Pulte Homes representatives on Wednesday presented a proposal to redevelop a 5.5‑acre commercial site at Homestead Avenue and Lawrence Expressway in Santa Clara into 147 for‑sale housing units, a small retail building and a privately maintained park.

Jim Sullivan, a Pulte Group representative, told the developer‑hosted community meeting that the plan includes four‑story stacked condominium buildings along Lawrence, about 47–57 three‑story townhomes on the east side, two‑car garages for each unit and a roughly 5,000‑square‑foot retail space. Sullivan said the project would meet the city’s inclusionary requirement that 15% of units be deed‑restricted at a moderate‑income level.

“Pulte Homes is not coming in to try and steal anybody’s livelihood,” Sullivan said, describing the firm as “merely looking in different cities where is there an opportunity to build housing.” He added that the developer currently is under contract with the property owner and does not yet own the land.

City staff and the developer said the site now contains about 62,500 square feet of retail and service businesses. Several speakers at the meeting pressed the applicant about the steep reduction in commercial space and whether a grocery store or long‑standing tenants could remain. One resident said, “That won’t even accommodate the grocery store,” in reference to the proposed 5,000 square feet of retail.

The project schedule outlined by the developer calls for an ongoing environmental review (the initial study/CEQA process), a hoped‑for planning commission hearing in early 2026, a tentative map and city‑council review afterward, a potential mid‑2026 groundbreaking and an early‑to‑mid‑2027 opening — but Sullivan cautioned that studies and city review could alter the timeline.

Sullivan said the city selected the site in its housing element planning exercise and Pulte filed a pre‑application in 2024. He named David J. Powers & Associates as the consultant conducting environmental studies paid for by the developer.

City staff emphasized that the project must complete several studies under CEQA — traffic, greenhouse gas and biological analyses among them — and that planning commission and city‑council hearings will provide additional opportunities for public comment.

The meeting closed with commitments from Pulte and city staff to accept written comments and to meet with concerned neighbors; staff encouraged residents to subscribe to project updates and to attend future public hearings.

The project is still in the entitlement phase and no planning commission or council approvals have been scheduled as final; the environmental review and public hearings will determine whether the tentative map and architectural plans proceed to approval.