Downtown San Jose just had its biggest moment in years during Super Bowl week when nearly half a million visitors flooded bars, restaurants, and public spaces. It was a stark contrast to a decade ago, and it showed what the area could become. But real talk: the downtown has been struggling. Office vacancies are high, development has slowed, and the pandemic hit the area hard. Now, there’s someone new at the table trying to change that.

Brian Kurtz, the newly appointed CEO of the San Jose Downtown Association, arrived in the Bay Area a few months ago with serious downtown development experience. He’s worked in cities like Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Tulsa, places that have all grappled with the same post-pandemic challenges San Jose is facing right now. His appointment signals that the city is ready to get serious about revitalizing its downtown core.

Kurtz’s passion for downtowns actually comes from his grandmother, who used to take him through downtown Pittsburgh as a kid. He watched how public spaces bring people together and how they become places where communities intersect and connect. That’s the vision he’s bringing to San Jose.

When Kurtz first visited downtown San Jose for his interview, he immediately felt the energy. He saw the bones of something great, the light rail system, beautiful tree canopies, vibrant ground-floor businesses, and an existing residential population mixed with major corporations. But there’s clearly work to do. The biggest challenge? The pandemic decimated the daytime office population, leaving tons of vacant commercial space. To fix this, Kurtz believes the city needs to hit around 20,000 residents downtown, way more than what’s there now.

Here’s the thing about San Jose’s housing crisis: it’s in the most expensive real estate market in the country. Building anything is incredibly expensive, which makes developing housing feel impossible. But Kurtz is already working with city officials to push for policy changes and incentive programs that could make development more feasible. He also wants to make sure small business owners can actually survive downtown, not just exist.

From a policy perspective, Kurtz says the city needs to find ways to lower development costs across the board, whether that’s parks, residential towers, or office space. He’s also emphasizing that downtown investments pay dividends for the entire city, when downtown thrives, it generates tax revenue that benefits everyone.

For 2026, while the NCAA tournament and FIFA World Cup games will bring attention and visitors, Kurtz’s real goal is getting the community aligned around a long-term vision. Where should downtown San Jose be in five years? Ten years? What steps need to happen now to get there?

It’s an ambitious agenda, but Kurtz seems genuinely excited about the challenge. And honestly, his optimism about San Jose’s potential is exactly what the downtown needs right now.