Real estate: Family eyes homes, offices near San Jose Berryessa BART station

SAN JOSE — A local family has proposed the development of a big office building and hundreds of residences, including some affordable homes, at a choice site a short distance from the Berryessa BART station in San Jose.

The property that is slated for development is at 1655 Berryessa Road and is roughly a 10-minute walk, or a five-minute drive, from the Berryessa BART station a half-mile away.

“This location will benefit from the retail, shopping, and dining amenities nearby, the new neighborhood center nearby, and it’s easy walking distance to BART,” said Erik Schoennauer, a San Jose-based land-use consultant who is providing advice on the project.

The Facchino family, whose first local business was a Depression-era trucking operation in downtown San Jose, is seeking to build a mixed-use development on the Berryessa property, which the family has owned for a half-century.

Ralph Borelli, a San Jose-based real estate broker and developer, is working with Schoennauer to represent and advise the Facchino family in its efforts to develop and market the site, which totals 13 acres.

The property is being called the Facchino District of the BART Berryessa Urban Village.

“Development in the Facchino District is envisioned with a mix of commercial and residential uses,” Borelli stated in a brochure that is marketing the office portion of the project.

A preliminary proposal for the Facchino property suggests that 320 residential units and 200,000 square feet of offices could be built on the site.

However, the development rules for the Berryessa urban village could allow as many as 850 residential units and up to 480,000 square feet of office space.

The Facchino family started in the trucking business in 1931 on 6th and Taylor streets near downtown San Jose.  The family bought the Berryessa Road property in 1972, according to Schoennauer.

The family members ran the trucking business for about 50 years but eventually sold it. Around 1985, after the development boom began in Silicon Valley, the Facchino Family pivoted to commercial real estate development and investment.

“They own many commercial properties through Facchino Properties and Terracommercial Management,” Schoennauer said.

Now, the Berryessa Road property looks to be a major potential achievement for the Facchino family.

“We have worked closely with the Planning Department and the community to design a rezoning for the property that is consistent with the city’s proposed Berryessa BART Urban Village plan,” Schoennauer said.