DTWG Illuminated Clock

WGNA CLOCK UNVEILING - MAY 25, 2022 @ 1098 LINCOLN AVE SAN JOSE CA:

The Willow Glen Neighborhood Association in partnership with Republic Urban Properties, held a ceremony to unveil what will be an iconic downtown landmark, a beautiful clock that will adorn the 50-foot tower of Republic Urban Properties’ new headquarters in the heart of Willow Glen – the highest point in the neighborhood. The LED clock, seven feet in diameter, will illuminate on evenings and holidays.

WGNA is forever grateful for those who donated and attended the event, including Councilwoman Dev Davis, Supervisor Cindy Chavez and Supervisor Joe Simitian. 

Special thanks to Copita Tequileria y Comida for catering and Republic Urban Properties for hosting the event. 

WGNA CLOCK BACKGROUND: 

The idea for a clock was the brainchild of Mary Kenter Fox, longtime Willow Glen resident and member of the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association (WGNA). “Many of the greatest cities in the world have clocks in the village center marking the passage of time, encouraging you to look up and notice the world around you, and serving as meeting spots,” says Kenter. But making the concept a reality presented challenges, according to WGNA President De Anna Mirzadegan. “We loved the idea, but the cost and regulatory hurdles of installing a freestanding clock on public property put the concept out of reach,” she recalls.

Enter Republic Urban Properties, which is building its new headquarters at a prime location on the corner of Willow Street and Lincoln Avenue. Brian Yi, Republic’s Director of Investments, also serves on the WGNA board and suggested placing the clock on the tower of the new offices, a highly visible location that stands 50 feet above the surrounding streets. “It was actually serendipitous because there was a large space already available where we had originally planned to put our logo,” Yi explains.

A partnership quickly ensued. WGNA would raise the funds for the clock itself, with Republic covering any gaps in funding as well as the costs for installation and maintenance. “We were very appreciative of Republic’s desire not only to be part of our community, but their enthusiasm in wanting to make our downtown beautiful, thriving, and enjoyable,” says Mirzadegan.

“We believe strongly that community benefits are critical to any type of new development,” says Michael Van Every, President of Republic Urban Properties, “and this was an ideal way to enhance what is already a landmark building.” (“We Build Landmarks” is, after all, a Republic tagline.) “It’s such a simple idea, but it brings an important distinguishing feature to downtown Willow Glen,” he adds.

The clock itself is a classic design whose seven-foot diameter will be clearly visible, especially when illuminated at night. Its LED lighting affords an array of color options that can be used on holidays and special occasions. A commemorative plaque beneath the clock at street level bears the names of those who contributed to the clock’s fundraising campaign as well as a special poem written especially for the occasion by Peter Coe Verbica, a well-known poet, Bay Area resident, and direct descendant of Henry Coe, namesake of Henry Coe Park and Coe Avenue in Willow Glen.

 

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WHY THE WILLOW GLEN CLOCK PROJECT


During a board meeting several months ago, one of our board members presented her idea to have a free-standing clock at one end of Lincoln Ave.  This clock would welcome people to our community. 

WGNA loved the idea of adding this clock but the reality of government regulations, ordinances, the time and costs for a public installation pushed the idea out of reach. 

It was at this point we approached Republic Urban Properties with the idea of putting the standing clock on the corner of their lot but, this also presented a challenge.  Eventually, we realized we could still move forward with the idea of a community clock, if we could place the clock on the Republic Urban Building itself.  Republic Urban, graciously accepted our proposal and offered to cover costs of the installation and maintenance of the clock.  We feel this is a win for our community!

The clock will be a seven foot diameter monument clock that will be placed on the fifty foot tower of the office/retail building facing Lincoln; this will be the highest point in Willow Glen. The seven foot clock will feature LED lighting and will illuminate in the evenings and holidays.  The planned installation is late March or April.  The dedication and unveiling will be in May 25th at 11am.

Donors:

  • In Loving Memory
    • The Joseph and Rose Romano Family
    • Peter Joseph Rajkovich
  • Willow Glen Neighborhood Association
    • President: De Anna McNeal Mirzadegan
    • Vice President:  Mitchell Ehlich
    • Second Vice President: Kathleen Almoslino
    • Secretary: Lisa Morse
    • Officers:  Mary Kenter Fox, Brian Yi, Pierluigi Oliverio, Maren Sederquist, Jose Salcido
  • Councilwoman Dev Davis
  • Michael, Jennifer, and Jacob Van Every
  • Reyad and Eva Katwan
  • John and Alexis Cherniavsky
  • Ronald and Gloria Knapel
  • Jordan Mott
  • Jeff and Joyce Koller
  • Bill and Linda Baron
  • Daniel J. and Lisa M. Pinna
  • Bruno and Loretta Filice
  • Tim and Jennifer Willis
  • Nicholas and Shannon Adams
  • Grillo Davis Family Trust
  • SDS NexGen Partners and Mulcahy Family
  • Sakshi Gangrade and Prateek Panda
  • Mitchell and Wendy Ehrlich
  • George and JoAnn Van Every
  • Patt, Nonnie, Tom, and Dottie Kennedy

 

Planned clock design