Hillbrook Faculty — a Los Gatos-based establishment that goes again 90 years however is simply in its third yr of highschool — reduce the ribbon on a brand new classroom constructing in downtown San Jose on Friday that’s steeped in historical past.
The three-story brick-and-sandstone Moir constructing at 227 N. First St. is an actual magnificence from 1894, with an enormous skylight that rains sunshine into its inside and charming bay home windows. It was one of many unique work-live buildings downtown, with tenants who lived on the higher flooring operating companies out of the storefronts on the bottom ground. It served as a lodge for many of its life and, most just lately, housed the workplaces of the Robinson & Wooden regulation agency.
Contained in the newly renovated constructing for Hillbrook Faculty in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
Contained in the newly renovated constructing for Hillbrook Faculty in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
A welcome signal for college kids at Hillbrook Faculty in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
College students go contained in the newly renovated constructing for Hillbrook Faculty in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
Folks have fun throughout a ribbon reducing for the newly renovated Moir Constructing that’s now a part of Hillbrook Faculty in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
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Contained in the newly renovated constructing for Hillbrook Faculty in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
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I’m glad that as a substitute of constructing one thing model new — which it might have completed just about anyplace — Hillbrook determined to convey its college students to downtown San Jose and particularly to 2 historic however vacant buildings close to St. James Park that required tens of millions of {dollars} of renovation.
“That was a very intentional decision to have a school in downtown San Jose and have this idea of the city as a classroom,” Head of Faculty Mark Silver mentioned. “We have these two buildings, which represent 70,000 square feet, but we have a classroom that is an entire city.”
Having each that constructing and the outdated San Jose Armory on North Second Road remodeled into lecture rooms, maker areas, artwork studios and a gymnasium ought to preserve these areas vibrant for many years to return. Whereas they’ve been modernized inside, the exteriors have stored their traditional appeal.
“The historical character of the building has been updated but hasn’t been lost,” Silver mentioned. “The idea of bringing a historical building back into use is one of the most green and sustainable things you can do. Our ability to take these two buildings and reenergize them is a huge benefit to the city, and it’s a huge benefit to us.”
Hillbrook’s already been a very good neighbor, serving to to host the Nationwide Night time Out occasion for the residents in surrounding buildings this month and asking the comparatively new Hobee’s restaurant on North Second Road to offer its scholar meals. After all, there’s one other historic construction — the dilapidated First Church of Christ Scientist — between Hillbrook’s two buildings. Wouldn’t or not it’s nice if the college discovered a approach to make that a part of its campus, too?
CELEBRATION BELLS: In the meantime, Bellarmine Faculty Prep had its personal dedication occasion Wednesday for the Wade Tutorial Heart, a 43,000 square-foot constructing with 21 lecture rooms, a courtyard and and administrative workplaces. Whereas that is a wholly new campus constructing, Bellarmine — which celebrates its a hundred and seventy fifth anniversary in 2026 — nonetheless paid homage to the college’s historical past.
The Wade Tutorial Heart at Bellarmine Faculty Prep in San Jose was devoted Aug. 20, 2025. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Space Information Group)
It’s named after the Rev. Gerald Wade, Bellarmine’s former president and chancellor emeritus, and his dad and mom, lifelong Santa Clara resident Clara Wade and Walter Wade, whose household had deep roots in Alviso.
And in a touching gesture, the college’s Class of 1983 raised cash to dedicate a classroom in honor of Rev. Peter Pabst, the chancellor of Cristo Rey San Jose Jesuit Excessive Faculty. Pabst taught at Bellarmine within the mid-Seventies and when he returned to campus from 1981 to ’83. They had been among the many tons of of donors who contributed to the capital marketing campaign, “Legacy, Inspiration, Innovation.”
An inside hallway within the Wade Tutorial Heart at Bellarmine Faculty Prep, which was devoted Aug. 20, 2025, welcomes college students in a number of languages. (Courtesy of Craig Cozart Images)
To suit the brand new constructing on campus, Bellarmine might have gone the simple route and torn down every little thing in its manner. However as a substitute of demolishing the 109-year-old Berchmans Corridor, the college moved it, with plans of repurposing it for for workplaces and a welcome heart.
CHAMBER’S SMOKIN’ BBQ: There have been greater than 850 movers and shakers on the San Jose Chamber of Commerce’s annual barbecue Thursday night at Historical past Park in San Jose, however the sweltering temperature stored the shifting and shaking to a minimal.
Folks flocked to seize a popsicle from Paleta Planeta, which usually serves up its artisan Mexican frozen treats from its storefront on Fourth and Santa Clara streets, and the sales space staffed by downtown accounting agency PP&Co., which was pouring ice-cold Moscow Mules in light-up plastic cups formed like a boot. (And for these not feeling the love for Moscow lately, in addition they had bourbon and tequila variations.)
As predicted, the Waymo self-driving automobile was successful with the group, and — additionally as predicted — it didn’t transfer nor was a begin date introduced for San Jose service. However testing continues and eventually, we received’t should drive ourselves round city.
Chacon launched a GoFundMe final fall to lift $15,000 nevertheless it misplaced steam about six months in the past with solely about 40 % of the aim raised. With the beginning of the college yr, he’s hoping there are extra beneficiant of us on the market with training on their minds. You will discover out extra in regards to the marketing campaign at www.gofundme.com/f/support-rigo-chacons-legacy-of-giving.
