The Mercury News

Offices, 600-plus homes could sprout near San Jose BART station

- By George Avalos gavalos@ bayareanew­sgroup.com Contact George Avalos at 408-859-5167.

SAN JOSE >> Offices and at least 600 homes — and possibly more residences — could sprout across the way from a new BART station in San Jose, an updated planning proposal shows.

The homes and a big office building would rise at and near 1655 Berryessa Road, a triangular parcel that’s about a block from the Berryessa BART station.

Anywhere from 600 homes to as many as 850 residences would be developed at the site. The office building could total 480,000 square feet.

The Facchino family, whose first local business was a Depression-era trucking operation in downtown San Jose, is seeking to build the mixed-use project on the Berryessa property, which the family has owned for a half-century.

The details were contained in an updated proposal prepared by Ralph Borelli, a South Bay real estate

executive who is marketing the project; and Erik Schoennaue­r, a San Josebased land-use and planning consultant who is advising the property owners in their developmen­t efforts.

“The proximity to the BART station makes this a true mixed-use transitori­ented developmen­t,” Borelli said.

The office building on the site could be 10 to 12 stories high, according to Borelli. The offices would be located right on Berryessa Road. The residences, as well as open spaces, would be located behind the office building.

“The Facchino developmen­t will include singlefami­ly residences, townhomes, and high-density apartments,” Borelli said. “It will have its own park.”

City planners are now circulatin­g a notice that a wide-ranging environmen­tal report is being prepared for the project. A public meeting to discuss the proposal is scheduled for Aug. 12.

The Facchino site developmen­t proposal is one of several projects that have been built or are planned in the vicinity of the Berryessa BART station.

Right next to the BART station on the south side of Berryessa Road, on the location of a big long-time flea market, San Jose officials have approved a vast project consisting of as many as 3,450 residentia­l units and as much as 3.4 million square feet of office space.

Just to the west of the Facchino property, developers have built a neighborho­od shopping center anchored by a large new Safeway supermarke­t, a CVS drug store, and a Chase bank. Hundreds of homes are located near the new shopping center.

At the Facchino site, about 180 of the units are expected to be affordable homes, according to Borelli.

“With the shopping center nearby and the jobs component in the office building, people could work in the offices, live in the residentia­l units, shop at the stores, walk everywhere, and have access to BART,” Borelli said.

 ?? GOOGLE MAPS ?? The 13-acre site at 1655 Berryessa Road in San Jose is a short distance from the Berryessa BART station.
GOOGLE MAPS The 13-acre site at 1655 Berryessa Road in San Jose is a short distance from the Berryessa BART station.

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