Housing might replace office spaces inside San Jose mixed-use building

"SAN JOSE - Office spaces within a mixed-use building in downtown San Jose could be converted into housing units under a proposal that represents a fresh example of efforts to give vacant offices a new economic mission. The proposal would create 47 apartments at a three-story building whose addresses range from 74 through 96 South First St. in downtown San Jose. The project would occur on the same block as another significant office-to-housing conversion that is planned for the Bank of Italy historic tower at 12 South First St., where Westbank is replacing the landmark's offices with residential units."

"Future residents would be moving into a building with a distinctive history. The Romanesque-style building was constructed in 1892 in the wake of a fire on that block. Prolific San Jose architects Jacob Lenzen and Theodore Lenzen designed the building, according to a document by the state Office of Historic Preservation. The structure became known as the Security Building after Security State and Savings Bank occupied it in 1926."

A proposal would convert office spaces on the second and third floors of a three-story mixed-use Romanesque building at 74–96 South First St. in downtown San Jose into 47 apartments. The units would include 32 studios and 15 one-bedroom, one-bath units, with the studios containing efficiency kitchens. The ground floor would remain primarily retail, with tenants such as Elyse Restaurant. The building was constructed in 1892 by Jacob and Theodore Lenzen and later became known as the Security Building. Ownership and management are listed with Green Valley Enterprises and MCM Diversified, respectively.

Read at The Mercury News