An eight-alarm blaze destroyed a significant portion of San Jose, Calif.’s Santana Row shopping and housing complex Monday — just one month before its planned grand opening. No one was killed in the fire, although about 100 people were displaced from their homes when falling embers ignited their apartments.
The cause of blaze, which started at about 3:30 p.m., is unknown.
The damaged building was the largest of the 9 buildings in Phase I of the $500 million project, owned by Rockville, Md.-based Federal Realty Investment Trust. It contained 18% of the retail space and nearly 50% of the residential units planned for Phase I.
"At this point, we are evaluating the impact this fire will have on the timing of our opening, but remain committed to the successful completion of Santana Row," said Steve Guttman, chairman and CEO, in a statement.