264 Apartments Are Planned for the Old Century 24 Dome Site. The Developer Is Appealing Its Own Approval

There's a circle in a parking lot on Winchester Boulevard, and if you've lived in west San Jose long enough, you know what used to stand there.

The domed Century 24 theater came down in 2014. For more than a decade, the site at 741 S. Winchester Blvd has been a surface lot with only the outline of the old dome left behind. That is supposed to change. The question now is when.

What's Planned

Syufy Enterprises, the company that once operated the Century theaters, wants to build a seven-story apartment building on the roughly 2.97-acre property between Riddle Road and Neal Avenue. The plan calls for 264 units: 35 studios, 113 one-bedrooms and 116 two-bedrooms, with 356 car spaces in a two-story garage. The site is about a ten-minute walk from Santana Row, with Westfield Valley Fair a little farther (SF YIMBY).

The project was filed under the Builder's Remedy, a state law path that lets developers bypass certain local zoning rules in cities that had not met state housing requirements. San Jose approved it in August.

The Twist

A few days after that approval, Syufy's real estate arm, SyRES Properties, appealed it. Not the number of units. Not the height. Not the footprint. The appeal is about time (Hoodline).

San Jose development permits normally expire if construction doesn't start within a set window, and the city can make a developer restart the approval process. SyRES wants a provision letting the applicant itself determine when final approval occurred, based on its reading of state law. City staff and legal officials recommend the Planning Commission uphold the approved plans and deny the changes, so the approval can't stay alive indefinitely.

The Planning Commission is scheduled to hear the appeal Wednesday, Nov. 4. No construction cost or timeline has been shared.

Why It Matters If You Live Nearby

If you live off Winchester, or anywhere between Santana Row and Valley Fair, this isn't an abstract zoning fight. It's your morning drive. It's where your guests park on a Saturday night. Neighbors have already raised concerns about traffic and parking, and those are fair questions to ask out loud.

It's also about what rises next door. Seven stories changes how a block looks and feels. And if you're hoping to rent or buy in a building like this, the honest answer to "when?" is that nobody has said. The appeal itself is a fight over how long the clock runs.

This site isn't alone. Housing has also been proposed on other former domed-theater sites around San Jose, including one at 5655 Gallup Drive near Blossom Hill Road.

Plenty of us have memories tied to that dome. Whatever comes next becomes part of the neighborhood's story too. The best way to have a say in it is to stay informed and pay attention to what happens on Nov. 4.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is being built at the old Century 24 theater site in San Jose?

A seven-story apartment building with 264 units (35 studios, 113 one-bedrooms and 116 two-bedrooms) and 356 car spaces in a two-story garage, at 741 S. Winchester Blvd.

Why is the developer appealing its own approval?

The appeal is about timing, not units, height or footprint. SyRES Properties wants to determine for itself when final approval occurred, which affects how long the approval stays valid before construction must begin.

When does the Planning Commission hear the appeal?

Wednesday, Nov. 4. City staff recommend upholding the approved plans and denying the requested changes. No construction timeline has been shared.

What's your home worth today?

If you live near Winchester, Santana Row or Valley Fair and want to know where your home stands, call or text me at (650) 695-1919 or email sirrom@realtywithsirrom.com for a free personalized home valuation.

Sirrom Alizem, Realty with Sirrom | eXp Realty of Northern California Inc | DRE #02137532