The Alum Rock community is invited to participate in a virtual public review of 2940 Alum Rock Avenue in San Jose, Santa Clara County. The affordable housing proposal aims to replace a long-time vacant hardware store with four hundred units and parking in the heart of the neighborhood. The Pacific Companies is responsible for the development.
Speaking with YIMBY, Darren Berberian, Business Development Partner for The Pacific Companies, confirmed that the project does not use any State laws intended to streamline the approval process for affordable housing, adding that, “this is the traditional entitlement route. I think it’s more appreciated on the community side.”
Berberian emphasized that much of the public feedback received so far has been positive, highlighting the input from the Alum Rock Village Action Committee. “So far the response I’m getting is that everyone is happy that we are redevelopment the old Orchard Supply… You got two pluses here, the great need for affordable housing and the rehabilitation of an underutilized site.”
2940 Alum Rock Avenue vertical elevation, illustration by AO
The 81-foot tall structure will yield around 404,300 feet, including 233,600 square feet for housing, 83,400 square feet for parking, and 18,750 square feet of common open space. Unit types will vary, with 119 studios, 199 one-bedrooms, 72 two-bedrooms, and ten three-bedrooms. Parking will be included for 401 cars, with three hundred spaces in mechanized stackers. Additional space will be provided for 100 bicycles.
Orange County-based AO is responsible for the design. The podium-style apartment complex will feature the familiar aesthetic treatment articulated with a range of stucco tones, a brick-veneer foundation, and porcelain tiling, adding a distinct flair at ground level. The white stucco exteriors and red concrete tile roofing are intended to express a Spanish revival aesthetic. Residential amenities will be centralized on the second floor, split between four open-air courtyards, a community kitchen, a clubroom, a lounge, and a fitness center.
2940 Alum Rock Avenue seen from Rose Avenue, rendering by AO
2940 Alum Rock Avenue second-level floor plan, rendering by AO
The 3.4-acre site had been occupied by the Orchard Supply Hardware store until 2018 when the company announced bankruptcy and the closure of all 99 storefront locations. Today, the company operates just over a dozen locations across California under new ownership. Future residents at 2940 Alum Rock Avenue will be next to the Alum Rock public library branch, across from the James Lick High School, and near the scenic Foothills neighborhood.
The developers are expecting to utilize state tax credits and the 4% bonds to finance construction, though the specifics for that are uncertain given the preliminary nature of the proposal for 2940 Alum Rock Avenue. Once entitlements and financing are secured, construction is expected to start within a year and be ready for occupancy two years after groundbreaking.
2940 Alum Rock Avenue, image via Google Street View
The Planning Community Meeting is scheduled to start Monday, November 18th, starting at 6 PM. The event will be held on Zoom. For more information about how to attend and participate, visit the meeting agenda here.
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This is the density that the transit-rich Alum Rock Ave area can support and should have. The entire stretch between Capitol and White is underutilized and if a savvy developer were to pick up adjacent parcels they could make something nicer than just parcel-by-parcel one-offs.
Minor nitpick: Orchard didn’t technically go bankrupt. Its parent at the time was Lowe’s, and the OSH chain as a whole was profitable, just not profitable enough for the Lowe’s CEO’s taste. Orchard was another example of how smaller stores with good customer service were axed in favor of the big-box experience of lack of inventory and poorly paid overworked staff who know little to nothing about the merchandise or how the merchandise is used. Now the only hardware option in the area is the always-crowded Home Depot on Story, with the nearest Lowe’s a lot further.