From ashes to action: MACSA youth center destroyed in E. San Jose fire could rise again

AN EAST SAN JOSE YOUTH CENTER that burned to the ground last year has only made the community more determined to raise it from the ashes.

The Alum Rock Union School District board of trustees on Thursday voted 4-1 to enter an exclusive negotiating agreement with SOMOS Mayfair and the School of Arts and Culture, which represent the Si Se Puede Collective, for the potential rebuilding of the former Mexican American Community Services Agency (MACSA) youth center. The agreement allows the groups 540 days to determine whether rebuilding is financially, operationally and legally feasible. This agreement is not a ground lease nor a development approval. The school district retains ownership of the property, but is not responsible for costs.