Preservationists angry historic San Jose buildings to be demolished for parking lot
Home of San Jose resident that the City wants to tear down to make way for temporary parking for the SAP Center.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Preservationists in San Jose are frustrated over the impending demolition of two historic buildings to make way for a temporary parking lot.
City officials said the move may be necessary to satisfy their contractual obligations with the nearby SAP Center.
For nearly 50 years, Shirley Christiansen lived here, in a home she says dates back to the Civil War. City officials dispute the date, but she says she's sure.
"1865. And it said so on the wall. They had, you know, the paperwork for it, permit for it, had it there," says Christiansen.
But now the City of San Jose has plans to tear it down, along with the old Foreman's Arena next door.
Built in 1926, it was the city's premier boxing venue.
"This was the SAP Center before the SAP Center. This was the main sports venue of the city," says Ben Leech, executive director of the Preservation Action Council of San Jose.
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All that history may soon be lost.
The plan for the site is to build a temporary parking lot to serve the SAP Center.
"To lose anything for a surface level parking lot we think is short-sighted...but especially a building that has such an interesting history and could have such an interesting future," says Leech.
The Preservation Action Council put the properties on their Endangered 8 List of the most at risk in the city.
City officials say they also have done an extensive site review which is being presented to the Planning Commission.
Still, they say they are contractually obligated to create more parking for SAP since BART's phase II construction will take away some current spots.
"This is just preserving the existing parking in the area within the distance of the SAP Center that we're required to provide," says Colin Heyne of the San Jose Department of Transportation.
Parking lot near SAP Center in San Jose
The boxing venue is currently an auto repair shop, but preservations could picture a beer garden here or an event space.
Shirley Christiansen says anything would be better than a parking lot.
"What for...losing history for that," she wonders.
"It's sort of like the classic Joni Mitchell you don't know what you've got until it's gone. And we're paving paradise to put up another parking lot," adds Leech.
The timeline isn't set, but this will go first to the historic landmark commission and the planning commission. The full city council will then vote on the project, likely later this year.