Micron opens modern new north San Jose campus amid growth spurt

SAN JOSE — Micron Technology on Thursday formally opened a gleaming new north San Jose campus that boasts an array of amenities aimed at helping the semiconductor company recruit and retain employees.

“This puts Micron on the map in Silicon Valley,” said Aurea Milan-Alejandro, a Micron employee, in an interview.

Perched on State Route 237, with the Micron logo clearly visible to drivers on the busy highway, Micron’s new campus represents a major feather in the cap for San Jose, which has been on a hot streak lately in terms of attracting major tech operations.

“We are thrilled to have you here,” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said during a festive event Thursday to mark the opening of the new campus. “Micron has such a renowned and deep commitment to innovation.”

Boise, Idaho-based Micron has created a job hub in north San Jose where about 1,000 people are working at the huge new three-building campus, which is located on Holger Way near the interchange of Highway 237 and North First Street. The campus effectively is the company’s Silicon Valley regional office. Micron’s offices in San Jose are at 110, 120, and 130 Holger Way.

“Having Micron here is important for north San Jose and all of San Jose,” City Councilman Lan Diep, who represents the north side said in an interview. “Highway 237 is the front door for San Jose. When Brocade left here, no one was at that door. Now, Micron is at the gateway to San Jose.”

The new campus, which totals 541,000 square feet, offers the company’s employees amenities such as on-site fitness facilities, a juice bar, a basketball court, and numerous gathering areas. It’s also close to a future Milpitas BART station, as well as shops and restaurants.

“This campus is very important for us to recruit and retain employees,” Sanjay Mehrotra, Micron’s chief executive officer, said in an interview. “People expect world-class facilities when they join a tech company. This will allow us to attract and keep top talent.”

The company anticipates that the campus offers a surfficient elbow room to enable it to expand its San Jose operations. Micron has posted about current 40 job openings for San Jose, primarily for engineers, according to Mehrotra.

ZScaler, an up-and-coming tech company, has subleased from Micron five of seven floors at 120 Holger Way and occupies about 170,000 square feet of space.

Plus, the campus is within walking distance of bustling retail and restaurant sites that include a busy Target store and a Marriott Courtyard hotel.

The new Micron hub in San Jose also could help ward off some of the brutal traffic woes that hound Bay Area commuters.

“Micron’s move will shorten the commutes for hundreds of their South Bay employees, and ensure we take full advantage of the investments we’ve made in BART and light rail nearby,” Liccardo said.

Share this: Print

View more on The Mercury News