chest persists. The Breathe California report recommended a new air filter be installed and for Sammy to regularly use a HEPA air purifier.

Sammy said the air duct in her apartment was finally replaced in May after asking management repeatedly and getting Santa Clara code enforcement involved. But others residents claim their air filters haven’t been replaced, including the other resident who said they were hospitalized because they couldn’t breathe.

Property Manager Sandra Corona, who works with the John Stewart Company, said air filters have been replaced.

“The air quality here was conducted by Breathe California, and there were no findings,” Corona told San José Spotlight.

The John Stewart Company wouldn’t share test results for the common areas with San José Spotlight, and a Breathe California representative said they couldn’t share any reports.

Range of complaints

Janine De la Vega, spokesperson for Santa Clara, said the city takes all complaints seriously and has worked to address numerous issues.

“Since Agrihood senior apartments began leasing in June 2023, Santa Clara code enforcement has conducted nine compliance reviews based on resident concerns involving a range of issues, from ADA accessibility to hoarding to fire,” De la Vega told San José Spotlight. “Compliance review of the property included dispatching code enforcement officers to inspect the property and meeting with management to discuss the specific areas of concern. Each complaint requires a response that is largely dependent on the type of complaint.”

Multiple residents have complained of seeing gnats and larvae in their apartments, and showed photos to San José Spotlight confirming that. Some said they saw larvae in their food. While pest control has come out to spray, residents including Sammy said the problem remains persistent and the remediation isn’t thorough.

“We’ve done pest control in her apartment numerous times,”  Corona told San José Spotlight. “She is never ready when we give her notification.”

The John Stewart Company oversees 45 other affordable housing developments in the county, including The Kelsey, Villas on the Park, Leigh Avenue Senior Apartments and Quetzal Gardens. Residents living at Leigh Avenue Senior Apartments have experienced a plethora of problems, including getting charged $25 for spilling coffee on the floor. Disabled residents at Villas at the Park were left stranded for more than a week when elevators broke down and repairs were delayed.

Agrihood was developed by San Jose-based The Core Companies in collaboration with Farmscapes, an agricultural landscaping business in Oakland. Agrihood’s construction was funded by $23.5 million with Measure A, an affordable housing bond passed by Santa Clara County voters in 2016. An additional $15.7 million came from Santa Clara, and a grant of $50 million in tax-exempt bonds came from the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee, which sets the state’s debt ceiling and oversees the state’s tax-exempt bond program.
The 165-apartment low-income senior development was lauded as an innovative project and a model for sustainable design. It won numerous awards, including the Structures Award given by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, recognizing it as the best new affordable housing development in the region.

But residents say the development wasn’t designed with older adults in mind, as there’s a limited number of apartments with safety features like handle bars in bathrooms.

“When you’re making affordable apartments, are we sacrificing livability?” one resident told San José Spotlight. “These are serious health and habitability issues. (Many things) were done to save money.”

Contact Joyce Chu at joyce@sanjosespotlight.com or @joyce_speaks on X. 

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Santa Clara has more standalone data centers than any other California city — 55 in operation and three in the pipeline, according to the city. Demand is growing as more people use the internet and digitally demanding technology advances, such as artificial intelligence. With data centers providing the city with millions in revenue, officials are questioning impacts to water and the electrical grid.

Officials said city-owned power utility Silicon Valley Power has lower electricity rates compared to PG&E, a plus for data centers that need reliable energy, and the reason so many companies have planted their data centers in the city. Santa Clara also has a strong fiber optic network near Central Expressway, where most of the data centers are located, making it easier for more data to travel faster.

“Santa Clara is home to an extraordinary array of high tech companies and we have a competitive advantage,” City Manager Jovan Grogan said at a May 20 joint meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission.

Reena Brilliot, Santa Clara’s director of economic development and sustainability, said the city receives $40.9 million annually from its data centers through property and sales tax, as well as Silicon Valley Power payments.

“We as a city need to strategically go after developments that are supporting our city’s fiscal sustainability … and data centers are a very tangible source of economic support,” Brilliot said.

Elected officials raised concerns with the amount of land, electricity and water used by data centers, as well as the diesel generators they rely on for backup power. Planning Commissioner Priya Cherukuru said the city is committing too much land to industrial uses such as data centers and not enough for other uses that would benefit residents, such as housing or parks.

“The controversy surrounding data centers stems from the complex interplay between economic development, environmental sustainability and the needs of local communities,” Cherukuru told San José Spotlight. “The growing reliance on data centers for modern digital infrastructure necessitates finding a balance between these competing interests.”

Cherukuru, who is the executive director of space planning for Stanford Health Care, said Santa Clara needs to conduct a deeper study on the strain data centers put on city resources, such as electricity and water.

Data centers use water to cool their densely packed servers. Ahmed Aly, the city’s principal engineer for water and sewer utilities, said more data centers are starting to use water efficient cooling systems, and 31 data centers in the city use recycled water.

As for electricity, Silicon Valley Power has been working to increase its transmission capacity to meet increasing demands, namely from its data centers. Chief Operating Officer Nico Procos said the utility’s sales have grown 25% from 2019 to 2023.

“(On) growth and expansion, it is driven by data centers,” Procos said. “We’ve had requests to add 500 megawatts of load, so that’s growing from our current peak of about 720.”

City spokesperson Janine De la Vega confirmed the city’s electrical grid caps new data centers. She said Silicon Valley Power has multiple expansion projects to meet the current demand, which are estimated to finish by 2029.

Commissioner Eric Crutchlow questioned the environmental impacts of the diesel backup generators, and staff told him the generators are the industry standard for reliable, resilient emergency energy. Grogan said most of the city’s critical infrastructure has diesel backup generators.

“One of the reasons frankly as an industry that we have chosen it, and I know cities do, is in a major catastrophe, you can find a diesel mechanic,” Grogan said. “(With) a lot of the current emerging tech, there are significant continuation of business concerns.”

Councilmember Karen Hardy said improvements to the city’s electrical grid have been made possible because of the city’s data centers and technology industry, and that data centers are becoming more efficient with their energy, water and space.
Hardy said the city has turned away proposed data centers because of electrical grid limitations, and there won’t be any new data centers beyond those that’ve already been approved by Silicon Valley Power.

“When people rely on the internet, they don’t see all the underlying ones and zeroes, literally … the electricity that has to occur to make that happen,” Hardy told San José Spotlight. “There’s so many positives to the residents that they don’t realize because of that redundancy built into the system that data centers need.”

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The games will be hosted across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Nearly all of the 11 U.S. host cities have spent or are planning to spend millions upgrading their stadiums and improving other infrastructure ahead of the games, but Santa Clara’s Measure J from 20210 protects the city’s general fund. San José Spotlight compiled government budgets, meeting recordings and reporting from local news outlets nationwide to analyse how much U.S. taxpayer money is being spent to facilitate the World Cup.

“You have these other places that are taking some risks (and) we’re taking a much more conservative approach,” Santa Clara Councilmember Karen Hardy told San José Spotlight. “That means (our) profit may be lower because of that, but we’ve also lowered our risk.”

Santa Clara has not spent any general fund money on Levi’s Stadium, but the city is looking into marketing and revenue generation opportunities for 2026, while hosting Super Bowl 60 and the World Cup.

The Bay Area Host Committee is paying $25 million to modify the stadium’s field per FIFA regulations. The Santa Clara City Council approved a reimbursement agreement with the host committee in February for most World Cup-related expenses.

Zaileen Janmohamed, president and CEO of the Bay Area Host Committee, said they have multiple partnerships with local businesses, including PNC Bank and NBC Sports. She’s confident the committee will meet its financial targets to host the Super Bowl and World Cup games in 2026.

Every host committee submitted a joint federal funding request of $625 million. On top of that, the Bay Area Host Committee partnered with FIFA World Cup 26 Los Angeles to submit a joint funding request to the state.

“We’re proud to have worked collaboratively to establish a ‘no risk, all reward’ agreement for the city of Santa Clara, ensuring that costs related to public safety will be considered approved expenses and covered by the Bay Area Host Committee,” Janmohamed told San José Spotlight.

Most other host cities lack a similar agreement. For example, the Georgia Legislature sent $29.25 million to the Georgia World Congress Center Authority to cover World Cup costs relating to “public safety, security, transportation and infrastructure expenses and implementation” at Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Some stadiums are in need of repairs separate from the World Cup, such as NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, where the Houston Chronicle reported the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation is spending $35 million on a new roof, video boards and more.

Not every city’s expenditures are finalized. According to Torched, Los Angeles hasn’t set aside any money to help host its World Cup games. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass convened members of the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation March 2025 to discuss the city’s hosting duties for major events, including the World Cup and the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics.

Victor Matheson, professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross, questioned the justification for some expenditures. For example, Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts is privately owned by the Kraft Group, and the Boston Globe reported that World Cup Boston 2026 host committee is looking for $170 million from local governments and private investors.

Matheson, who specializes in mega sporting events, is skeptical they’ll get the full cost from government funding, as the state has been reluctant to use public money to fund private events.

“There’s no reason that a $5 billion nonprofit company from Switzerland should be receiving a bunch of handouts from Massachusetts taxpayers,” Matheson told San José Spotlight, referring to FIFA.

He added these mega events usually overstate their economic impact because it disregards other tourism that might occur. For Santa Clara, Matheson said he expects San Francisco will see a bigger boost in tourism once again.

Michael Leeds, a Temple University professor who specializes in sports economics, said he isn’t against government spending on mega sports events so long as officials are honest about the real benefits. In the World Cup’s case, hosting brings thousands of people from around the world for entertainment and fun — not a large economic boost.

“If we’re there saying, ‘Hey, wouldn’t this be fun,’ … if the people there say, ‘Yeah, we really want to do this, we think it’d be great,’ then fine,” Leeds told San José Spotlight. “Just don’t try to wrap it up in a package that says we’re going to give a big boost to the local economy.”
Tom Knecht, professor of political science specializing in sports politics at Westmont College, said he doesn’t support using taxpayer dollars on stadiums, especially since stadiums are not “public goods.”

“A dollar spent on one thing is a dollar not spent on another,” Knecht told San José Spotlight. “If you’re going to spend a dollar on the stadium, refurbishing it, that’s a dollar not spent on police or schools.”

Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at sakura@sanjosespotlight.com or @SakuCannestra on X.

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According to the appeal, Becker’s lawyers are looking for a certificate of probable cause, challenging the guilty verdict jurors issued in December 2024. Jurors found Becker guilty of leaking a 2022 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report before its official publication date to a 49ers team executive, and lying about it to the civil grand jury during its investigation.

On April 4, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Javier Alcala sentenced Becker to serve 40 days total in the county sheriff’s work program, which performs community service such as picking up trash.

The jury reached its verdict after a monthlong trial, during which Deputy District Attorney Jason Malinsky presented evidence showing Becker lied about leaking the report, including testimony from former 49ers executive Rahul Chandhok and fellow Councilmember Suds Jain. Becker’s lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Chris Montoya, pushed back by questioning Chandhok’s credibility and arguing the DA’s investigation wasn’t thorough enough.

Montoya declined to comment. In the appeal notice, Becker’s lawyers asked that he be assigned an appellate public defender.

Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at sakura@sanjosespotlight.com or @SakuCannestra on X. 

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Swenson was the third generation leader of Swenson Builders, one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent  construction and development firms, known for developing iconic buildings throughout San Jose. Those who knew him remember him for his optimism and encouraging demeanor, as well as his business prowess. His cause of death has not been released.

“That’s just first and foremost his real gift to everybody else, is that he was always upbeat and always encouraging people,” Ron Swenson, CEO of Solar Skyways and Barry Swenson’s younger brother, told San José Spotlight.

Ron Swenson said his brother’s encouraging nature set him apart in a cutthroat development industry. He recalled a time when the pair ran into a friend at breakfast, who was performing in a live band at the restaurant. His brother invited the band to San Jose to play for one of their family’s events.

The Swenson brothers often donned wide brimmed hats, standing out from the crowd. Barry enjoyed gardening and ranching, and raised pheasants and ducks in the family’s backyard while in high school. He gave the birds away as Christmas presents to the family’s business partners.

Swenson Builders was founded by Barry Swenson in 1961, but Ron and Barry Swenson’s grandfather Carl Swenson began the family’s first construction company in 1926. The family has a century-long history of constructing some of San Jose’s most iconic buildings, including the De Anza Hotel and San Pedro Square Market.

Urban Catalyst Founder Erik Hayden said Barry’s white cowboy hat and boots gave him a laid back first impression — until they started talking about business and he became a sharp and formidable force. Hayden said he supported San Jose’s culture, including Christmas in the Park and the San Jose Jazz Festival, among others.

Hayden worked with Barry about 15 years ago when he was with Republic Urban Properties. His company had partnered with Swenson Builders for the Ohlone projects, an 8.32 acre multi-family apartment project at the intersection of West San Carlos and Sunol streets. Hayden said he is fortunate for the opportunity to learn from Barry early in his career.

“When you know what you want to do in your career and you’re getting to meet icons in the industry, it’s just amazing,” Hayden told San José Spotlight. “It made a big difference in my career, to see how the best do it. We try to have a lot of those same values.”

Urban Catalyst Chief Operating Officer Josh Burroughs worked alongside Barry during his decade as a development manager for Swenson Builders. Swenson’s name is stamped across the city and his impact will live on, Burrough’s said.

“Barry was a true icon — a mentor to me and so many others in our industry,” Burroughs told San José Spotlight. “His character was endearing and his legacy lives on under the care of his amazing family as they carry on his banner and mission.”

Land use consultant Erik Schoennauer recalled working with Barry when he was chief of staff to former San Jose Councilmember Patricia Dando, then in his current role as a consultant working with developers on San Jose projects.

He said the Swenson family has impacted Silicon Valley through revolutionary construction projects and their philanthropy.

“He was incredibly generous and engaged in the San Jose community, as a person,” Schoennauer told San José Spotlight. “That legacy is of equal importance to any physical building.”

Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at sakura@sanjosespotlight.com or @SakuCannestra on X.

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