Big venue manager plans to revive downtown San Jose Armory site with array of events, artists

SAN JOSE — A company that specializes in breathing new life into iconic venues has teamed up with a developer to revive a historic armory building in downtown San Jose, executives said Thursday.

Non Plus Ultra has struck a deal with Urban Community, a development firm led by Gary Dillabough and Jeff Arrillaga, and SVCreates, which invests in Silicon Valley arts organizations, to revive the historic San Jose Armory, in a move aimed at bringing an array of lively events to the site.

Among the events envisioned for the 19,000-square-foot armory, located near St. James Park in downtown San Jose are corporate confabs, weddings, and holiday parties. The backers of the new endeavor also said it plans to utilize the talents of local artists, and will hire local residents for the events.

“It’s truly a beautiful, historic building in a prime location and we are looking forward to activating and opening this incredible venue up to the community,” said Jordan Langer, chief executive officer of Non Plus Ultra.

The venture represents the first venue outside of San Francisco that the firm will attempt to revitalize. In San Francisco, Non Plus Ultra has made its mark on such historical sites as the Palace of Fine Arts, the San Francisco Mint, and SVN West.

“We are proud and excited to be working with Non Plus Ultra,” Dillabough said. “We are inspired by their vision and ability to create vibrant environments.”

In April, an affiliate of Urban Community paid $3 million for the San Jose Armory property.

“It’s a beautiful building,” Dillabough said at the time of the purchase. “It’s one of the prettiest buildings in downtown San Jose.”

Completed in 1934, the building was one of the armories owned by the state’s California Army National Guard, according to a post on the Military Museum website. Construction was bankrolled by one of the numerous federal grants issued during the Great Depression.

The San Jose Armory is also deemed to be historically significant because of its association with World War II, its connections with the state-owned armories of the early 20th century and its architectural style, according to the Military Museum.

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