Politics & Government
Future Of East San Jose Youth Center Uncertain After Fire
When the district received bids to renovate the building in 2017, the lowest bid was $6.9 million, more than the district could afford.
September 3, 2025
A devastating fire that recently gutted a vacant youth center in East San Jose hasn’t diminished the community’s desire to restore it for future use.
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The former Mexican American Community Services Agency (MACSA) building burned down Friday, breaking the hearts of Eastside advocates who want to revitalize and reuse the space. The Alum Rock Union School District, which owns the property, held an emergency meeting the next day to authorize assessing what remediation and possible demolition needs to occur. The San Jose Fire Department is still investigating the cause of the fire.
“There is a substantial amount of debris,” Rogelio Ruiz, district legal counsel, said at the meeting. “There are tall standing structures that are burned out that are leaning. There is asbestos contained in building materials … and potentially some lead as well. All of these materials are in a very tight and close community, and of course, in proximity to the classrooms (at Renaissance Academy at Mathson).”
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Corina Herrera-Loera, a trustee with the Alum Rock Union School District, places flowers during a vigil after the fire. She said the community is heartbroken. Photo by Lorraine Gabbert/San Jose Spotlight
The emergency designation — approved unanimously by the board of trustees — allows the district to skip the two-month bid process to select who will handle the work. It also needs approval from Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools David Toston. District officials expect to have structural engineers at the site this week.
“We failed this community in so many ways already,” Trustee Corina Herrera-Loera told San José Spotlight, adding she was speaking for herself and not the board. “We must clean that up as soon as possible so our community can have a clean space and hopefully one day rebuild so our community can enjoy it again.”
Jessica Paz-Cedillos, co-executive director of the School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza and San José Spotlight columnist, is determined to rebuild MACSA. Her group is part of the Si Se Puede Collective, which has been working to partner with the school district on managing a revitalized facility.
“This fire does not erase our vision for MACSA,” she told San José Spotlight. “This is our moment to come together, to work with the district and our cross-sector partners, to restore and rebuild. What rises from these ashes must reflect the resilience, brilliance and leadership of East San Jose.”
Jessica Paz-Cedillos, co-executive director of the School of Arts and Culture, said the fire doesn’t erase plans to revitalize the former youth center. Photo by Lorraine Gabbert/San Jose Spotlight
The MACSA youth center, which has been empty for about a decade, was built with state funds. Alum Rock Union School District leased the land to the nonprofit for 52 years for $1 per year, but when the property was turned over to the school district in 2016, it was in a state of disrepair.
When the district received bids to renovate the building in 2017, the lowest bid was $6.9 million, more than the district could afford. As construction escalated, renovation costs skyrocketed between $25 million and $30 million. The district engaged in partnership discussions with Gardner Health Services, Goodwill of Silicon Valley and San Francisco State University to no avail.
In 2023, the district chose a 23-acre site adjacent to the MACSA youth center to build workforce housing, which would require demolishing the building. That kicked off efforts to save the site.
Investing in the youth center is personal for District 5 Councilmember Peter Ortiz, who represents the area. He said MACSA played a major role in his life as a gang-impacted youth, with ethnic studies classes teaching him positive things about his culture.
“There hasn’t been a lot of historical investment on the Eastside,” Ortiz told San José Spotlight. “This represented a promise to this community. The people feel like that promise is shattered, but I’m not ready to say that yet. Now is not the time to raise our white flags. Now is the time to come together … and advocate for a new solution.”
He said he recently secured $500,000 in city funding to restore MACSA, which he believes is more than just a building.
“It was a promise and a vision for East San Jose that we will get the equitable services that we are deserved,” he said. “That we will get all of the programs, resources and financial support that was denied to our parents, that was denied to our ancestors.”
Victor Vasquez, co-executive director of SOMOS Mayfair, which is part of the Si Se Puede Collective, wants to see the district recommit to a new youth center. He spoke at a vigil at MACSA after the fire, where residents placed flowers along the fence line to mark the loss of the building — still a symbol of resilience and cultural pride for the community.
“(The district has) an opportunity to restore hope in our community,” he said. “That center’s for their students. The kids still need a gym. They still need a field. They still need a library. They still need a place to hang out and feel safe. We’re not going to give up. We’re inviting them to be part of something greater than all of us. That building is sacred.”
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