New maker space planned for San Jose
There may be good news on the horizon for DIY makers and former TechShop members in the South Bay. Entrepreneur Dan Rasure, who opened a new maker space in the former San Francisco TechShop in February, is quickly moving along on plans to open a second location in North San Jose.
Rasure gave me a tour this week of the soon-tobe-former home of Solar Junction on Charcot Avenue that will be TheShop. build’s San Jose location. It’s a huge 58,000 squarefoot space that has the advantage of already being outfitted for light industrial use, and has office areas for conference rooms and small-business startups. It lacks the public transit access downtown’s TechShop had, but there is plenty of parking and a large loading dock. And there’ll still be free popcorn.
“We’re very happy about the space and what that allows us to do,” Rasure said. “I think it’s going to be a very welcoming environment, but also one that people can be successful in.”
Last year, TechShop completed a long-delayed and difficult move into the former Zanotto’s grocery store in downtown San Jose, but the celebration was short-lived as it closed all 10 shops nationwide in November. Rasure began negotiating with TechShop’s board to take over the company, but those talks fell through, and TechShop’s board filed a trademark infringement suit, prompting Rasure to change his company’s name from Tech Shop 2.0
to TheShop.build.
Many of his San Francisco members drive from the South Bay, Rasure said, so the new shop will provide them with relief. Solar Junction is still moving out equipment, so Rasure couldn’t estimate when TheShop.build would open but he expects to announce a date soon. However, members can get an early look at the San Jose space on Friday. (Go to TheShop. build for membership information).
Rasure said he’s going to offer discounted membership to former TechShop Life Members and will honor the “safety and basic use” certificates they had already earned on equipment. And he hopes to get STEM summer camps and drop-in equipment classes going as soon as possible.
PRINT ON PARADE >> Of course, the DIY movement isn’t exactly new. Just ask any of the people who’ll be at the Bay Area Printers’ Fair and Wayzgoose at San Jose’s History Park Saturday. The annual event, which is free and runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will feature demos on woodblock printing and hand-setting metal type, as well as a market for paper goods, ink and other printing-related crafts. (A “wayzgoose,” by the way, is an old-fashioned printer’s party.)
Of course, History Park’s
early 20th-century print shop will be open for tours and visitors can print a keepsake on one of the vintage letterpresses. Get more information at www. sjprintersguild.com.
CELEBRATING A LEGACY >> There’s good food from Casa Vicky on the menu and a good cause worth supporting Friday at MACLA in downtown San Jose, where the Friends of Human Relations is having its Jim McEntee Legacy Scholarship Fundraiser. The event, which starts at 5:30 p.m., will include remarks by Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager and music by jazz guitarist and vocalist Lisa Sanchez. The suggested donation is $20, but don’t feel the need to stop there.
McEntee, who died in 2004, founded the Friends of Human Relations more than 30 years ago to promote goodwill and harmony in Santa Clara County. Following his death in 2004, the scholarship program was created in his honor to support students going from a community college to a four-year school. Last year, the program provided 17 scholarships of $2,000 each. Get more information at www. friendsofhumanrelations. org.