Councilmember Omar Torres

Congratulations to Blair, owner of Pageboy () on the grand reopening of her shop, now extending her footprint on with an exciting new retail space! Your dedication to Downtown is truly inspiring—not only as a business owner but also as a committed board member of the SJDA, working hard to uplift our community. Thank you for all that you do!
Downtown is open for business!

Thank you for your patience regarding the area around the Lawrence Hotel building. I understand the inconvenience, and my office has been actively working with the Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement departments to address these issues. Ensuring that our Downtown is more walkable and accessible has been a key priority for my office, and I am pleased to report significant progress in reopening the sidewalk.

This morning I had the incredible opportunity to speak to students at Windmill Springs Elementary for Hispanic Heritage Month.

It felt great to be back at one of my schools when I served on the Franklin-Mckinley School District Board.

Getting to meet the next generation in a long line of remarkable San Joséans is truly empowering.

I got to share my story of growing up as a minority in San José and the challenges I faced. I hope they can see it doesn’t matter what you look like. As long as you stay focused on your education and feel proud of your identity, you too can grow up to be a future leader.

A huge thank you to Breanna Mora Rodriguez, an awesome public school teacher for having me.

I am grateful for staff of Windmill Springs for providing these kids the necessary skills to not only survive in the world, but thrive as well.

Keep up the great work in uplifting our students!

Late Post!

As your Council representative and as a former Community Organizer, it’s important for me to be out in the field, in our beautiful neighborhoods & thriving business districts.

Last Friday, I started off my morning with a productive and informative walk n talk with our Naglee Park residents and Police Department.

My team and I had the chance to hear various concerns of our neighbors.

Shortly after our Naglee Park walk, I had the pleasure to walk alongside Captain Torres and his beat officers with our small business owners & their employees on South First Street.

We had a chance to hear directly from them about their challenges and how our City can support them.

We’re here to listen and work together to make our community stronger!

I had full circle moment! Today, I had a meeting with Mark Linder who was the former Director of Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services when I started off as a Recreational Leader for the City of San José. He would also later oversee the Strong Neighborhoods Initiative program (a program I also worked for) before that program transitioned into the Redevelopment Agency!

It was great to meet with my former mentor this morning! Mark is a dedicated public servant who has devoted his life to our public and public sectors employees like myself. It is civic leaders like Mark who gave us a chance and help mold us into the best public servants we can be!

Thank you for paving the way & creating a seat at the table for us Mark!

Today, during our City Council meeting I had the absolute honor of commending Alfredo Diaz Velazquez to celebrate his extraordinary legacy and incredible work running Diaz Menswear.

First opening its doors in 1985, Diaz Menswear has had a profound impact on our Downtown and throughout the City of San José and its residents. Diaz Menswear has served generations of families, standing by them during life’s significant moments—graduations, weddings, and celebrations. Alfredo has woven himself into the very fabric of our community, making his mark on countless lives.

Thank you, Alfredo, for your incredible legacy, and enjoy retirement!

Today, I had the immense privilege of attending a ceremony at the Japanese American Museum to dedicate the Barrack exhibit in honor of the late, great Eiko and Jimi Yamaichi. Experiencing the barracks through Jimi's firsthand accounts and vivid memories was truly sad and incredibly powerful.

Eiko and Jimi were significant pillars of the Japantown community, dedicated to uplifting those around them. It was inspiring to hear so many people share how Jimi and Eiko impacted their lives.

I am filled with joy knowing that their legacy will live on forever through their contributions to the Japanese American Museum and their community.

Wow, what a day in San José!

I took my furry babies to Bark in the Park and loved seeing so many of you with your own furry friends. It was fantastic to watch hundreds of dogs frolic through our beautiful William Street Park, I felt like Ace Ventura!

Next, I headed to the 17th Annual Luna Park Chalk Art Festival. I was truly amazed by the stunning chalk art on our Backesto Park sidewalks. San José definitely has talent! I remember volunteering at the very first one back in the day and it’s so cool to see this tradition continue throughout the last couple of decades.

After that, I presented a Proclamation for National Gymnastics and Dance Day to California Sports Center. I was very impressed seeing these young athletes perform incredible moves that I can only dream of doing. I can’t wait to see them all in future Olympic Games!

To wrap up the busy day, I attended the 16th Annual Northside Block Party. I felt so welcomed in the neighborhood, reconnecting with friendly faces and meeting new ones. And let me tell you, N 16th Street has some of the best cooks in the city. Their food was absolutely delicious!

I love downtown San José, there’s never a dull day in D3!

Another small business opening in the heart of downtown, Paleta Planeta has came a long way from selling paletas from a cart and in their garages to now having a brick and mortar! Their story is one of resourcefulness, patience, and overcoming adversity; and because of their journey, Downtown now has a new sweet treat!

Congratulations to Paleta Planeta for opening and we are excited to see what you bring to our downtown! Downtown is open for business!

I had a fantastic time reading to 4th graders at Horace Mann Elementary for Latinx Reading Day in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month! Thank you so much for the invitation!

It’s so meaningful when I can show them that people who look like them can grow up to become councilmembers and leaders in their community!