First Church of Christ Scientist, a historic empty building at 43 East St. James Street in downtown San Jose, February 2024. (George Avalos/Bay Area News Group) However, instead of high-rise ...

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is trying something new to fight blight. He is floating a plan to seize ownership of an abandoned historic church downtown that has been a thorn in the city’s side. Despite ...

San Jose's mayor is proposing a legal battle to buy back a dilapidated, historical church left abandoned for years after a failed restoration plan.

Under the mayor’s proposal, San Jose would pursue an eminent domain proceeding to gain a court order that would enable the city to buy the church and the adjoining vacant lot and thereby wrest ...