San Jose’s Little Italy neighborhood, known for its deep cultural roots and Italian American history, is at the center of a heated dispute over a proposed street renaming. The City Council is preparing to vote on whether part of North Almaden Boulevard should be officially renamed “Little Italy Way,” but the plan has stirred frustration among property owners and confusion within the very nonprofit that has long championed the neighborhood’s heritage.
The renaming effort was not the original request of the Little Italy San Jose advocacy group. Earlier this year, the nonprofit pushed for the city to rename West St. John Street, the main artery of the district where cultural landmarks such as the Italian museum, cultural center, and historic businesses are located. That proposal was rejected in favor of granting West St. John Street the new name “Shark’s Way,” a move seen as prioritizing the city’s NHL franchise in defining the downtown gateway. As a consolation, city leaders offered North Almaden Boulevard as “Little Italy Way.”
Joshua DeVincenzi Merlander, president of Little Italy San Jose, says the nonprofit never sought North Almaden Boulevard and was surprised to learn its name appeared on the Sharks’ application for the renaming. According to Merlander, the organization neither filed nor paid for that application, though city documents initially listed them as the applicant. He insists the group only supported the earlier push for West St. John Street and has since had to clarify its role. “We’re supportive of the Sharks’ plan, but our organization wasn’t supposed to be involved with this application,” he said. “It has created unnecessary stress for us and tension with local property owners.”
That tension has been palpable. Many property owners along North Almaden Boulevard, where the renaming would apply, have voiced their anger over the plan. Alex Greer, co-owner of 150 North Almaden LLC, has emerged as one of the most vocal opponents. While he expressed no objection to the original West St. John Street proposal, Greer says the current plan is disruptive. He cites logistical challenges such as updating legal contracts, financial documents, and tenant agreements to reflect a new street address. He also questions how the nonprofit’s name came to appear on official paperwork if they were not involved, suggesting the process was mishandled.
Greer points to city planning records that originally identified Little Italy San Jose as the applicant before the city later amended documents to name the San Jose Sharks. “The application was always specific to North Almaden Boulevard,” Greer explained. “Only after property owners began raising questions did the city appear to change the applicant’s name. By then, the damage had already been done.”
The controversy has triggered a flood of letters from local property owners submitted to the council. The documents reflect near-unanimous opposition to renaming North Almaden Boulevard, with signatories arguing that the city is disregarding the views of those most directly affected. “One hundred percent of the affected property owners and tenants oppose this application,” one letter stated. “To proceed despite unanimous opposition would disregard the voices of the people most affected.”
For Merlander and his group, the ordeal has been particularly frustrating. Their intent was to honor the district’s Italian heritage along West St. John Street, a location rich with history where immigrants once lived and built the foundations of the community. Instead, they now find themselves caught in the middle of a process that has angered neighbors and confused supporters. “We were never supposed to be the applicant, and it has created a lot of stress for us,” Merlander said. “We’re just a nonprofit trying to preserve our history and culture.”
As the City Council prepares to cast its vote, the dispute reflects broader questions about how San Jose chooses to honor its neighborhoods while balancing the influence of major organizations like the Sharks. For many in Little Italy, the symbolic recognition of their history feels diminished when shifted away from the street at the heart of their community. For property owners on North Almaden Boulevard, the debate is less about symbolism and more about practical realities, from legal costs to confusion for businesses and tenants.
Whether the council moves forward with “Little Italy Way” or reconsiders in light of the opposition, the debate highlights the challenges of shaping urban identity in a city that must weigh heritage, commerce, and civic pride all at once. For now, Little Italy San Jose finds itself both honored and embattled, struggling to celebrate a long-awaited recognition while trying to mend fences with neighbors who feel blindsided by the city’s process.
