The Santa Clara project connects a golf course and hundreds of houses

The Pruneridge Golf Club’s owners plan to build hundreds of houses next to the nine-hole course, but first they need to reorganize it.

Midway through May, the Demmon Family Partnership submitted proposals to Santa Clara to construct two apartment buildings on a portion of the Pruneridge Golf Club, adding 324 units—at least 48 of which will be affordable housing.

It will also have a rooftop terrace, a pool, and subterranean parking. The golf course and driving range are part of the 30 acres that will house the 4.9-acre housing complex. The city is still reviewing it, and the developers anticipate hearing back by the end of July.

Years will pass before “The Greens,” a development, is completed. The course’s landowner, Demmon Partners, stated on their website that, subject to the city’s approval, building is expected to begin in 2028. The golf course will also be updated, maybe with a new design. According to the website, the golf course will close for six months to a year when the renovations start, but it should remain open while the residences are being built.

The golf course’s makeover is still in progress, according to Sean Morley, co-founder of the real estate company Morley Bros., and a more thorough plan will be created. The first comments from the community regarding the housing and golf course developments have been good, stated Morley, who is assisting with the project entitlements.

There is no better moment than the present to begin building hundreds of new houses for Santa Clara people, as the housing issue in Silicon Valley is still evident, according to Morley, who spoke with San José Spotlight.

To achieve state housing standards, Santa Clara must create 11,632 new homes by 2031, of which 4,525 must be within the reach of 80% of the county’s median income or less for inhabitants. That amounted to $181,300 for a household of four in 2023.

Some of Silicon Valley’s biggest housing development projects are located in the city, such as the multi-decade Related project, which offers 1,700 apartments in addition to space for hotels, businesses, restaurants, and other uses. Six distinct plans have been created by Santa Clara to direct dense expansion in different areas of the city.

Since the 1970s, Demmon Partners has owned the golf course, and Touchstone Golf is in charge of operations. Demmon Partners partner Charlie Demmon expressed the group’s excitement for the project.

Demmon told San José Spotlight, “We take great pride in our stewardship of the course. It is an incredible community asset.” “We are excited to build an amazing new housing community for Santa Clara residents alongside revitalizing the golf course to make it more playable and sustainable for the next 50 years.”

After finishing nine holes, golfer Joe Glynn stated the county needs denser housing while sipping a refreshing drink. He stated he hoped there were more options to buy housing and that he has been frequenting the club for the past few months. As one of the roadways abutting the club, Saratoga Avenue, has been designated as a priority safety corridor, Glynn, a member of San Jose’s Vision Zero Task Force, expressed his greatest concern regarding traffic safety in the neighborhood.

Glynn told San José Spotlight, “My biggest concern for all these developments would be safety for pedestrians, cyclists, children, and older adults.” “The idea of an urban village makes them more and more vulnerable.”