Plans for large school come back into view for empty San Jose offices
The Big Picture
A vacant office building at 525 Race Street in San Jose could be converted into a private high school under a preliminary proposal from BASIS Independent Schools. The plan would reuse the three-story, 72,700-square-foot office building and add a 16,600-square-foot gym, creating an education campus totaling about 89,400 square feet.
The proposed high school would serve grades 9–12 with up to 800 students and about 100 staff. Interior improvements would include classrooms, science labs, a theater, arts space, and administrative offices, along with outdoor play areas.
The property is owned by an affiliate of Avenues: The World School, which previously received city approval in 2020 to develop a school campus on the site but never moved forward, allowing the entitlement to expire. BASIS now plans to lease the property and pursue new approvals, including a General Plan amendment, rezoning, and conditional use permit.
If approved, the project timeline anticipates construction beginning in 2028 and the school opening in August 2029.
Why It Matters
The proposal reflects a growing trend in Silicon Valley: repurposing underused office buildings as alternative uses emerge in a shifting real estate market. With many older office properties struggling to attract tenants, adaptive reuse for schools, housing, or institutional uses is becoming more common.
The project also highlights a contrast in local education trends. While public school districts across the region are debating closures due to declining enrollment, private and specialty schools continue expanding in targeted markets.
For San Jose, the proposal raises familiar planning questions about land-use flexibility, traffic impacts, and neighborhood compatibility, but it also demonstrates how older office inventory may find new life as the region adapts to changing economic and demographic conditions.