October 20, 2005

The crown jewel of San Jose

Grand-opening ceremony reveals city hall’s impressive rotunda

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

On Saturday, Mayor Ron Gonzales unveiled the crown jewel of the $388 million city hall complex—the rotunda—that he hopes will serve equally as city hall centerpiece and community-gathering place.

After clearing the remaining construction debris and safety fencing from around the rotunda, replacing a shattered glass tile near the Oculus (center of the dome), and securing the temporary occupancy permit just hours before crowds were expected to start arriving, a full-moon Friday night seemed to signal the “all clear” for grand-opening festivities.

As if the 10th largest city needed something showy to let the world know it was ready to live up to its new title, it did so through a slow reveal of safety fencing and construction debris removal. Fortunately for a same-size spare, not even a shattered glass panel near the oculus (center) of the dome or early Friday morning showers could dampen the spirit of the long-awaited dedication ceremony. Interactive activities, self-guided tours, and dance performances set the official grand opening of the new San Jose city hall into motion.

Construction started after a voter-approved ballot measure cleared the way for the public plaza that features a 19-story tower for city offices and an adjacent rotunda designed for community events and celebrations. The 108-foot high dome-shaped gem atop the rotunda consists of more than 1,000 glass panels painstakingly attached to each other with nearly three miles of stainless steel cables, held in place by steel, X-shaped “spiders” with zero-tolerance precision. Spectacular panoramic skyline views of the growing metropolis can be seen from a myriad of vantage points throughout the two structures, joined together by what city employees have nicknamed “the mayor’s walk,” an enclosed breezeway that guides visitors through a display of San Jose history into a multi-level service center that will enable residents to take care of everything from paying bills to applying for permits and business licenses.

State-of-the-art acoustics and plenty of floor space in the city council chambers prove to be an excellent venue for performances, including the Folklorico Nacional Juvenile dancers.

City officials claim that ownership will not only save the community money in the long run, but serve as a universal gathering place for both public and private community events, as well as a source of pride for city residents.

“It is more beautiful than I imagined it would be,” says Vice Mayor and mayoral candidate Cindy Chavez. “To look up at that blue sky through the clear glass—it’s just beautiful.”

From the air, the rotunda will arguably become the most recognizable San Jose icon, especially as commercial airliners make their approach to San Jose Mineta International Airport during the twilight hours and sending a clear message as to exactly where the Silicon Valley capital can be found—at least to those sitting on the right side of the plane.

You’d have to travel all the way to the dome of the Reichstag in Berlin to see the only other structure like it in the world.

“It’s really a spectacular building,” says John Reed of Milpitas. “It’s nice that they figured in our earthquakes. We are in earthquake country and we don’t want any of these glass panels falling on anyone. “We had a good downtown, but it kind of died,” added Sue Gaumont, a San Jose native who now lives in the Santa Teresa area. “It’s nice to see new things come here. I hope this brings things back to downtown San Jose.”

“I really like it,” says Councilmember Dave Cortese, who has also thrown his hat into the ring for mayor. “You can see that people are going to go in there for events. It’s good that it’s actually very light, because it will really be able to accommodate lots of color, including the sky.”

Born and raised in San Joe, Sue Gaumont likes the newest addition to the downtown landscape and hopes it will help breathe new life back into the area.

“We had a good downtown, but it kind of died,” she says. “So it’s nice to see new things come here. I hope this brings things back to downtown San Jose.”

On Saturday it did just that. Visitors were warmly welcomed by city officials and treated to jazz, mariachi, opera. and native American music, along with an open pass to meander the floors and tour historical exhibits provided by History San Jose.

And although city council members and employees started moving in months ago, those who made it to the 18th floor reveled in the rare opportunity to tour the mayoral and city council offices as well “The building is nice,” says Councilmember and mayoral candidate Chuck Reed. “I’m not an architect or an artist so I don’t have any criticism of it.”

Mayor Ron Gonzales greets visitors in the Rotunda, now open to the public. Shown from left are Willow Glen residents Leanna, 7, Alicia, 9, and George Ricks, along with Honey II, from Canine Companions.

According to James Reber, who coordinated the event with Stephanie Shiro, the rotunda will be largely ceremonial—and available for a rental fee of $1,500 [less for nonprofits].

“It will be used for big ceremonial affairs,” he says. “You can also put a dance floor and a stage for music in here. It will be great for bringing in different religious venues too—it is very cathedralesque and the stage is unlimited.”
“We’ll have special deals for some events, and others that will be sponsored by council members or the mayor,” adds Reed.

Already known for its acoustics, Reber illustrated the diversity of the council chambers with samplings of jazz, opera, and mariachi performances and programmed music so that visitors could experience the acoustics without what he called “the boredom of a meeting.”

It is also proving to be more amenable to the audience, admits Reed.

“Although I do think people are a little put off by having to come all the way down these stairs to speak when their name is called,” he says. “We’re trying to work on getting them down here before they speak so we don’t have to wait and watch them come down the stairs. We’re working on those little details.”

From the mayor’s office, panoramic view of San Jose State University and the surrounding skyline were clearly visible from several angles. Employees had been moving into city hall over the past few months as the construction effort wrapped up.

In all, the rotunda holds a special place in former City Councilmember Trixie Johnson’s heart—the long-awaited culmination of the proud moment when the city council voted during her tenure [1991-1998] to proceed with the project.

“It’s really, really nice,” she says. “It has a faceted look to it, with cuts and bevels that allow a lot of different light in. We hired the architect and I think in terms of function, we’ll be glad to have it.”

Indeed, the appointment book has already started filling up, according to San Jose Communications Director David Vossbrink.

“There’s a bunch of things scheduled,” he says. “We’ve already got a wedding, the State of the City Address is scheduled in there, and our elected officials and the county are having dinner there in a couple of weeks.”

But the honors of “breaking in” the new rotunda goes to the Homebuilder’s Association, which held their annual reception under the dome on Wednesday night.