Former mall site to be turned into housing, retail, dining destination

A 50-acre site that once housed a mall is being transformed into a mixed-use development that will, among other things, feature the largest green roof in the world.

Sand Hill Property is redeveloping the site, located in Cupertino, Calif., and formerly home to Vallco Town Center, into The Rise, a 7 million sq.-ft. project that will combine housing, office spaces and retail/restaurant venues. It will be crowned by a 29-acre, energy-efficient green roof – the largest in the world – and feature more than six miles of trails and bike paths.

The development will also include four miles of trails and paths, recreational lawns, family picnic areas, playgrounds, seating areas, an informal amphitheater, and an open-air, netted playfield over Wolfe Road that also serves as a bridge, providing connectivity between all buildings of the 50-acre site at the green roof level.

“The Rise is born from the global capital of innovation – Silicon Valley has changed the way the world lives, and The Rise aspires to fundamentally change how Silicon Valley lives, said Reed Moulds, managing director for Sand Hill Property Company. “This once-in-a-generation development will be a new and spectacular source of pride for a city that already has a celebrated global renown.” 

Sand Hill has hired Lockehouse Retail Group and Newmark to market The Rise’s retail, dining and entertainment component for lease. Cushman & Wakefield will handle office/lab leasing.

The Rise will include:

• Retail: The project will feature 429,000 sq. ft. of retail, dining and entertainment space, arranged in districts defined by “distinct experiences to form Cupertino’s new downtown,” according to a release. The offerings will include flagship stores, a diverse line-up of curated shops and the world’s top socially conscious brands, a thriving arts and entertainment scene, chef-driven restaurants amid grocery and specialty food purveyors, and an array of daily needs conveniences.

The design refinements including expanded outdoor space and broader sidewalk areas offer better flexibility space for outdoor dining and walkability.

• Homes For All Incomes. The development will include more than 2,400 homes, half of which are affordable at varying below market rates, representing more than half of Cupertino’s housing planning obligation to the state for the next eight years.

The full spectrum of housing needs will be featured, including for rent and for sale, family housing and workforce housing, traditional BMR and affordable alternatives such as co-living units, and tower residences and townhomes that sit atop of – and with yards connected to – The Rise’s signature green roof.

Residential buildings feature expansive recreation areas, and all homes will have access to luxury features such as rooftop pools with views overlooking the Valley, fully appointed co-working spaces, state-of-the-art fitness facilities, and indoor-outdoor lounges.

• An Office Worth Returning To. Within the most amenitized office environment in Silicon Valley, The Rise introduces 1.97 million sq. ft. of office/lab space, with expanded floor plates to allow spacious office layouts (as well as laboratory configurations, in recognition of the massive expansion of the Bay Area’s life sciences market); direct access to outdoor breakout and recreation areas; fresh air circulation; and a general shift to touchless and hygienic features.

• Cars Optional. Described as “eminently walkable,” The Rise will offer a grid network of pedestrian connectivity to jobs, homes, daily needs, culture, community activities, and the out-of-doors. With more than 6 miles of bike paths and pedestrian trails, The Rise expands the Cupertino’s Class I trails by 15% and provides a link to existing and future regional bike and hiking trail networks.

Bike hubs with storage and service stations will be located throughout The Rise, and mobility hubs will coordinate cyclists with high-quality transit service on Stevens Creek Boulevard and Wolfe Road, including private mobility hubs for office worker shuttle buses.