SAN JOSE — Super Micro Computer is pushing ahead with a dramatic expansion of its San Jose footprint by constructing a third South Bay tech campus on a former Fry’s Electronics store site.
The tech company says the campus would sprout at 550 East Brokaw Road in north San, the location of a Fry’s Electronics store that used the theme of a Mayan temple for its exterior.
In October 2024, Super Micro Computer filed plans to redevelop the property, a proposal whose first phase was a building totaling 333,400 square feet.
This building would be just the start of a new Super Micro Computer campus expected to total about 3 million square feet when fully completed.
Super Micro occupies a campus at 980 Rock Avenue, where its headquarters are located. The tech company has also launched what it calls a green computing campus on Ridder Park Drive.
The third campus could sprout on the East Brokaw Road site near Interstate 880.
“We are thrilled to grow our footprint in Silicon Valley,” said Super Micro Chief Executive Officer Charles Liang.
Super Micro noted the new campus is an expansion of the company’s U.S. manufacturing capabilities.
President Donald Trump’s administration has prioritized the creation of more manufacturing sites in the United States through an array of tactics, including tariffs and fewer regulations.
The company also hopes the new campus would help Super Micro ride the wave of artificial intelligence ventures worldwide and in Silicon Valley.
Super Micro’s products include computer servers that operate efficiently and require less energy than the typical server. Lower energy consumption is a crucial component to creating artificial intelligence hubs.
“As AI factories become more prevalent, liquid-cooled data centers are critical to meet these increasing customer demands,” Liang said. “We anticipate that up to 30% of new data centers will adopt liquid cooling solutions.”
In February 2024, Super Micro Computer bought the 19.7-acre former Fry’s Electronics site, paying $80 million for the property.
The site that Super Micro Computer bought has a long history of usage by high-profile — even iconic — businesses, Fry’s among them.
Here’s a summary of which companies have occupied the 550 East Brokaw site, according to a report that architecture firm TreanorHL prepared for the state Parks and Recreation Department in 2021:
— Levi Strauss & Co. distribution center, 1969 to 1979
— Tandem Computers leased the former distribution center from 1981 to 1983
— Televideo Systems, a computer hardware firm, occupied the building from 1985 to 1995
— Fry’s Electronics opened a retail store in 1996 and closed the store in 2021 when the iconic retailer abruptly ceased all operations
In at least the first phase of the 500 East Brokaw site’s redevelopment, the well-known Mayan-themed structure that was once the Fry’s store might remain even after the initial three-story building is constructed, according to the development plans.
Super Micro predicted its new campus will generate hundreds of jobs. Engineering, production and corporate roles are slated to be among the future positions.
Super Micro is developing liquid-cooled solutions for AI factories and the high-performance computing market.
These technologies are being crafted to help data centers operate more efficiently by consuming less electricity.
“With this planned expansion, Super Micro is helping San Jose redefine what ‘Made in America’ looks like and creating high-paying new jobs to fuel our economy,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said.