Project of 100-plus homes is floated for North San Jose office site
As office market wobbles, developers eye housing on choice sites
SAN JOSE, Calif. — A seasoned homebuilder is eyeing the construction of more than 100 homes on the site of an older office and research building in North San Jose, a new example of the Bay Area’s shifting real estate market.
According to documents on file with San Jose city planners, SummerHill Homes has submitted a very preliminary proposal to develop residences on a site at the intersection of East Tasman Drive and Baypointe Drive.
A growing number of developers and property owners are considering the possibility of replacing existing office sites with housing developments.
In other cases, developers have decided to abandon previous proposals for large, high-profile office projects in favor of seeking approval for massive residential developments.
Property owners and developers have increased their real estate recalculations as some technology companies have reduced their appetites for office space and reduced their workplace footprints.
SummerHill Homes has proposed the development of 110 townhouses on the 5.1-acre property at 90 East Tasman.
SummerHill stated in the preliminary application that it will use provisions of California law SB 330 to seek an expedited and streamlined city approval process.
The potential development site is home to a 96,200-square-foot office and research building. The structure was built in 1986.
This is far from the only noteworthy proposal in San Jose to convert existing or proposed office buildings into housing.
Property owners have recently abandoned plans for massive office parks near the Berryessa BART station, as well as at a former Fry’s Electronics store site in North San Jose.
There are active plans in downtown San Jose to convert at least three office towers — two existing and one proposed — to housing developments.
