By Clyde Noel

It wasn’t said outright, but Foothill-De Anza administrators intimate the historic Griffin House on the Foothill College campus is more of a liability than an asset.

At an Aug. 19 workshop meeting of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees, John Schulze, executive director of facilities, discussed fire and liability issues associated with the house.

Since then, officials said the feasibility of maintaining the building has become suspect and the college is considering razing the building.

The Griffin House was built in 1901 for Willard Griffin, a founder of Del Monte Packing Co. It survived the 1906 earthquake and was purchased by Foothill College in 1959, since it was on the property. In 1976 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“If we tried to rebuild the Griffin House it would have to meet the standards of the state architects building code,” Schultze said. “The building would also have to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, since it is not a private house, and that means we would have to put in an elevator.”

Schultze said the building needs serious foundation work and the framing has to be beefed up. Restoring the building would mean starting from scratch, he said.

In 1993, the district attempted to give the house to anyone who could carry it away. On the day of viewing, more than 100 interested parties inspected the Griffin House — but nobody wanted it.

During a 1996 board of trustees meeting, then-district Chancellor Leo Chavez suggested moving the house off-campus, but the suggestion met with resistance.

In 1996, the Committee to Save the Griffin House collected $101,000 toward preserving the house and turning it over to the college district. After the building was included in the National Register of Historic Places, the college put on a new roof and performed seismic bracing.

From an economic point, the building has seen its day. The walls have been stripped of their redwood paneling, and plaster has fallen off the beams. The cedar shingles that distinguish California shingle-style homes are snapping off from dry rot.

In August 2000, the Steinberg Group construction company estimated that bringing the building up to code would cost $2.98 million.

One month ago, Sugimara & Associates said that bringing the building up to code would cost $3.58 million. Design and engineering work and permits would take another $1.1 million. The total project could cost approximately $4.77 million.

“Based on present outlay, it would cost about $600 a square foot to bring the Griffin House up to code,” Schultze said. “On the other hand, we are building new buildings for classrooms for less than $400 per square foot.”

Schultze said he was raised in Alameda, which has several homes of similar design not on the national register.

“It is an ordinary building compared to some of the beautiful restored buildings in Alameda that are not on the national register,” Schultze said.