Published in the Feb. 19 – March 4, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
Photo courtesy AIM
An artists rendering of the future American Institute of Mathematics’s headquarters.
After years of frustrating delays, the American Institute of Mathematics recently received the OK to start building its 170,000-square-foot “math castle” headquarters in Morgan Hill’s southeast foothills. This is great news for our community as this monumental building, which will be an homage to the Muslim-built medieval Alhambra castle in Granada, Spain, may very well bring worldwide recognition to Morgan Hill and help build our economy through tourism opportunities.
Soon, construction might start with workers pouring concrete for the foundation for the building. The project is the long-held dream of electronics chain-store magnate John Fry who in 1994 established AIM, which is now based in Palo Alto. Fry owns the 192-acre Institute Golf Course on Foothill Avenue, the former site of the Flying Lady Restaurant. The math castle will be the centerpiece, serving as the clubhouse for the Frys.com Open golf tournament when it possibly returns to the South Valley region in 2016.
City planners and PG&E staff held back on permits for the construction for several years because of safety concerns due to potential earthquakes and the utility company’s 34-inch natural gas pipeline located about 30 feet east of the construction site. After the tragic San Bruno gas explosion in 2010, there was worry about the safety of the pipeline so near the building.
Bringing AIM’s headquarters to Morgan Hill in an architecturally grand building will bring significant benefits to our community. More than 800 of the world’s best mathematicians come to AIM’s Palo Alto headquarters every year to work on some of the most challenging math problems. Having these top-talent academics travel to Morgan Hill will bring prestige to our community as a destination for cutting edge mathematical discoveries. Who knows what future math theories and new algorithms will be found that can potentially lead to new technologies or help solve some of society’s toughest challenges?
The castle will add to our economy not only during the construction of the building but through the tourism that it will generate when it is open. More than 80,000 people come to the Frys.com Open tournament every year, spending money in our hotels and restaurants. Millions more will learn about Morgan Hill when they watch the tournament on television, learning about our city’s restaurants, wineries, friendly downtown, and outdoor recreational facilities and parks.
We at Morgan Hill Life are encouraged by the activities that AIM has provided our community’s young people over the years. Brian Conrey, AIM’s executive director, is a resident of our city and has worked hard to help young people gain an appreciation for mathematics through the annual Math Mardi Gras and other fun math-related events. Once a month, AIM hosts at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center a family-friendly game night that has grown in popularity over the years. No doubt, with AIM’s good relationship with Morgan Hill as a community, when the math castle is built there will be even greater involvement with the students of our schools.
AIM’s castle will raise the profile of Morgan Hill and create pride in our city.
