SAN JOSE — An affiliate of Blackstart Digital is looking to put the former IBM campus in San Jose “back to work” after striking a deal to purchase the multi-building property, the company told this news organization.
The affiliate is expected to complete the purchase of the campus at 650 Harry Road before the end of the year, according to Blackstart Digital, whose managing partner is tech entrepreneur Chadwick Manning. The company’s work includes transforming existing older sites into modern tech hubs.
“For decades, researchers on this hilltop did work that helped make Silicon Valley what it is today,” Blackstart Digital said. “Our first goal is simply to put this campus back to work in a way that honors its legacy.”
The San Jose City Council in August voted 9-2 to rezone two sections of the campus, despite opposition from residents who demanded municipal leaders scrutinize plans for the property more rigorously.
With the vote, the property was rezoned as an “industrial park zoning district” and the surrounding empty land was designated an “open space zoning district.”
“The campus has seven buildings containing more than 500,000 square feet within its 35-acre industrial-park area, buffered by 500-plus acres of open space we do not intend to develop,” Blackstart Digital stated. “We have no intention or plan to develop the surrounding open space. Our team has local roots, and we know how much the trails and hillsides matter to this community.”
Blackstart Digital envisions several citywide benefits, including construction jobs for renovation work and long-term skilled positions in research and incubator centers. A functioning research center also could generate business for local shops, restaurants, hotels and service providers, as well as produce additional tax revenue for the city.
Blackstart Digital said the tech hub could accommodate an array of future uses, including advanced research and development, startup incubators and academic partnerships, and quantum computing.
“It is uniquely and beautifully designed, and we plan to keep the existing buildings in their current form,” Blackstart Digital stated.
The campus currently contains multiple generations of existing data center facilities. A 25-megawatt power station installed by IBM already exists on the site.
“We intend to expand capacity, subject to power availability,” Blackstart Digital stated.
The company said the campus can be sustainable and green, with closed-loop cooling and advanced battery safety systems. Blackstart Digital aims to use “smart-grid software” that can shave energy use at peak demand times.
Any specific proposals would undergo a full review, as appropriate, under the state’s Environmental Quality Act rules, or CEQA, the company said.
“As ideas take shape, we will work through a full public process with the city of San Jose, neighbors, community leaders, conservation groups and open-space organizations,” Blackstart Digital stated.
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