SAN JOSE, CA
THE alliance building
RENOVATION/
COMMERCIAL TENANT
IMPROVEMENTS
The Alliance Land Company Building is located on the vorner of East Santa Clara Street and North Third Street in the city’s downtown and was built in 1907. Before the city’s recent downtown revitalization efforts, this area was filled with an assortment of neglected buildings. When this building was first constructed, the lower floor provided space for many thriving retail establishments, and the Alliance Land Company occupied the second-floor offices above. After the Second World War, the upper-floor office spaces were converted into rental apartments. Over the years, the street-level tenant spaces were reconfigured, which significantly altered the entire appearance of the building. In the early 1970’s, the city forced the owner of this 26,000 square foot building (which included the basement) to seismically retrofit the building, and consequently, any remaining historical architectural features or fabric below the second-floor level were irreversibly altered or damaged beyond repair.
Our task was to reinvent and transform this building into a modern, leasable space for our client, who had a number of national retail tenants wanting to occupy the vacant street-level spaces along East Santa Clara Street and other businesses that were interested in the second-floor professional offices. This design work included re configuring the building’s existing interior layout including adding a new elevator and new staircases accessing all floors levels; seismic strengthening the entire building; adding all new mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems; repairing and reconstructing important historic features above the primary street façade; and creating a more inviting and updated look to the building.