Spanish Castle Plans

Owners of American Institute of Math apply to create a castle
modeled after the Alhambra in Spain
Morgan Hill – Professional golf isn’t coming to town for years, but a grand castle is about to rise in the eastern foothills.

The owners of the American Institute of Mathematics, who hope to host Professional Golf Association tournaments in Morgan Hill one day, have applied to build a 166,000-square-foot castle modeled after the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. 

The massive building is about three times as big as the one AIM originally proposed to build. It would anchor the controversial private golf course built by electronics magnate John Fry and be home to the institute’s research and conference center. Construction could begin by the end of the year. 

Fry and his AIM partner, Steve Sorenson were not available for comment, but their application to build the castle says the style was chosen “because of its intricate decorative mathematical elements.”

“Regardless of form, material and scale, this concept of art rests on basic foundation of calligraphy, geometry and, in architecture, the repetition and multiplication of elements based on the arch,” the applications says. “It is AIM’s desire to build a structure with these significant mathematical features to last for centuries to come.”

The plans for the four-level castle include a 76-car underground garage, large wine storage facilities, a library, a 145-seat auditorium, 20 guest suites, dining facilities, lecture halls and conference rooms, locker rooms and exercise facilities and a gift shop.

AIM was founded by Fry and Sorenson in 1994 and is currently based in Palo Alto. The organization is devoted to expanding the frontiers of mathematical knowledge through focused research projects, conferences, and the development of an on-line mathematics library. Sorenson has said the research center “will be the centerpiece of mathematics in the United States.” 

City planner Jim Rowe said that the castle’s size will trigger another round of environmental review. The golf course is reachable by just one road and sits in a relatively undeveloped area. The project raises concerns about traffic, parking and sewer line capacity, as well its effect on valley views of residents who live above the course.

“The building will be seen, it’s a big building,” Rowe said. “When you’re driving down Foothill Avenue, you’ll see it. But in terms of it being so tall that it will impact scenic views of people looking from above the building, they’re looking over the building to the valley floor.”

Rowe said the review should commence later this month and should be completed within six months. The review will not consider the ramifications of a PGA tournament. Rowe said AIM owners have assured the city that a tournament is years away. In the meantime, AIM will sponsor a PGA event in Las Vegas, with the mathematics research center being the main charitable beneficiary. The Associated Press had reported that AIM would host a tournament in Morgan Hill as early as 2007.

In addition to meeting the city’s environmental concerns, AIM could not host a tournament until its Williamson Act contract expires, in 2015. The Williamson Act provides a property tax break in exchange for maintaining land in agricultural use and proscribes golf tournaments. AIM could break the contract by paying a fine of at least several hundred thousand dollars.

“PGA golf is their dream, but there’s not anything foreseeable,” Rowe said. “Based on that fact, we won’t look at it at this point.”

The golf course has been surrounded by controversy since 1998, when it was learned that AIM was redesigning the course without proper permits and may have caused environmental damage. 

In 2004, the city issued the necessary permits and AIM is still working to come into environmental compliance. A report on the institute’s measures to protect surface and groundwater at the course is due next month.

People who live near the course say they’re concerned about an influx of tourists and visitors to the area, particularly if the PGA comes to town, but are mostly supportive of what they see as positive developments for the city. Residents who were outraged when they learned that work on the course damaged well water said they would be supportive if Fry follows the rules this time around.

“I don’t have anything against doing this stuff as long as it’s done right,” said Pete Keesling, who lives about a mile from the course, in San Martin. “If they bring this math center here, it would be very cool. It would be terrific for the area.”

Foothill resident Chick Bambino agreed.

“It’s fine by me,” he said. “I’m sure there’ll be some traffic, but it won’t be that bad. We have the Mushroom Mardi Gras and all these other Mardi Gras’, why not have the PGA?”

Spanish Spirit

The spirit of the Alhambra inspires the proposed AIM Research Conference Center. The center will be composed of six main areas:

– Salon de los Embajadores, or Hall of Ambassadors

– Sala de los Abencerrajes, or Hall of Abencerrajes

– Sala de las dos Hermanas, or Hall of Two Sisters

– Sala de los Reyes, or Hall of Kings

– Patio de los Leones, or Court of Lions

– Draxa Courtyard