Vallco Town Center / The Rise

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Sand Hill Property Company purchases the remaining 600,000 sq ft of interior retail space at Vallco Fashion Park for $116 million. The mall has been declining for years as anchor tenants depart. Sand Hill begins planning for comprehensive redevelopment.

Macy's announces it will close 14 stores including its Vallco location, accelerating the mall's decline and increasing pressure to redevelop the site.

Sand Hill Property announces "The Hills at Vallco," a $3 billion redevelopment designed by architect Rafael Viñoly featuring the world's largest green roof — a 30-acre elevated park rolling over retail, office, residential, and hotel uses.

Cupertino voters reject two opposing ballot measures on Vallco. Measure C (backed by Better Cupertino, proponent Steven Scharf) would have limited Vallco strictly to retail and required voter approval for major changes. Measure D (Sand Hill's initiative) would have authorized The Hills at Vallco plan. Both fail, leaving the site in regulatory limbo with no approved path forward.

Friends of Better Cupertino files the first lawsuit against the Vallco project, challenging the legal basis for the development.

After two days of hearings totaling 14 hours, the Cupertino City Council approves a Specific Plan for the Vallco Town Center site, allowing for approximately 2,900 housing units with offices and retail. Better Cupertino immediately signals plans for a referendum.

Sand Hill begins demolition of the Vallco mall. State Senator Scott Wiener speaks at a demolition event. Sand Hill simultaneously announces it will also pursue approval under SB 35 as a parallel track that cannot be blocked by referendum.

Friends of Better Cupertino submits 4,300+ signatures to challenge the Specific Plan approval by referendum. Sand Hill announces it will abandon the Community Plan entirely and proceed only with its SB 35 project: "Our patience has finally run out."

Sand Hill publicly announces it is abandoning the Specific Plan and will proceed exclusively with its SB 35 project (2,402 units, 50% affordable — 1,201 units). The SB 35 project is not subject to referendum under California law and has already been approved ministerially.

The Cupertino City Council adopts resolutions to repeal its former actions approving the Vallco Town Center Specific Plan — a concession to the referendum petition. The SB 35 project continues on its separate track.

Sand Hill files a second lawsuit challenging the city's decision to allow housing on only 13.1 acres of the 51-acre Vallco site and to restrict additional office space that Sand Hill needed to offset housing construction costs.

Demolition of the Vallco mall is completed. The 50-acre site is now an empty lot. Contaminated soil remediation begins in subsequent years.

Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Helen Williams rules against Friends of Better Cupertino, upholding the SB 35 approval and clearing the way for the Vallco Town Center project to proceed.

Sand Hill reveals "The Rise," a redesigned and rebranded version of the Vallco project by architect Kohn Pedersen Fox. The new design abandons earlier tower concepts in favor of a lower-scale urban village format with housing, offices, retail, and 7+ acres of public park space.

A Santa Clara County civil grand jury report finds that the Better Cupertino faction caused "constant turnover at the highest levels of city staff, violation of city codes, failure to manage financial and fiscal risks, creation of a deep culture of distrust and fear." Four city manager turnovers in four years are attributed partly to councilmanic behavior by Darcy Paul and Kitty Moore.

Sand Hill submits a major modification to The Rise due to high interest rates and rising construction costs. Office space is cut significantly. The project is resubmitted under SB 35, leaving the city with limited ability to object.

The City of Cupertino approves The Rise — the largest single housing project in Cupertino's history — 2,669 apartments and homes with 890 affordable units, 1.95M sq ft of office/lab, 226K sq ft of retail, and 7+ acres of public park. Equity partner: Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

Sand Hill submits revised plans the day before Thanksgiving (Mayor Liang Chao criticized the timing). The revised plan cuts affordable units from 890 to 356 — a 60% reduction — to maintain financial feasibility. Total unit count remains 2,669. Original SB 35 plan required 1,201 affordable units; the decade of delay has cost 845 affordable homes.

A construction permit application is submitted for the first residential building at The Rise — a 100% deed-restricted affordable housing project of 232 units developed with Eden Housing. The initial phase will include 1,369 total homes along Stevens Creek Boulevard.

Sand Hill expects vertical construction to begin by end of 2026, starting with "Town Square West" — 1,369 homes along Stevens Creek Boulevard. First occupancy projected for 2028. Site preparation, demolition, grading, and below-ground utilities already complete. (Estimated — VERIFY)

The Vallco site is one of Silicon Valley's most obvious housing opportunities — a failed mall on 50 acres adjacent to the freeway in the heart of the jobs-housing imbalance. Sand Hill engaged in good faith with the community plan process. The referendum and lawsuit campaigns represent obstruction of desperately needed housing.

"This latest obstruction, and the 2-year delay it causes, gives the Community Plan no chance to catch up to the already approved and underway Vallco Town Center project. We consider ourselves patient people, but our patience has finally run out." (Oct 31, 2018)

"This effort to obstruct desperately needed housing — driven by people who want to freeze Cupertino in amber and who are unconcerned about whether anyone can actually afford to live in Cupertino — is exhibit one for why we need state-level standards to ensure cities are doing their part to address California's 3.5 million home deficit." (Oct 2018)

"After nearly a decade of debate, 5 plans, 2 ballot initiatives, and 2 lawsuits later, the site of Vallco still remains unconstructed, empty... The fight over Vallco's development is emblematic of the nationwide struggle to create new homes in the places that need them most."

The city's plan was too aggressive and did not reflect the community's vision for the Vallco site. Preferred retail only, no offices, and fewer than 400 housing units consistent with the general plan. Used the referendum process — a legitimate democratic tool — to let voters decide.

Opposed the scale of the project throughout. In December 2025 as mayor, criticized Sand Hill for submitting revised plans the day before Thanksgiving to trigger a review process during the holiday. Argued the project's scale would overwhelm city services.

Ruled against Friends of Better Cupertino in May 2020, upholding the SB 35 approval of the Vallco Town Center project and clearing a major legal obstacle.

Better Cupertino placed Measure C on the November 2016 ballot to limit Vallco strictly to retail, ban housing, and require voter approval for future changes. Measure C was defeated. Sand Hill's counter-initiative, Measure D, also failed. Both measures failing left the site without an approved path and reset the planning process, adding approximately 12 months of delay.

After the City Council approved the Specific Plan in September 2018, Friends of Better Cupertino organized a referendum petition collecting 4,300+ signatures. The referendum succeeded in forcing the City Council to repeal the Specific Plan in May 2019. Sand Hill responded by abandoning the Community Plan and proceeding exclusively under SB 35, which is not subject to referendum. The referendum killed the community plan but could not stop the SB 35 project.

Friends of Better Cupertino filed two lawsuits challenging the Vallco project. Judge Helen Williams ruled against them in May 2020, clearing the SB 35 project to proceed. Despite losing in court, the multi-year litigation contributed to overall project delays and plan modifications.

Cupertino tried to limit the SB 35 project to only 13.1 acres of the 51-acre site and to restrict additional office space that Sand Hill needed to cross-subsidize housing construction. Sand Hill filed a second lawsuit in October 2019 challenging these restrictions. This attempt to use density restrictions within the SB 35 framework contributed to further delays and the eventual plan modifications.

Most complete single public narrative of the Vallco history through 2022. Pro-housing perspective but factually detailed. Best source for 2014-2020 timeline and ballot measure context.

Official city project page. Lists all related projects since 2015 with links to SB 35, Specific Plan, referendum, and all modifications.

February 2026 update. Confirms construction permit submitted for first building (232 affordable units with Eden Housing).

Most recent (Dec 2025) detailed coverage. Confirms Sand Hill cut affordable units from 890 to 356; confirms 2026 construction start plan; contains Mayor Liang Chao's Thanksgiving criticism.

Construction schedule confirmation. Contains full current project specs: 2,669 homes, 1.95M sq ft office, 226K sq ft retail, 9,570 parking spaces.

Coverage of February 19, 2024 city approval. Confirms 2,669 units, 7+ acres of park, 230K sq ft retail.

Coverage of Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report. Confirms four city managers in four years; culture of distrust. Documents institutional damage caused by Better Cupertino faction.

Chronological history from 2014 through 2022. Best single source for complete pre-2022 timeline.

Best day-of coverage of the referendum submission and Sand Hill's decision to abandon Community Plan for SB 35. Contains Reed Moulds quote.

Developer's own public statement at time of referendum submission. Contains the "patience has run out" quote.

Primary source for Wiener's "freeze Cupertino in amber" quote.