A Silicon Valley nonprofit raised more than $3.3 million to build a towering art installation in downtown San Jose — but the group’s funding has dwindled to about $35,000 and the project never got off the ground.
Since 2017, Urban Confluence executive director Steve Borkenhagen has touted a plan to create a landmark in the city’s downtown core to draw visitors and tourists. The nonprofit’s leaders likened the monument to San Jose’s equivalent of the Golden Gate Bridge or Eiffel Tower.
The group hasn’t provided any updates on the project in three years, despite raising millions from private and public donors. A high-profile fundraiser in 2022 raised $170,000 in one night from Silicon Valley’s wealthiest families. The project was unanimously approved by San Jose city councilmembers in 2021.
The idea was to build a 200-foot installation called “Breeze of Innovation” featuring hundreds of swaying rods powered by wind to light up at night — a homage to the San Jose Electric Light Tower. The plan, which faced opposition for its location at Plaza de Cesar Chavez, won unanimous support from the San Jose City Council and endorsements from Mayor Matt Mahan and Vice Mayor Pam Foley.
The project came with a staggering price tag estimated to be between $100 million and $200 million.
While Urban Confluence fell short of that fundraising goal, the group reported raising more than $3.3 million since 2017. But financial records reviewed by San José Spotlight show the nonprofit is down to about $35,756 in cash.
“The trends imply to me that they are giving up on the dream,” San Jose-based financial expert Pat Waite told San José Spotlight. “There is precious little to show for the money spent.”
Funding came from public and private donors including Adobe, The Hugh Stuart Center Charitable Trust, Kieve Foundation, John M. Sobrato and $100,000 from recently-appointed District 3 Councilmember Carl Salas. Santa Clara County also provided $100,000 to the project in 2019.
Of the more than $3.3 million raised since 2017, Urban Confluence spent about $889,000 on advertising and promotions. Executive Director Steve Borkenhagen paid himself $140,000 in compensation last year, and has collected more than half a million dollars since 2017.
Additional money was spent on design and architecture development, office expenses, information technology and more.
Borkenhagen declined to discuss the project’s status or explain what’s next.
“We have nothing to report currently,” Borkenhagen told San José Spotlight. “But we’ll have some very exciting news to share with you soon.”
Urban Confluence board members Richard Ajluni and Chappie Jones declined to comment. Others board members did not reply to requests for comment.
A group of philanthropists including Borkenhagen launched Urban Confluence in 2019 to develop the Breeze of Innovation. Inspired by a 19th century downtown San Jose light tower that toppled more than a century ago, the proposed landmark is meant to be a source of civic pride.
The nonprofit continues using Mahan as the face of its website and fundraising campaign to solicit donations.
“The mayor is supportive of bringing more public art downtown and recognizes that this is a long-term project,” Mahan’s spokesperson Tasha Dean told San José Spotlight.
Urban Confluence recently began posting on social media after going silent for more than a year, though it did not mention the project. A video posted in February shows The Tech Interactive CEO Karina Stevens discussing an unrelated project with Urban Confluence.
Stevens said she was misquoted in one of the now-deleted posts, and she hasn’t heard much about the status of Urban Confluence projects set for Plaza de Cesar Chavez.
Larry Ames, chair of a community leadership group in District 6, was skeptical about Breeze of Innovation’s proposed use of open space and its price tag when first announced. Ames said the lack of new information only heightens his reservations. He also voiced concern about Urban Confluence announcing it might develop a conservancy to manage the art installation.
“I am concerned about what the implications of that conservancy would be — but we’ve not had any updates on that,” Ames told San José Spotlight.
Mark Hinkle, president of the Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association, said gaining trust from donors in the nonprofit sector is difficult and a level of accountability should be expected when raising such large sums of money.
“One of the secrets of fundraising is to ask, and then when they give — you thank them profusely,” Hinkle told San José Spotlight. “Ghosting them for a project like this doesn’t sound like an effective way to fulfill the project, or frankly, to build trust.”
Contact Vicente Vera at [email protected] or follow @VicenteJVera on X.
