A 15-story multifamily affordable housing development is about to become part of downtown San Jose’s SoFA district after almost a decade of planning.
San Jose Planning Director Chris Burton approved the 220-apartment development, known as Gateway Tower, at a Wednesday hearing. The complex will be 100% affordable housing, including 55 permanent supportive apartments and 165 apartments for very low income households. The 0.5 acre site will include 3,320 square feet of ground floor commercial space.
The approval overrides a 3-1 recommendation from the Historical Landmark Commission earlier this month to deny the project’s request to demolish portions of Herrold College, a city landmark. Commissioners argued developers failed to show they’d face financial burdens by having to build around the historical site, but planning officials disagreed and Burton signed off on the project.
Developers first proposed a larger version of the project in 2016 before slimming it down.
“The applicant stated that preservation of the city landmark building presents multiple challenges to the development of the site,” Angela Wang, city project manager, said at the hearing. “The applicant considered two different project schemes that would retain the city landmark… This substantial reduction in return on costs create an economic hardship where the project would not be financially feasible.”
Three existing buildings between 493 South First St. and 480 South Market St. will be demolished to make way for the complex. The facades of the two historic buildings will be preserved to maintain the area’s character.
The Herrold College landmark is named after Charles David “Doc” Herrold — thought to be the first entertainment radio broadcaster working from his station in San Jose.
“The project is doing the right thing in terms of committing to the historical significance of the site,” Erik Schoennauer, representative for the developers Gateway Tower SJ, said. “It’s not the architecture of these buildings, it’s the association with a person of significance in history.”
Schoennauer said the affordable housing site will have a permanent historical commemorative display with the history of radio broadcasting in San Jose.
Housing developers face real financial hardships when having to work around historically significant sites, Schoennauer said at the hearing — and it may be leading to a lack of development citywide.
“Right now there are little to no affordable rate high rise developments,” he said. “You see very few high rises under construction.”
Mike Sodergren, president of the Preservation Action Council of San Jose, doesn’t want to see a new precedent of developers citing “financial hardships” to demolish established city landmarks, but said the organization supports the Gateway Tower project because the developers have acted in good faith.
Downtown resident Chris Zazueta said the proposed 220-apartment complex is in a fantastic location.
“Let it go, especially if it’s only some small condition that might prevent it from happening,” he said at the hearing. “We need to build this now. We need housing in downtown San Jose more than ever, and I look forward to seeing the city really come back to life.”
Contact Vicente Vera at vicente@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @VicenteJVera on X.
This story originally appeared in San José Spotlight.
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