San Jose dentist wants to turn medical office site into homes

A San Jose dentist has proposed trading in his dental chairs for luxury condominiums.

Dr. Adam Askari has filed plans to build a 75-unit condo building on the site of his Comfort Dental Group practice at 2881 Hemlock Avenue, as well as 376 and 384 South Baywood Avenue, the Silicon Valley Business Journal reported. Three medical office buildings would be razed.

The dentist has linked up with developer Cord Associates, based in the city, to propose redeveloping the 0.61-acre site with a six-story mixed-use building a few blocks from Santana Row and the Westfield Valley Fair mall.

Plans call for a 166,600-square-foot building with 75 one-, two- and three-bedroom condos, plus 18,800 square feet of ground-floor offices, shops and/or restaurants. A special development permit, if granted, would allow for eight commercial condominiums.

The project, designed by locally based Carpira Design Group, would include a two-level underground garage for 100 cars, with condo owners limited to one spot each.

Askari said the project would be “a major asset to the community” because the development would feature “high-end” condos.

When asked at a community meeting to elaborate, Askari pointed to the lack of housing in San Jose, which had forced members of his staff to find homes in Gilroy or Morgan Hill.

He also said he’d been approached by developers to replace the medical offices with affordable homes. “We were approached by many developers to do affordable housing, but turned it down,” Askari said.

Residents raised concerns about parking, with limited options, as well as safety and the impact of the building height on nearby homes.

This isn’t the first time Askari has faced pushback from San Jose residents regarding one of his projects, according to the Business Journal. 

Two years ago, the Hamann Park Neighborhood Association tried to block plans by Askari to build a 119-unit hotel at 1212 South Winchester Boulevard in West San Jose. The City Council denied an appeal, and approved the controversial project.

The dentist has wanted to redevelop his Comfort Dental site for years, having once filed plans for a six-story building topped by 48 condos, with the first and second floor to contain offices.

— Dana Bartholomew

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