Rendering courtesy of the Hagman Group
Changing Spaces: This office building will replace a lumber yard and industrial building on Lincoln Avenue just north of Interstate 280.
Work begins on offices that will replace industrial site
'Gateway' project to be finished in July
By Kate Carter
Work on a new Lincoln Avenue office building began last week when crews demolished a building on the site. The project, called the Willow Glen Gateway, is on the southeast corner of Lincoln and Savaker avenues, just north of Interstate 280.
The project is on a 2.58-acre site that was originally two separate adjacent lots. The planning commission has yet to approve the lot line adjustment, making the site a single lot, city planner Laura Dodson said. Lot line adjustment approval is necessary before construction can begin on the site, but Dodson said approval would likely be granted soon.
The project's owner is a partnership called Gateway Willow Glen, LLP. The partnership is led by Hunter/Storm Development and a number of individual partners, said Todd Beatty, senior vice president of CPS, the brokerage firm that is marketing the building.
Hunter/Storm referred questions to their brokerage firm.
The architect for the project is Bill Hagman of The Hagman Group, Beatty said. Hagman has worked with Hunter/Storm in the past on other development projects, such as the four-building mixed-use retail and office facility on the El Camino Real near the Santa Clara train station.
Beatty said they plan to begin construction on the 50,000-square-foot, two-story building in mid- to late January. The project will include 175 parking spaces. The 40-foot-tall building is scheduled to be ready for use in July 2001, he said.
The building was designed for use by either one or two tenants for research and development purposes, Beatty said. Although they haven't yet identified a tenant, Beatty said he expects a technology-type company to move in.
"Once we get going on construction, I think interest will increase substantially," he said.
The site had been zoned for manufacturing uses and was approved for industrial research and development zoning on June 2, Dodson said.
The site development permit was approved by the planning director on Oct. 17, and was accepted by the owner on Oct. 20.
Beatty said they are marketing the building by focusing on its location near Willow Glen and Lincoln Avenue businesses. It is also adjacent to interstates 280 and 880, and close to downtown San Jose, all of which make it attractive to potential tenants, he said.
Beatty said Deke Hunter of Hunter/ Storm chose the location because of its potential.
"Deke's bought other properties in transition-type neighborhoods," Beatty said. "He's had good success in transition neighborhoods."
In addition to the El Camino redevelopment, Hunter/Storm have also worked on redeveloping shopping centers in Campbell, Saratoga and Los Gatos.
The Lincoln Avenue project was named Willow Glen Gateway by Hunter/Storm because it is located at one of the entrances to Willow Glen, Beatty said.
"Deke saw this as a good area that had a void of this type of project, and a demand exists in that area," he said. "I think he saw this as a good opportunity."
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
