Super Micro Computer has unveiled the look of a 333,400-square-foot manufacturing building proposed for a former Fry’s Electronics headquarters site in north San Jose.
The local tech firm has moved ahead with plans to build its third South Bay tech campus at 550 East Brokaw Road, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
A year ago, the maker of high-efficiency computer servers, storage systems and software bought the Mayan-themed building on 19.7 acres for $80 million, after leasing a 124,000-square-foot warehouse at the site.
The first building on the campus will be a manufacturing, office and warehouse building; the current plan is to leave the former 293,900-square-foot Fry’s hub intact. A cost and timeline of the project were not disclosed.
The white building will encase sections of floor-to-ceiling windows. Stainless steel columns sheathed in glass will support two upper stories above a grand entranceway, according to a rendering.
When complete, the Super Micro campus in north San Jose will contain 3 million square feet, according to the Mercury News. A cost and timeline for full buildout was also not disclosed.
Super Micro Computer, based at 980 Rock Avenue, has expanded its local footprint for years.
In 2013, it bought the former newsroom building of the San Jose Mercury News on Ridder Park Drive near Brokaw Road, then replaced it with an office and research campus for “green computing.”
“We are thrilled to grow our footprint in Silicon Valley,” Super Micro Chief Executive Officer Charles Liang told the Mercury News.
Super Micro said the new campus will provide an expansion of its manufacturing capabilities.The company also hopes to ride a wave of artificial intelligence ventures in Silicon Valley and beyond.
Fry’s, a locally based chain of electronics big-box stores known for their thematic architecture and interior decor, opened in 1996 and closed in early 2021, a victim of online commerce. The quirky chain closed 31 stores in nine states.
The site was then sold to an affiliate of Campbell-based Bay West Development.
Bay West had planned to replace Fry’s with a 3.8 million-square-foot development and won approval two years ago to build 1.9 million square feet of offices in four towers. It then pivoted to a plan to build up to 1,233 homes before selling the property to Super Micro Computer.
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