December 2024
SHARKS AND CITY OF SAN JOSE CELEBRATE SHARKS LEGEND JOE THORNTON
Last month, the San Jose Sharks and the City of San Jose partnered to honor the career and legacy of former San Jose Sharks player Joe Thornton. The retirement of Thornton’s iconic #19 jersey number was not only a recognition of his remarkable achievements on the ice, but also a nod to the heart and soul he poured into his career – inspiring teammates, fans, and the San Jose community at large.
To honor one of the greatest players to ever skate in the NHL, the Sharks organization held dedicated events and festivities over the course of three days to celebrate the career of a legend and reflect on the unforgettable moments that made “Jumbo” Joe Thornton a San Jose icon.
The celebration began on Thursday, November 21 at 3 p.m. when San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan recognized Thornton at a special ceremony in the Janet Gray Hayes Rotunda at City Hall. The ceremony included a proclamation by Mayor Mahan declaring Saturday, November 23 as “Joe Thornton Day” in San Jose, a special flag raising ceremony, and press conference. On hand was San Jose Sharks President Jonathan Becher who reminded the assembled crowd, which included many current and incoming City Council members, of the many contributions Joe made to the Sharks organization and within our community.
Additionally, several iconic buildings throughout San Jose were lit in teal over the celebratory weekend to honor Thornton and the special occasion. The San Jose Civic Auditorium​, Winchester Mystery House​, Adobe Headquarters​, Sonic Runway​, San Jose Mineta International Airport’s XO Public Art Display​, Tech Interactive​, San Pedro Square Arch​, Circle of Palms​ and Post Street were all enhanced with teal lighting.
The excitement continued Friday with the much-anticipated Legends Game featuring Sharks alumni, including Joe Thornton and many other Sharks greats. This exhibition was held at the city-owned Tech CU Arena and featured several familiar faces from across several generations of Sharks hockey.
The celebration peaked on Saturday, November 23 when the team officially raised Thornton’s iconic #19 into the rafters at SAP Center. The day began with “Jumbo Fest,” a fan-friendly festival on Barack Obama Blvd. outside of SAP Center. The event was highlighted by a VIP Teal Carpet arrival by Sharks alums including Rob Blake, Jonathan Cheechoo, Ryane Clowe, Douglas Murray, Evgeni Nabokov, Owen Nolan, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, and many other Sharks greats. The festival included Sharks merchandise booths, food trucks and more.
The week-long festivities culminated with the most anticipated moment – the official #19 Retirement Ceremony taking place before the Sharks home game vs. the Buffalo Sabres. In front of a full arena of fans, family, friends, and teammates, Joe Thornton’s iconic #19 was permanently enshrined in the rafters at SAP Center, ensuring that his legacy lives on forever in the hearts of Sharks fans who witnessed his greatness.
THE IMPACT OF ENTERTAINMENT ZONES ON AMERICAN CITIES
Sports, arts, and entertainment are critical inputs into creating a successful future destination experience development for San Jose. After numerous life cycles in Silicon Valley, we know that various sectors of our economy grow, boom, shrink and then rebound over time. The end of the office economy in 2024 might be prematurely hailed, given our long history of rebounding from turbulent times. We could certainly see the start of a rebound soon with the incredible AI economy starting to lift-off in downtown San Jose. What would complement the nascent AI cluster, the incoming and desperately needed housing, our existing vibrant culture and nightlife and our underutilized office space? A revitalized sports venue and a corresponding entertainment district.
A look across the United States shows that our largest regional competitors are already heavily invested in the concept of destination entertainment districts. Typically, these districts are multi-purpose developments with a mix of market rate and affordable housing component, hotels, entertainment, small venue music, unique experience attractions and especially important an anchor sports arena or stadium.
Atlanta showcases a great example of a new entertainment district, created essentially from scratch. Battery Atlanta and Truist Park, the home of the Braves, form a collaborative environment to attract locals and tourists alike. While the Braves host approximately 3.5M visitors a year at Truist, the surrounding area attracts a whopping 10M visitors. Truist Park is essential to the development’s success but clearly there is a lot more to the area than just the anchor tenant Braves and the baseball stadium.
“I think we’ve had 200 teams from all over the world come to tour the Battery and Truist Park. We think we have the secret sauce, and they believe that too,” - Mike Plant, CEO Braves Development Company
Just looking at the numbers reveals an interesting outcome for the regional tax authorities. Tax valuation on the land at Battery Atlanta has grown from $5M to $736M on the same land over one decade. This has resulted in a corresponding local tax capture of $38M in 2022 alone.
In surveys of entertainment districts, communities find that tourists flock to these locations even when their anchor sports tenant is not in season. The visitors dwell for much longer than just for the game’s duration, increasing local revenues and leaving guests with an extremely positive impression of the city. Recent data indicates that the return on investment from these types of developments is much higher than other types of property. In short, people like living, working and being entertained near their homes.
“If you don’t have that public/private partnership working together, you will fail. Fortunately, that’s the model of success because of our relationship and working together to achieve these results.” – Mike Plant, CEO Braves Development Company.
Examples of successful entertainment districts around the country include:
The Granddaddy of the Entertainment Zones:
LA Live (Los Angeles, CA) – 47 acres, hotels, convention center, restaurants, housing, music hall all centered around Crypto.com, Home of the Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Lakers.
Image: LA Live
Recently completed and successful:
Battery Atlanta (Atlanta, GA) – Includes 60 acres, 264 room five-star Omni Hotel, numerous restaurants, 10M visitors a year all centered around Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves.
Image: Battery Atlanta
Under Development:
OC Vibe (Anaheim, Orange County, CA) – Includes 100 acres. Will include restaurants, housing units, smaller music venues all centered around the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks
Image: OCVIBE
Under Development:
Ball Center District (Denver, CO) – 64 acres, 6,000 housing units with 1,000 being designated affordable, restaurants, small concert venue will be centered around Ball Arena, home of the Coloroado Avalanche.
Image: Kroenke Sports and Entertainment
SILVER STICK HOCKEY TOURNAMENT BRINGS TEAMS FROM THROUGHOUT THE WESTERN UNITED STATES TO SAN JOSE
This year’s San Jose Silver Stick tournament ran from November 27 through December 1 and featured teams in various age and skill levels. In total, more than 700 players participated in the tournament. Participants included teams from throughout the Bay Area including the San Jose Jr. Sharks, Cupertino Cougars, Oakland Bears, San Francisco SaberCats, San Mateo Black Stars, Santa Clara Blackhawks, Stockton Colts, and the Tri Valley Blue Devils. Teams visiting from out of the area included the Anaheim Jr. Ducks, Capital Thunder (Sacramento), Empire Hockey Club (Montclair, CA), Portland Jr. Winter Hawks, and the Vancouver Jr. Rangers (Grants Pass, OR).
Hosting regional events like the Silver Stick tournament provides a unique opportunity for local players to compete against top teams and players from out of the area. Additionally, it gives the Sharks organization and the City of San Jose a fantastic opportunity to showcase the incredible public ice facility we have in the San Jose City-owned Sharks Ice at San Jose. Also, a tournament like the Silver Stick brings a tremendous economic impact to the City of San Jose with visitors from out of the area flying in and out of San Jose’s Mineta International Airport, filling hotel rooms, using local transportation while in town, and filling local bars and restaurants during their stay.
According to an Annual Economic & Fiscal Impact Analysis done by SportsEconomics LLC in March 2024, Sharks Ice at San Jose contributes more than $64 million dollars to the local economy each year with 1.7 million visitors visiting both Sharks Ice and Tech CU Arena.
The San Jose Silver Stick tournament is one of 52 Silver Stick tournaments held throughout North America. From its simple beginnings in 1956 as a four-team tournament based out of Richmond, Ontario, International Silver Stick has grown into one of the largest North American minor hockey tournaments. It hosts over 65,000 players and coaches every year from across North America. Other Silver Stick Tournaments are held in Las Vegas, Denver, Dallas, Florida, Philadelphia, Michigan, Ohio and many other locations throughout the United States and Canada.
COMING SOON: THE PRESSROOM & MERCURY BAR!
Get ready for an exciting addition to San Jose’s vibrant dining scene! David Mulvehill, the renowned restaurateur behind Nuvo Hospitality Group, is bringing a fresh new concept to the SAP Center area. Located at the western edge of San Pedro Street, The Pressroom will be a celebration of fresh, elevated California cuisine.
The restaurant takes inspiration from its historic roots—it’s built on the very site where the San Jose Mercury News began its journey. Whether you're gearing up for a big night at SAP Center or winding down afterward, The Pressroom is your perfect stop. Start with a delicious pre-game meal and finish the evening with a craft cocktail at The Bar Mercury Room, a playful nod to both the Mercury name and our hometown newspaper, a San Jose institution since 1851.
David Mulvehill’s other beloved establishments—Five Points, Hella Burger, Dr. Funk Rum House, and O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub—are all within walking distance, making The Pressroom a wonderful new addition to this vibrant neighborhood.
Opening Early 2025 at 177 W. Santa Clara St. near the corner of Almaden Avenue, The Pressroom and Mercury Bar will be ready to join your game day traditions. Add them to your must-visit list and enjoy all that San Pedro Square and Little Italy have to offer!
David Mulvehill – The Pressroom Principal Partner
The Mercury – Rendering Courtesy of Nuvo Hospitality