Milpitas Food Pantry Gets New Home from City

The will get a new home down the street from its current location, thanks to a two-year lease offered by the city. 

"We're excited about the upcoming plans," said Karen Kolander, director of the Milpitas Food Pantry. "I'd like to say how happy I am that this location became available for us. We looked at other sites that could have worked, but this was a top choice."

Clients will still be able to reach the new location by bus route 66. And the building is bigger. The food pantry peaked this fiscal year in number of individuals served, about 4,000, according to Kolander.

The term of the lease is from June 1, 2011, to June 30, 2013. The City Council gave the green light at its regular meeting last night.

The nonprofit has struggled with finding a new location in Milpitas ever since neighbors opposed its move to the Sal Cracolice building after it was no longer needed as a senior center. Then, of the food pantry's current building did not renew the lease, which would have ended on July 1.

Time was running out for the food pantry, which provides groceries and clothing for low-income families and individuals. But in mid-February, the city's redevelopment agency approved the purchase of an one-acre property at 1440-1446 S. Main St. 

The city will now rent the buildings to the existing businesses, including , ,  and M & B Plumbing.

Bob Austin and his wife put the property up for sale after their business, M & B Plumbing, began to take a turn for the worse. The company had worked in high-end residential construction with as many as 160 employees at its peak.

"We're struggling to keep up with the economy," said Austin.

He said the city was one of several bidders and submitted the highest bid. The one-acre land and property sold for $1.8 million. It was appraised at $1,803,188 in 2010, according to records from the county tax accessor's office. The city's appraisal is about $1.75 million.

"The city was very gracious and easy to deal with," said Austin.

The building that the food pantry will occupy was the offices of M & B Plumbing. The rent will be set at $1,600 a month with a $1,000 security deposit. 

"I think it's a great program," Austin said. "I know they've struggled with finding a place.

The city's new redevelopment property will likely see a transformation.

Prior to Austin, it was owned by Robert Hulligan, who, county records show, purchased the deed to the land with his wife in 1969. It was also for some time zoned for agricultural use, and Hulligan kept some horses and donkeys on the property, said Austin.

"Bob was quite a character," said Austin. At the time, the property had no driveways, no gutter, no sidewalks, he said. The city had agreed to build one driveway, but Hulligan insisted on two, and he blocked the trucks from going in with his own vehicles until he got his way, Austin said. Today there are two driveways.

The Hulligans and Austins worked together in construction. One of Hulligan's sons had worked for Austin's father. Robert Hulligan's three children sold the property to the Austin family in the late '90s.