Historic Hayes Mansion may undergo facelift
$27.8 million deal a ‘new vision’ for property constructed in 1905
SAN JOSE >> The historic Hayes Mansion in south San Jose has been bought by investors who aim to restore the hotel and conference center in a deal that lifts a financial burden from the city’s shoulders.
JMA Ventures, acting through an affiliate called 200 Edenvale Hotel, bought the Hayes Mansion property on Feb. 5, paying $27.8 million, according to Santa Clara County property records.
“With this deal there is new ownership and new vision for Hayes Mansion,” said Nanci Klein, San Jose’s assistant director of economic development. “This will create employment stability for union workers at the site. There is going to be an upgrade of the facilities.”
JMA Ventures is expected to spend $15 million on upgrades at the Hayes Mansion, according to Klein. Klein added that JMA has reached a labor agreement with the Unite Here union.
“We anticipate significant improvements,” she said.
The main building on the property, constructed in 1905, has been deemed a historic structure but fell into disrepair in the 1970s and 1980s, according to a city staff report. The city bought the property in 1984 from the now-defunct San Jose Redevelopment Agency and undertook three expansions from 1991 through 2002.
But the city wound up providing subsidies that ranged from $2 million to
casting prepared to sell its building and move FM station KRTY to a new home on Monterey Road.
There was a plan to donate the station’s license to the city of San Jose, with hopes that San Jose State University could run it as a combo of music and public affairs, but that fell through. The station’s FCC license would be considered expired if it stayed silent for more than a year, so KLIV came back to life (albeit lower-powered life) a few weeks ago, playing a stream of oldies and country classics.
It’s a shame that the donation plan didn’t work out, but — if you’re in the station’s range — it’s nice to have music back on 1590 (and it’s commercial free, which is a bonus).
A NEW CLASS OF LEGENDS >> The fifth annual Black Legends Awards will be presented Saturday at the Hammer Theatre Center in downtown San Jose. This year’s class of 10 honorees — in categories including art, education, public service, health and medicine, and media — are Cozetta Gray Guinn, Steve Jackson, Betty A. Howard, Robert Poynter, Edward Anderson, Ulysses Beasley, Joe F. Bass, Pastor Paul Bains, Antoinette McCoy, and former Mercury News and Knight Ridder executive Bryan Monroe, who was later a vice president at Ebony and Jet magazines.
The 5 p.m. ceremony includes an opening reception and a networking dessert after the induction ceremony. Tickets are available for $150 each at blacklegendsawards.org.
SCOUTS CELEBRATE A CENTURY >> The Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council of the Boy Scouts of America kicked off a 100th year celebration at its annual recognition dinner Friday night in Campbell. The event at Villa Ragusa was emceed by a familiar South Bay voice, Lissa Kreisler, who helped honor the 439 Scouts who earned the Eagle rank in 2019 and introduced the keynote address from Forbes Magazine Publisher Rich Karlgaard.
The council also presented the Silver Beaver award to eight adult volunteers: Eve Brasfield, Jeff Cushman, Fred Conley, John Craig, Dave Holt, Dan Knappenberger, Jeff Thompson and Mel Tolentino. And Morgan Hill resident Hal Hendrickson, who founded that city’s Fourth of July Parade, was
presented with the first Council Alumnus of the Year award.