Council approves rezoning of former Fry's site on Osgood Road to tech-industrial with $150,000 public-benefit pledge

The Fremont City Council voted unanimously on June 9 to approve a general plan amendment, rezoning and discretionary design review that will allow adaptive reuse of the former Fry's Electronics building at 43800 Osgood Road into tech-industrial space.

Council members and staff said the project aligns with Fremont’s economic development goals and will return a long-vacant, roughly 150,000-square-foot building to active use. Joe Dykstra, representing Sterling, told the council the developer acquired the property in 2024 and seeks to attract advanced-manufacturing tenants without a full teardown of the existing structure.

City presentations and the applicant referenced an independent economic analysis by Strategic Economics that estimated the project could generate between 150 and 333 full-time jobs and recurring general-fund revenue of about $124,000–$132,000 annually (roughly $1.3–$1.4 million over 10 years). The staff report also cited a one-time change-of-use impact fee of approximately $66,000 and described public-benefit commitments including a new traffic signal at the north driveway, sidewalk and ADA improvements, and a landscaping plan that adds more than 80 trees along perimeter frontages.

Planning staff said an arborist report documented health and site-configuration reasons for removing roughly 47 city-protected trees; the applicant committed to replacing each removed tree and planting additional trees beyond replacement requirements.

Councilmembers asked about traffic impacts and construction timing. Mark Loper, representing Sterling’s project team, said the signal and site design aim to keep truck queues on-site rather than on Osgood or Auto Mall Parkway and that Sterling expects to submit building permits by fall 2026 with construction beginning shortly thereafter and completion by spring 2027.

Two public speakers representing local business interests — Theresa Huang, CEO of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, and Kelly Abreu — voiced support for the project as a source of jobs and local investment. Councilmember King moved to approve the staff recommendation and to accept Sterling’s $150,000 offer for Auto Mall corridor improvements; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

The council adopted the planning entitlements and related resolutions following a unanimous Planning Commission recommendation. Next steps for the project are permit submittal and coordination on the traffic-signal installation and landscaping details.