SAN JOSE — A downtown San Jose building that was constructed more than a century ago to accommodate a furniture store has been bought by a veteran Bay Area real estate firm.
The Lion Building at 97 South Second St., next to East San Fernando Street, has been bought for $3.7 million, according to documents filed on Sept. 4 with the Santa Clara County Recorder’s Office.
Green Valley Corp., which is led by real estate veteran Case Swenson, bought the building, county records show. The Swenson firm and its affiliates have been active in Bay Area real estate for decades.
The seller was Lion Building LLC, an affiliate whose executives include Martin Menne, who has ties to the members of the Swenson real estate investment, development and construction organization.
The Lion Building was constructed in 1908 to accommodate the L. Lion & Sons Carpet & Furniture Store. The furniture store closed in 1967.
One of the well-known occupants in the building was the former Gordon Biersch Brew Pub on the first floor.
The Gordon Biersch pub left the downtown San Jose location in 2018 and now operates in Japantown, offering special events such as night markets.
The building’s price in the just-completed deal was 53% below the property’s value of $7.8 million in January 2025 as calculated by the Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office.