Midpen Office Building

Fiscally Responsible Long-term Solution 

As a forward-thinking and fiscally prudent public agency, Midpen planned for its long-term office space needs by setting aside general reserve funds. After exploring alternatives, including renovating or rebuilding the current office, the Midpen Board of Directors determined purchasing a larger building and selling the current one to be the most cost-efficient and environmentally sound long-term solution.

At a public meeting in October 2020, the Midpen board of directors approved a contract to sell Midpen's old office building to the County of Santa Clara for $10.4 million. Escrow is expected to close in March 2022. The County plans to partner with the City of Los Altos to create affordable housing on the site. 

Compared to tearing down the current office to construct a more suitable multi-story facility, purchasing the nearby building is more cost-effective when rising construction costs, increased leasing costs and lost productivity during construction are considered. A single office building located centrally in Midpen's service area is also more advantageous than leasing or purchasing satellite offices with rapidly increasing rent and transportation time costs, and impacts to the environment considered.

Purchase

On February 1, 2019 Midpen closed escrow on a 39,000-square-foot, two-story building across the street from Midpen’s current office. The purchase price of $31.5 million will be partially offset by the sale of the existing building, no longer needing to lease additional office space and rental income from space in the new building not needed in the near term. Measure AA bond funds are restricted for land preservation, restoration and public access projects and were not used to purchase the building.

Reconfiguring and Repurposing

The newly purchased building required reconfiguration to meet Midpen’s needs. The building was divided into multiple private office suites, and lacked public meeting space and accessibility. Designs for the reconfiguration went through several iterations, with the Midpen board providing feedback at publicly-noticed meetings on specifics. The cost estimate for the current design is approximately $27 million. The repurposed building is expected to serve Midpen and the public for the long term.