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The city of San Jose has \u201celected to purchase a prime downtown property\u201d once slated for a major tech campus, which could \u201cpotentially aid the city\u2019s vision of expanding its convention center and developing a sports and entertainment district,\u201d according to Devan Patel of the San Jose MERCURY NEWS. The city council \u201chas approved\u201d the $13.5M acquisition of 447 S. Almaden Blvd — a 3.56-acre parcel located between the convention center to the east and Discovery Meadow and the Children\u2019s Discovery Museum property to the west. Along with \u201ccreating entertainment zones<\/a> and participating in a \u2018stitching districts\u2019\u201d initiative to create a \u201cmore walkable and cohesive downtown,\u201d the city recently inked a new agreement with the Sharks<\/a> — an \u201cessential driver of economic activity — to keep the NHL franchise in town until 2051 and renovate the SAP Center<\/a>.\u201d The city has also \u201coutlined goals for this year,\u201d including \u201cdeveloping a concept plan\u201d for a sports and entertainment zone and \u201cstudying the expansion of the convention center or the development of a high-quality hotel.\u201d The decision to complete the acquisition comes just days after a few city council members returned from a Chamber of Commerce study trip in Atlanta, where politicians and business leaders \u201cobserved how they created a thriving mixed-use district around a major sports venue\u201d with The Battery (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 10\/2<\/i><\/a>).<\/p>\n