San Jose auditorum hall is bought, could become future housing site

A public hall in San Jose that's near a future BART station site has been bought by a busy developer.

SAN JOSE — A public hall in San Jose that’s near a future BART station site has been bought by a busy developer who envisions the possibility of high-density housing on the property.

Nova Alianca Hall is the building that has been bought by Intelli, an affiliate headed up by San Jose-based business executive Do Van Tron, according to public property documents filed in Santa Clara County.

Intelli paid $2.4 million for the building, which is located at 37 North 27th Street and also fronts on North 26th Street.

The property is a block or two from the location of a future BART station that would be built near North 28th Street and East Santa Clara Street in San Jose.

“In the future, this could be developed,” Tron said. “It could become high-density housing.”

Sociedade Filarmonica Nova Alianca sold the property to Intelli, the county documents show. The organization is a Portuguese marching band that was founded in San Jose in 1974.

“There’s potential to build 80 units” on the site, Tron said.

Finding sites such as this that could be used for future redevelopment makes a lot of sense, especially considering the property’s proximity to the future BART station, in the view of David Taxin, a partner with Meacham/Oppenheimer, a commercial real estate firm.

San Jose planners and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority support and are encouraging the concept of high-density development of homes, offices and retail in the vicinity of the 28th Street/Little Portugal BART station.

The 28th Street train stop is the next BART station slated to be constructed and opened, with stations in downtown San Jose expected to follow, numerous years down the line.

“Tron is planning for the future,” Taxin said of the concept of housing on the site at some point. “He’s a visionary. He sees the potential for this location.”