Our View: The plan is stunning, the vision is big. John Fry and
his math institute present a rare opportunity to enhance our
region
Business mogul John Fry thinks big, and his latest proposal to build a 166,000-square-foot castle in Morgan Hill modeled after the Alhambra in Granda, Spain, is certainly no exception. The castle, slated for the foothills in eastern Morgan Hill, would house his pet project, the American Institute of Mathematics.
And it would be stunning.
The original Alhambra, signifying in Arabic “the red,” was built by the Moorish Monarchs beginning around 1248 and completed about 100 years later. It is widely considered one of the most beautiful castles in the world. Given Fry’s attention to detail, it is magnificent to ponder the possibility for South County and the benefits for the region.
At 166,000 square feet, the facility will encompass the square footage of roughly 83 typical suburban homes. It will be three-fourths the size of the Gilroy Wal-Mart Super Center.
But those sterile comparisons hardly do what Fry is imagining justice.
What we’re really talking about is comparable to Hearst Castle. That estate, perched on the Central California coast near Cambria and built by the late newspaper mogul, is 90,080 square feet. The gardens surrounding it are magnificent, the attention to architectural detail is astounding, and the vision constructed by its owner is an American legacy and a worldwide tourist attraction.
What John Fry proposes is, perhaps, nothing short of that.
Hopefully, the discussions about his proposal being circulated in Morgan Hill City Hall keep that perspective in mind.
It is important that AIM and Fry follow the law in relation to permits and environmental issues, ranging from sewer capacity to parking to noise. It’s also important that local government officials have an understanding of the opportunity being presented.
For John Fry and his mathematic think tank to call Morgan Hill home on such a grand scale could have huge benefits for the community. Math education partnerships, fund-raising events, tourism and, of course, employment opportunities come immediately to mind.
City officials should explore these potential benefits while the project is being pondered and considered.
It’s a rare thing for a community to have a big thinker like John Fry who also has the financial means to make those dreams a reality. There’s absolutely no reason his dreams can’t become a wonderful addition to our region.
