East San Jose businesses to launch growth plan – San José Spotlight

East San Jose businesses are partnering with the city to launch a plan to drive more shoppers into the Tully Eastridge neighborhoods and breathe new life into its diverse economy.

The business owners want to create a Business Improvement District as a way to draw more foot traffic to the area for upcoming events such as farmers markets and Night Markets. This would be the city’s first Business Improvement District in 16 years, and Tully Road-Eastridge Business Association Chair Christina Bui said she has been working with San Jose for a year help include about 500 businesses. City officials released the plan’s details, which is set for discussion and potential approval at the Sept. 10 city council meeting.

“There’s some of us who are really micro businesses, so my heart was on them and how much they’re able to pay,” Bui told San José Spotlight. “We started off asking what the data is here and luckily, the consultant was able to lay that out and help come up with these numbers so we can be fiscally sustainable.”

To fund the proposed plan and maintain a clean environment, annual assessment rates for businesses providing professional services would be $300, for hospitality companies $385 and financial institutions $450.

If created, businesses within the Tully Road-Eastridge Business Improvement District would begin paying assessment fees to the city on April 15, 2025. These fees are expected to generate more than $120,700. The district would encompass businesses along Tully Road between E. Capitol Expressway and U.S. Highway 101., including Burdette Drive, Quimby Road and Eastridge Mall.

Among the local members of the Tully-Road Eastridge Business Association are Cathay Bank, Chuck E. Cheese, Lee’s Sandwiches and numerous small businesses.

Tully East Festival at Eastridge Center on the weekend of Sept. 28 will introduce the community to the benefits of a Business Improvement District.

The consulting group Community Strong Strategies connected Bui to city leaders who helped launch the Tully Road Eastridge Business Association, which lead to the development of the Businesses Improvement District proposal.

Bui said other business owners saw her as a vocal advocate after she guided them through the COVID-19 pandemic that shuttered non-essential services for extended periods of time.

“When we got together about two years ago, it was hard finding people to commit to the business association board, but the importance of building out that association was something I learned quickly,” Bui told San José Spotlight. “I was thinking, ‘Who is our voice here? Who represents us here?’ I can’t do this on my own.’”

Bui and her family have owned Love Me Knots Bridal on 1818 Tully Road for 36 years, and she said the community is excited about the possibility of a new Business Improvement District.

San Jose has five areas with existing Business Improvement Districts that include Downtown Business Improvement District, Downtown property-based improvement district, Japantown Business Improvement District, Hotel tax district and Willow Glen Community Benefit Improvement District. City officials plan to add five more over the next two years.

“We were very lucky to get funding from our District (8) this year, $30,000 went toward landscaping, cleaning the streets, getting rid of weeds and unclogging the storm drains — things that make everything look clean and welcoming,” Bui told San José Spotlight. “Another $20,000 is going toward marketing and events we’re having in the future.”

Owner of Xclusive Events Decor along Tully Road, Isabel Sarellano, said she and neighboring businesses became nervous after the pandemic slowed foot traffic, but a potential Business Improvement District is welcoming news.

“More people should know about Tully and where to find things,” Sarellano told San José Spotlight. “We want the streets clean and we want the area to be special so people come back.”