October 14, 2004

Hoffman/Via Monte neighborhood center receives green light

Construction is expected to begin next week with completion expected in Spring 2005

By Sheila Sanchez
Staff Writer

The San Jose City Council, acting as the San Jose Redevelopment Agency has given the green light for the construction of a new neighborhood center in the Hoffman/Via Monte Strong Neighborhood Initiative area.

During its Oct. 5 meeting, the council and the redevelopment agency unanimously approved moving forward with a 20-year ground lease agreement with the Almaden Hills United Methodist Church in the amount of $321,000.

Construction of the $500,000 center is expected to begin soon with completion expected in the spring of 2005.

The Hoffman/Via Monte Neighborhood Advisory Committee listed the center as its top priority. The facility will include the construction of a 2,400-square-foot prefabricated modular building, which will include one large room, an office, computer lab, storage room, bathroom, and kitchenette. Programming for the facility may include early childhood recreation classes, youth leisure classes and after-school recreation.

The community identified seven potential sites for the center and the city’s Redevelopment Agency staff helped determine that the most feasible location for the center was on a portion of property owned by the church at 1200 Blossom Hill Rd.

The ARK, a church-owned facility, is located on the site and is used by the city to conduct various youth programs. The ARK will be demolished to allow space for the center to be constructed.

“This is something that’s been one of the highest priorities for the neighborhood,” said San Jose Redevelopment Agency Interim Director Harry S. Mavrogenes. “We’ve been working very hard with Vice Mayor Pat Dando to find an appropriate site and we’re very happy that it looks like things will work out for the community.”

He added: “We’ve now tied up the property to proceed with the next step, which is construction,” Mavrogenes said.

Many low-income immigrant families who live in the neighborhood are ecstatic with the news. For years they’ve been hoping the council approve a plan to make the center a reality. Activities now are run out of the church or from the back of a truck that visits the neighborhood park.

“It’s been hard finding a place for our kids to do fun activities after school,” said Mexican-American mother of three who declined to be identified. “This is great news for our neighborhood.”

About five years ago, Vice Mayor Pat Dando began working with the neighborhood group when the city was planning the Chris Hotts Park on the west side of Almaden Expressway and south of Via Monte Drive, between Blossom Hill Road and Coleman Avenue.

Hotts worked for Dando and helped the community identify issues important to its residents.

“One of the first things that young mothers in the neighborhood identified was the need for parks,” Dando said.

A member of the church donated enough money to make the park a reality, before the area was designated as an SNI project. “Young parents spoke about the need for activities for their children,” Dando said.

“This shows that when you have a group of neighbors committed to making their neighborhood better, safer and with more opportunities for their children, great things happen. It’s all a result of these neighbors coming to endless meetings and making sure they kept their wishes and desires at the top of the list,” Dando added.

The center will be similar to The Spot youth center on the Bret Harte Middle School campus, which offers kids a safe place to recreate after school.

“I’m thrilled happy for the neighbors in this community who have worked to hard to make this happen,” said Dando.

Under the lease agreement, the city will have the right to use the center to operate a children’s daycare center, have child activity areas, youth recreation, classrooms for children and adults, teacher education, technology access areas, offices, counseling rooms, community meeting rooms and other recreational uses or neighborhood serving uses.

The lease, however, prohibits the center to use the premises for mental health, drug or alcohol counseling or rehabilitation. Smoking and alcohol will not be allowed on its premises. The church will also have a right to review and approve the size, location and layout of the center.

The city will be allowed to use the church’s existing entry to the parking lot and will operate it Monday through Saturday, being able to use the church’s parking lot for any overflow parking with the church having the right to use the center’s parking lot during Sunday.

The SJRA will hire a consultant to design the center who will be chosen through a “request for proposal” process and it will select a contractor through a public bidding process.