The Rise redevelopment in Cupertino, Forum area, showing a housing tower, ground-floor retail and restaurant spaces, and adjacent gathering and open areas, on the site of the former Vallco Mall, concept. Construction preparation is expected to begin this summer on Cupertino’s largest-ever housing project at the site of the old Vallco Shopping Mall.
The Rise could potentially be completed by 2028, but Moulds said the timeline heavily depends on the state of the local real estate market. The last couple of years have been challenging for the industry, as companies in the Bay Area and nationwide struggle to find financing amid high interest rates and inflation.
That same year, nonprofit group Friends of Better Cupertino, which pro-housing activists accuse of being anti-development, filed a lawsuit against the city questioning the legality of fast-tracking the redevelopment. A Santa Clara County judge ruled in 2020 that the design could proceed. However, other legal challenges and council and resident division resulted in a downsizing that cut those benefits, eventually leading to the current Rise design.