Construction on 500 Santa Row, a new 232,000 sq-ft LEED-Gold office building developed by Federal Realty Investment Trust, began on December 17. The six-story project represents the first large Class A office building within the city's iconic Santana Row mixed-use community.

Designed by WRNS Studio of San Francisco, the structure will boast 39,000-sq-ft floor plates, with ceiling heights reaching over 13ft to take advantage of natural light. Milpitas, CA-based Devcon Construction is serving as the general contractor.

"The project's expansive floor plates, high ceilings, dedicated parking and the most amenity-rich location in Silicon Valley make it ideal for growing technology and professional service firms,” said Jan Sweetnam, Federal Realty’s Western Region CEO in a recent press release.

By developing in the area, Federal Realty will take advantage of growing Silicon Valley tech market, which is seeing the continued expansion of companies like Google, Apple, Amazon and others looking for more state-of-the-art office space and corporate headquarter locations.

The project, which is scheduled to complete in late 2016, is estimated to cost somewhere around $120 million.

Located on a corner site the structure pulls back from the north property line creating an urban plaza with space for a small retail pavilion. WRNS designed the building to take advantage of this plaza with indoor and outdoor spaces spilling out to it, providing tenants with a vibrant and informal gathering area.

To meet LEED Gold standard, the project will boast sustainable features such as the restoration of previously developed areas with native vegetation, and a Variable refrigerant volume (VRV) mechanical system that is anticipated to achieve a 30% improvement over title 24, while providing a healthy indoor environment.

With 500 Santana Row’s location directly off Interstate 280, with easy access to Silicon Valley residential neighborhoods and office parks in Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Cupertino and Santa Clara, officials believe the project will offer a significant advantage compared to the increasingly congested Highway 101 corridor.

There will be a shuttle directly from the Diridon Station providing quick access to Caltrain, and to help make bicycle commuting easy and convenient, the project will offer six completely private bathrooms with showers. The building will also include a private, secure underground parking structure with more than 700 spaces for tenants in 500 Santana Row.

In addition to 20 restaurants, the new development features a 30,000 sq-ft premium fitness club, extensive conference facilities at the Hotel Valencia, and more than 800 homes.