30-Acre Green Roof Over Cupertino Would Be World's Largest

CUPERTINTO (CBS SF) -- A South Bay developer is reimagining an outdated Cupertino mall by building the world's largest green roof on top of it.

The Vallco Shopping Mall, bought by Sand Hill Property Company for $316 million last year, is destined to become a 30-acre elevated public park that will connect shops to offices, trails and vineyards.

The $3 billion design was inspired by "starchitect" Rafael Viñoly, who is working alongside Olin Landscape Architects to replace most the Valleco Shopping Mall and parking lot with downtown-style retail, office buildings and hundreds of mixed-income rental homes within a made-made open preserve.

"There will be nothing like it when we are done," Reed Moulds, Sand Hill managing director who is leading the redevelopment effort, told the San Jose Mercury News. "We believe its community focus will make this a remarkable place to live, work, dine, play, learn and recreate."

The development will also feature a 3.8-mile trail network, organic gardens, an amphitheater and a 10,000-square-foot "innovation center" that would give students a place to work on projects.

Currently, the largest roof in the world is Chicago's Millennium Park, but it's five acres smaller than the proposed Vallco project.

According to the Mercury News, Sand Hill has begin environmental review for the project, which could land before the city planning commission and city council for review in the summer or fall of 2016.

Nicole Jones is a digital producer for CBS San Francisco. Follow her musings @nicjonestweets