SJLibrary.org, a collaboration of San Jose State University and San Jose Public Library system.

Construction Starts for New Combined Almaden
Community Center & Branch Library in San José

Co-managed Facility Will Unite Community Services Under One Roof

A Brownie Scout inscribes her thoughts on a "dream rock" to be included in the new building's foundation.

May 22, 2004 -

City officials broke ground today on a new $17,564,000 combined branch library and community center for the Almaden neighborhood in South San José.

Placing services into one structure will achieve cost savings for construction and continuing shared operations. The opportunities for collaborative programming will be numerous, making it a focal point for community activity.

"San José residents want great libraries and parks for their neighborhoods, and this project will do both for the Almaden community,” said San José Mayor Ron Gonzales. “This creative combination lets us deliver more results for the money our voters approved to expand a heavily used branch library and community center."

The new library interior will have the look and feel of an upscale bookstore. Highlights include a “community living room” with a fireplace, technology lab, group and quiet study areas, as well as significantly more space for seating, collections and computers.

The two-story community center will offer a gymnasium, aerobics/dance room, fitness center, large community room, three preschool “Tiny Town” rooms, a cooking classroom, commercial kitchen, computer learning center, game room, four classrooms, and a neighborhood services center. Care has been taken to design a complex that could accommodate the full range of services.

Field Paoli Architects of San Francisco designed the complex. “The Almaden site is unique,” states Project Principal Mark Schatz, AIA. “Where other San José branch libraries and community centers occupy separate structures on a common site, the Almaden Library and Community Center will share the same building.

"By winding the building through the site’s existing trees and carefully integrating the larger scale of the gym and dining hall with the project’s smaller elements, the architectural design creates a sense of a smaller, more intimate facility appropriately scaled to the site,” says Schatz.

"The project’s design and materials reflect a strong commitment to environmental responsibility, from the extensive utilization of natural daylight to energy-efficient heating and ventilation to the selected use of bamboo flooring and wall coverings made from recycled plastic bags."

The exterior has a California Modern flavor. West Bay Builders, Inc., will construct the facility, which is scheduled to open in early 2006. The project is funded by two municipal bond measures that were approved by voters in November 2000.

The 64,000-square-foot facility will hold a 19,000-foot library and a 40,000-foot community center, with an additional 5,000 square feet of shared space. The multi-use facility is being built on the site of the original 10,715-foot library and 5,000-foot center.

Community members can propose names for the new library at a public hearing on Wednesday, June 2, 2004, 7:00pm. at Vineland Branch Library Community Room located at 1450 Blossom Hill Rd.

Community fundraising efforts to support furnishings and equipment for the new branch are now underway. Those seeking more information on contributing to the facility may call the San José Public Library Foundation at (408) 808-2081.

Download Fact Sheet about the new building (90K PDF, Adobe Acrobat required)

Back to top