Some seven years after venture capitalist Tim Draper founded a school of entrepreneurship in downtown San Mateo, plans to convert a portion of Draper University’s dorm rooms to office use were proposed earlier this month, according to a project pre-application submitted with the city May 8.
The project proposes 4,646 square feet of open office space to replace 14 dorm rooms on the seventh and eighth floors of the former Benjamin Franklin Hotel building, which would reduce the number of dorm rooms provided at Draper University by 28. Also included in the plans are a conference room and office space to replace a vacant residential space in the building’s ninth-floor penthouse, changes that would be accompanied by a 730-square-foot roof deck, according to the plans.
The building currently provides 66 dorm rooms on its second through sixth floors and is anchored on its ground floor by Three Craft Kitchen & Bar at 50 E. Third Ave. and lounges, according to the plans.
No additional parking is proposed for the changes, and any additional parking requirements will be addressed through parking in-lieu fees, according to the plans, which also indicate construction of new exit stairs serving all levels and an elevator are proposed for the southeast corner of the building tower.
Changes to the windows and doors of the historic building where the coworking space Hero City at Draper University stands at 55 E. Third Ave. are also being proposed, including a retractable window facing Third Avenue and new glass entry doors so patrons of the building’s gift shop and pop-up space can enter them from the street, according to the plans. Though 21 parking spaces are currently provided at the coworking space’s parking lot, 19 spaces with additional accessible space around the t ADA space is included in the proposed plans.
The entrepreneurship programs offered at Draper University have welcomed hundreds of students from dozens of countries to downtown San Mateo for four- and five-week sessions throughout the year. The school has expanded to include a “Semester in Silicon Valley” program offered in partnership with Arizona State University and Draper has noted last year the startups spawned by the university have forged a synergy between his venture fund Draper Associates and the accelerator Boost VC his son Adam Draper manages.
No changes have been proposed for the building Draper also owns at 37 E. Fourth Ave., previously dubbed Hero Hangout and serving as a lounge where Draper University students could relax or play video games. The space was transformed into Hero Hangout Virtual Reality Arcade earlier this year and now provides visitors with a pay-to-play experience of virtual reality technology.
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(1) comment
The Draper PR says that it's "really" great and popular....so I wonder why you would get ride of 28 of out 66 dorm rooms?
Also hope the City has upped the comparatively low, compared to surrounding city's, in-lieu parking fees...but probably not.
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