New home found for San Jose State aeronautics
Originally published in the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal June 10, 2010
San Jose State University has found a new home for its aeronautics program at Reid-Hillview Airport.
For the past 50 years, the university has been leasing space from Mineta San Jose International Airport to train students for careers in aviation, airline maintenance, administration and technology.
In December, however, the university was notified that it could not longer occupy the building, which it built in 1960, for the below-market rate of $2,500 a year. The cash-strapped airport believes the site could rent for $1 million annually based on recent rent appraisals.
So officials at Reid-Hillview in San Jose went to work to find a site for the students.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors said on Wednesday that the county agreed to lease a 6,000-square-foot facility for $3,125 a month that will be paid to the County’s Airport Enterprise Fund. The new facility on Swift Avenue includes a 5,000-square-foot hangar and an 860-square-foot office space. The hangar will house several aircraft and engines used to teach students. No flights are associated with the Aeronautics Program.
“Leasing the Reid Hillview Airport property to San Jose State University will bring extra revenue to the County and keep impacts to the community at a minimal level,” said Supervisor Dave Cortese, District 3, in a statement. Cortese, who helped bring the two organizations together, said he was glad to help further the university’s academic mission.
“San Jose State is very excited about the opportunity to move our aviation program to Reid-Hillview Airport,” said Larry Carr, San Jose State University associate vice president for public affairs, in a press release. “The facility will keep the department intact and provide for future growth.”