SAN JOSE — A former gay bathhouse in San Jose has been transformed into an office building with features and amenities appropriate for the health-conscious coronavirus era.
After a Bay Area real estate firm paid $4 million to purchase the 1010 Alameda property in March 2021, Briggs Development began a dramatic redevelopment of the former Watergarden Bathhouse.
The newly upgraded property just west of downtown San Jose has been transformed into a modern office building, according to Jeffrey Rogers, president of San Jose-based Briggs Development.
“Briggs Development is excited to revitalize this property in the heart of the Alameda neighborhood and make it available to forward-thinking new tenants,” said Rogers.
The office building has wide open sections and smaller office corners for those who prefer to work alone or in small groups. All office spaces lead to a large outdoor section that includes work spots and gathering areas.
These features are coveted by office tenants and businesses looking to own offices in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, which has forced workers and employers to rethink how office workspaces operate. It is thought that
“1010 The Alameda is a unique San Jose facility that offers a healthy indoor and outdoor working environment,” says Rogers.
Colliers commercial real estate brokers David Schmidt and Duffy D’Angelo began looking for tenants or buyers for an office building totaling 10,900 square feet.
Mark Ritchie, president of real estate firm Ritchie Commercial, said, “This building will be occupied. Ritchie has arranged for the purchase of the property by Briggs Development.
Ritchie believes the building has excellent prospects, largely because this part of Alameda serves as the gateway to downtown San Jose.
1010 Alameda is also just a few blocks from Google’s planned Downtown West footprint, a large mixed-use development of offices, residences, restaurants, shops, hotel facilities, an entertainment hub and a cultural loop. , Google can employ up to 25,000 people.
“This is a strong Alameda stretch,” Richie said. “There’s a strong history of owner residency here. Alameda’s masterpiece. It’s behind what Google is doing downtown his West.”
The principal operator of Watergarden Baths was also the property seller to the Briggs Development. Public bath owners say the coronavirus outbreak has ultimately ruined their business due to widespread business shutdowns imposed by state and local government agencies to combat the spread of deadly bugs. rice field.
“It is with great regret that we must announce our permanent closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Watergarden posted on its Facebook page in July 2020. , cannot be resumed. “
Private Club said the coronavirus has had a devastating economic impact on Watergarden.
“It has been closed for months already, resulting in significant financial losses,” Watergarden said in a post. “It is heartbreaking to make this announcement after being in business for over 43 years.”
But now, the property’s emergence as an airy office site with plenty of open space could serve as an example of positive development, even as the coronavirus-related woes start to fade from the economy.
“The pandemic has forever changed the way people see work spaces,” said Rogers.