Milpitas residents have by now grown accustomed to passing by the onetime location of the Orchard Supply Hardware store (125 North Milpitas Boulevard) and seeing it empty and unused. But soon it will be occupied again, with a whole new purpose…
Per a Milpitas Planning Commision vote last month, on August 11, the 44,088-square-foot site will become a private school for students in preschool and early elementary grades. The school, which will be able to accommodate a maximum of 480 such students, will be operated by Stratford Schools, a company with existing locations on Great Mall Parkway and Corning Avenue, and is expected to open its doors in the Fall of 2022.
Stratford School co-founder Sherry Adams said in a statement, “Serving more than 500 families directly from the Milpitas community, and hundreds more from nearby, I couldn’t be prouder to see this dream flourish. We look forward to welcoming even more students to Stratford’s Beresford Square campus.”
Inside the school will be 20 classrooms, along with conference rooms and a library. Outside will be playground facilities. The building will be fitted with new doors and windows, along with other features to modernize it while preserving its consistency with the surrounding structures. Construction will begin in the next few weeks.
Said Milpitas Planning Director Ned Thomas in the statement, “The new Stratford School facility will activate a vacant commercial building in our Town Center and help address the growing demand for additional pre-school and early elementary services in our City. We are also excited to welcome families and visitors who will be supporting Milpitas local businesses, which will help in our community’s path to recovering from the pandemic.”
