More developers eye North San Jose manufacturing hub

A North San Jose parcel previously planned for a hotel is being eyed for a large manufacturing space.

The San Jose City Council will consider approving a plan on Aug. 8 to build a 208,000-square-foot manufacturing and light assembly facility at 350 W. Trimble Road, amid a tech manufacturing and industrial hub in the area.

Irvine-based developer and investor LBA Realty is proposing the project on a nearly 11-acre site north of the San Jose Mineta International Airport, near the southwest corner of West Trimble and Orchard Parkway.

The San Jose Planning Commission approved the project unanimously in June. The city council will have final say.

City staff reports said the site was rezoned in 2018 and officials approved plans from LBA in March 2020 to build up to 100,000 square feet of commercial space along with a 250-room hotel. LBA never built those projects, however, and city staff said the current proposal would replace the previous plans.

Anthony Calderone, vice president of construction at LBA Realty, declined to say whether the current project is being planned with a specific tenant in mind, or if it will be built and leased out later. He also declined to say when construction would start or how long the project would take to complete, if approved by the council.

If approved, the building’s maximum height will be 50 feet, and will include about 20,000 square feet of office space. To make room for the project, 57 trees would be removed, and 128 replacement trees would be planted according to city standards.

The city council will also be asked to approve a nearly 50% reduction in required parking to 280 parking spaces, because the project is near light rail and will include a transit-use incentive program for future employees.

Councilmember David Cohen, who represents the area, was not immediately available for comment.

The site is about 1,700 feet southwest of the Bonaventura VTA Light Rail Station and roughly 1,900 feet northwest of the Component VTA Light Rail Station, city reports said.

The project would be responsible for building a 12-foot-wide attached sidewalk along West Trimble Road in front of the building, and a new separated bike path along West Trimble Road and Orchard Parkway.

Plans also outline the likely need for a future 300 kilowatt emergency generator, which would be powered by a 460-horsepower diesel engine, city reports said. A separate permit would be required for installing a generator.

The San Jose City Council meets Aug. 8 at 1:30 p.m. Learn how to watch and participate.

Contact Joseph Geha at [email protected] or @josephgeha16 on Twitter.