SAN JOSE — A school with several hundred students could emerge within the walls of a big San Jose office building that has been empty for years after prior plans for an educational hub on the property fell through.
BASIS Independent Schools has floated a preliminary proposal for an adaptive reuse of a vacant three-story office building at 525 Race St. in San Jose’s Sunol-Midtown district, documents on file with city planners show.
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The new BASIS high school could accommodate up to 800 students, according to the project plans.
The educational activities would occur within the existing building, which totals 72,700 square feet, the proposal states.
BASIS Independent Schools also has proposed construction of a new one-story building that would total 16,600 square feet. This new building would become a gym that would rise adjacent to the existing structure.
The property is owned by an affiliate of Avenues: The World School, which at one point had planned a large campus on the Race Street property along with a nearby building at 550 Meridian Ave., which Avenues also owns.
In 2020, Avenues: The World School received approval from the city of San Jose to develop a big school campus at the site.
Avenues, however, never began construction, and the San Jose-approved entitlement expired, although Avenues retains ownership of the buildings it bought. BASIS expects to lease the 525 Race site, according to the school’s proposal.
“Interior tenant improvements will include building classrooms, a theater, science labs, a pottery and kiln room, administrative space, and other miscellaneous improvements related to traditional school uses,” BASIS Independent Schools stated in the project plans, referring to the uses for the existing building.
Two outdoor play areas are also planned for the high school. Including the existing building, new gym, play areas and outdoor sections, the overall size of the education hub would be 89,400 square feet, the proposal stated.
“The proposed private school will consist of high school students, grades 9 through 12, with a maximum of 800 students,” Toby Walker, a vice president with BASIS Independent Schools, wrote in a Jan. 30 cover letter regarding the project. “Enrollment is anticipated to fluctuate over time.”
The new high school would also have a staff of 100, the proposal stated.
BASIS operates an existing campus a few blocks away at 1290 Parkmoor Ave. in San Jose, where the school accommodates grades six through 12.
The high school would operate from August through May with a possible summer school program lasting six to eight weeks.
“Normal hours of operation will be Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with students onsite as early as 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for before- and after-school care,” BASIS stated in its proposal.
School officials intend to pursue approaches to the site’s operation to minimize traffic impacts for the new education hub.
“Staggered start and release times will be enforced in a way that reduces the total number of vehicles arriving at the school at the same time,” BASIS stated in the project plans. Pick up times will also stagger.”
The earliest start time would be around 7:35 a.m., and the latest estimated release time would be 4 p.m.
The proposal would require the city to approve a general plan amendment to allow school uses at the site.
BASIS hopes to gain an early consideration for the project from San Jose City Council this coming August. Then by December 2027, the school hopes for a successful council hearing on the general plan amendment, a rezoning, and a conditional use permit.
If all the approvals are complete by the end of 2027, officials hope to begin construction in March 2028, complete construction in May 2029, and begin the first high school operations in August 2029.
BASIS was founded in 2014 and is a network of private schools with 12 campuses in the United States. The school organization has earned top recognition in the 2026 Niche Best Schools Rankings. BASIS is among the best private and STEM high schools in the United States, according to the education organization.
“We look forward to working collaboratively with the city to further expand our footprint in San Jose and provide families with a premier education opportunity,” BASIS stated in its letter to the city.
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