One East San Jose school campus could soon double as an address for dozens of local educators. Alum Rock Union Elementary School District is moving ahead with plans for a 78-unit workforce housing community on part of its Renaissance Academy at Mathson site at 2050 Kammerer Avenue. Early concept drawings show three low-rise apartment buildings gathered around a landscaped commons and a roughly 0.7-acre park, with one- to three-bedroom units primarily aimed at district employees. Planning documents lay out an aggressive schedule tied to a design-build delivery and state housing rules that promise a faster path through approvals.
District taps CORE Builders to run design-build team
The district approved an alternative design-build agreement with CORE General Contractor Inc., doing business as CORE Builders, on Jan. 29, according to the Alum Rock Union Elementary School District. The contract names Steinberg Hart as architect of record and puts CORE in charge of preparing schematic designs, handling entitlement filings and overseeing construction. The agreement also tasks the design-builder with providing CEQA support and coordinating with the City of San Jose throughout permitting and design review.
What the early site plan shows
District RFQ materials sketch a roughly 3.4-acre project area carved out of the 20-acre Mathson campus. The preliminary concept calls for three two- to three-story “stacked flat” buildings arranged around a central commons and an approximately 0.7-acre park. The proposed unit mix leans heavily on two-bedroom apartments, with an average size of about 915 square feet, roughly two parking spaces per unit and an estimated project cost near $50 million, according to the California School Boards Association.
The RFQ sets clear affordability targets, calling for half of the homes to be affordable to lower-income households and for all units to be priced below market. It also asks the selected design-builder to deliver the project within 36 months of being brought on board.
Who the homes are meant to serve
The district is pitching the project as workforce housing aimed squarely at teachers and school staff. A district news release announcing the RFQ described the development as reserved for local teachers and district employees and noted that the district hired Education Housing Partners to study feasibility and manage predevelopment work. The same release says Measure S bond funds and prior feasibility analysis led Alum Rock to pick the Mathson campus as the preferred site for employee housing, while details such as final eligibility criteria, long-term affordability requirements and occupancy rules will be set later in the entitlement process, according to the Alum Rock Union Elementary School District.
How the district hopes to fast-track approvals
Under the design-build agreement, CORE is instructed to prepare entitlement and CEQA documents using SB 35 and AB 2295, language that signals the district plans to tap state-level streamlining tools for qualifying projects, according to the Alum Rock Union Elementary School District. SB 35 offers a simplified review process for certain affordable infill housing, while AB 2295 allows qualifying housing to be treated as an allowable use on school-owned land if it meets conditions such as long-term affordability and an employee-first priority list. Both laws are outlined by the California Legislature, and the full statutory text of AB 2295 is also available from the California Legislature.
Before any ground can be broken, the district still has to navigate the entitlement and CEQA processes with the City of San Jose and host community meetings. Legal notices and the RFQ went out in late 2024, according to the Post-Record. Under the current plan, the design-builder will lead public outreach and entitlement work while the city processes permit applications. Neighbors can expect formal public hearings as the proposal moves forward, and the ultimate construction schedule will hinge on approvals and financing coming together…