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Street-level view of an office center at 259 Meridian Avenue in San Jose.
(Google Maps)
Street-level view of an office center at 259 Meridian Avenue in San Jose.
George Avalos, business reporter, San Jose Mercury News, for his Wordpress profile. (Michael Malone/Bay Area News Group)
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SAN JOSE — Affordable homes could sprout on the site of a San Jose office center that’s more than six decades old, city documents show.

The proposed development is slated to be built at 259 Meridian Ave., according to a preliminary proposal filed with the city’s Planning Department.

Office center at 259 Meridian Avenue in San Jose, shown within the outline. Boundaries are approximate.(Google Maps)
Office center at 259 Meridian Avenue in San Jose, shown within the outline. Boundaries are approximate. (Google Maps)

If the project is built, the housing development would include 154 units, the city planning documents show.

The six-story project would be developed within the framework of SB 330, a law designed to streamline the process for the approval of housing developments.

The Meridian Avenue project site is located between West San Carlos Street and Norton Avenue.

The 1.3-acre development site currently consists of three one-story office buildings, city documents show. The three office buildings were built in 1958, according to the LoopNet commercial property database.

This isn’t the first time housing has been proposed on this site. Several years ago, a 226-unit residential and commercial mixed-use complex was proposed on the property. That project was never developed.

At present, the property is owned by Paul Lin and Krista Lin as well as an affiliate that the Lins control called Holmes Business LLC, a real estate database shows.

At the end of June 2023, the site’s assessed value was $5.6 million, including the three structures and the land beneath them.

Milestone Housing Group, which specializes in the development of affordable homes, has floated the current plans calling for a 154-unit residential complex, according to the city documents.

Los Gatos-based Milestone Housing has proposed the development of at least five residential projects in California, posts on the real estate firm’s website show.

“Milestone Housing’s mission is to generate and maintain high quality, safe and affordable housing,” the company states on its website. “Creating housing stability establishes a strong foundation for our residents, enabling them to focus on bettering their lives.”

The real estate firm says it teams up with nonprofit organizations to develop housing projects.

“We produce housing for individuals and families with a variety of needs, including permanent housing for the homeless, veterans and individuals with disabilities, along with traditional family and senior housing,” Milestone states on its website.