Crews Spotted, Developer Considers Active Construction for Platform 16 near Diridon Station, San Jose

Douglas Linde, president of Boston Properties, BXP, announced yesterday on a phone call that the firm is actively considering resuming the construction of Platform 16 in 2022, an office development at 441 West Julian Street, San Jose. The announcement came just as SFYIMBY spotted crew activity on the construction site that has been stalled since March of 2020. Platform 16 is a joint development with BXP, TMG Partners, and Valley Oak Partners. BXP maintains a 55% ownership of the project.

Platform 16 construction site, image by Andrew Campbell Nelson

Platform 16 construction activity close-up, image by Andrew Campbell Nelson

The flattened Platform 16 construction site in September of 2020, image by Andrew Campbell Nelson

An anonymous construction expert confirmed with SFYIMBY that the crews were placing steel caissons for the foundation. While the limited team on-site is consistent with Mr. Linde’s claim that full construction has not resumed, it remains a positive sign for the site’s future.

Platform 16 entry, rendering by Kohn Pedersen Fox

Platform 16 will produce three structures on top of the 5.4-acre site with roughly 1.2 million square feet of floor area in total. Each structure’s scale of rentable floor area varies, with one offering 157,000 square feet, another 345,000 square feet, and the largest offering 490,000 square feet. Floorplates range between 25,000 to 90,000 square feet with generously sized 15-foot high ceilings.

Platform 16 office space connection with one of the outdoor terraces, rendering by Kohn Pedersen Fox

Platform 16 interior view, rendering by Kohn Pedersen Fox

“We are actively considering when we might restart the construction of Platform 16 next to Diridon Station and the future Google development in San Jose,” Douglas Linde said on a phone call, as transcribed and reported by the Bay Area News Group reporter George Avalos.

The Bay Area News Group reported that the prospect to start construction again comes following optimism for the region’s office market. “Menlo Park-based Facebook has begun to scout for 700,000 square feet in Silicon Valley while China-based ByteDance is hunting for 250,000 to 300,000 square feet, Owen Thomas, chief executive officer of BXP, said during the conference call.”

Platform 16 terrace, rendering by Kohn Pedersen Fox

Kohn Pedersen Fox is responsible for the design. As published on the firm’s website, “our design for Platform 16 leverages San Jose’s warm, dry climate to create a cutting-edge and sustainable indoor/outdoor workplace and campus,” said Lloyd Sigal, KPF Managing Principal. “The project’s large interior floorplates extend to generous outdoor terraces, introducing ample daylight through an innovative and environmentally designed facade system.” A total of 16 terraces will be spread across the site. Other amenities include a fitness center, courtyard, wellness facility, and on-site conference center.

Platform 16 connection between two of the structures, rendering by Kohn Pedersen Fox

Platform 16 site map, illustration courtesy CBRE

The property is located at the edge of Google’s 8 million square foot Downtown West proposal, part of the Diridon Station Master Plan to extend the city’s urban fabric around the existing train station serviced by Caltrain, VTA, Lightrail, the ACE train, and the future BART station expected to open in 2030.

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