The promoter of San Jose acclaimed and owner of the construction company Swenson Builders, Barron “Barry” Swenson, died Saturday at the age of 85 after a whole construction life of many most emblematic buildings in South Bay.
The legacy of Swenson is linked to the horizon of San Jose, where he built and renovated some of his most emblematic buildings, including the town hall of San Jose, the Civic Center, the head office of San Jose Mercury News and the Hôtel de Anza, which solidified the reputation of the company for high standards and the innovation of construction.
“I am one of those guys who can make a year’s soap. I don’t waste anything,” said Swenson in his life, according to the company’s website.
The Swenson family could not be reached immediately to comment on Sunday.
Building on the bases laid down by the construction company of his father in the first half of the 20th century, Swenson forged his own business, Barry Swenson Builders, in 1977, where she grew up with the buildings that adorn the roofs of San Jose. These efforts were part of a larger swenson plan to shape San Jose as an attractive destination for businesses and the community, according to the Swenson Builders website.
Jesse L. Nickell III, former main vice-president of Barry Swenson Builders, said that Swenson was a judicious businessman, a faithful leader and a “man of the earth”. Nickell and Swenson worked together by rebuilding dozens of Santa Cruz houses after the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, because they both thought that Santa Cruz would return better than before.
“I worked with Barry for 34 years, and I would say that as a leader, his optimism was contagious. He gave, generous and was loyal to all those around him,” Nickell told Bay Area News Group on Sunday. “I’m sad to see Barry leave us and go to the other side.”
The Swenson portfolio extends over residential condos and senior apartments, commercial buildings for large companies and urban shopping centers for mixed use. In the 2000s, Swenson developed a new design approach for structural concrete buildings in the Bay region with the introduction of Magaker. He received the patent from this approach in 2016.
“He liked to hunt and pull vegetables from the garden and eat fresh and flawless things. He loved the right Irish whiskey and was the salt of the earth,” said Nickell. “It’s a brother who will miss.”
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