The Cupertino Courier

News

Bonsai building will be preserved

By Cody Kraatz

The landmark former Bonsai Nursery--closed and vacant since 1998--is soon to become home to a Trader Joe's, plugging a hole in the popular grocery chain's South Bay presence and bringing it close to the heart of Cupertino.

The 12,000-square-foot store will be located at the rear of the roughly 1-acre lot at 7290 Bollinger Road at S. De Anza Boulevard in West San Jose.

A Wachovia bank and FedEx Kinko's will move into a second 5,900-square-foot building on S. De Anza Boulevard. The buildings are expected to be finished by May or June, and the tenants would take over and open in late summer.

The third building, which has yet to be leased, is what makes the project unique.

The developer, Cupertino-based Hunter Properties, had to get creative to preserve the deteriorating wooden Bonsai building because San Jose's historic preservation policy kicked in when the building turned 45 in 2005, designating the building a "structure of merit."

"That was part of our complications or challenges. It really wasn't a huge challenge for us. It was kind of a win-win," Curtis Leigh, development manager for Hunter Properties, said.

The previous owner, Thrifty Payless Inc., could have demolished it before 2005, but plans for a drug store apparently fell through. It was designed by J. van der Ploeg in the mid-20th century modern style and built in 1960.

"What will be interesting about the site is everybody is going to identify the site by that building. Everybody knows that site and will tell people, 'They're working on the old Bonsai Nursery site,' " said Leigh, adding that even though a deal with Starbucks did not pan out, the space is ideal for a coffee shop.

Leigh said he heard that Trader Joe's was looking at putting a store in near Stevens Creek and De Anza boulevards, and approached the company about 1 1/2 years ago.

"It just seemed like a hole in this area for them," he said.

Monrovia-based Trader Joe's turned down the lease initially but came back after doing market research. The company does not disclose how it chooses its locations, said Alison Mochizuki, a Trader Joe's spokeswoman.

"The demographics in Cupertino are amazing," said Leigh. "Everybody that we've talked to said this is a great community, being so close to Cupertino and having all those rooftops around us."

While Cupertino leaders wish the store were located within the city limits so the city could tap the sales tax it generates, the city is still pleased that Cupertino residents will have access to the amenities they need, said Kelly Kline, Cupertino redevelopment/economic development manager.

Reviews of the Los Altos and Sunnyvale Trader Joe's on www.yelp.com featured rave reviews from five Cupertino residents.

"I love this location because it's not as busy as some of the other places I've gone, and it's really near my home," wrote a reviewer who identified herself as Burnette N. and a Cupertino resident. "I can try different gourmet foods and healthy food for a reasonable price."

The company will try to incorporate the character of the local community into the store, Mochizuki said.

"In all of our stores, we have local store artists that are hired and they do make custom chalk signs and also artwork throughout the store ... and they do tend to bring in local elements from the community," she said. "We like to think of ourselves as a neighborhood store. We do like to add in a local flare."

Hunter Properties also built Civic Park, a 12-acre residential and commercial project located between Cupertino City Hall and S. De Anza Boulevard.