TOENISKOETTER & BREEDING COMPLETES "CUTTING EDGE" OFFICES FOR HISTORICAL KNIGHT RIDDER DIGITAL BUILDING
January 28th, 2002

SAN JOSE - Toeniskoetter & Breeding, Inc. Construction has completed cutting edge contemporary offices for Knight Ridder Internet operations inside two downtown San Jose hotels that were restored on the outside to their 19th century roots.

Knight Ridder Digital, which creates and maintains web pages for each of the 34 daily and 18 suburban newspapers published by the San Jose-based media company, has moved into 17,000 square feet of space in the former
Metropole Hotel at 35 South Market Street and the Alcatera Hotel behind it. Knight Ridder webmasters and servers now occupy historical hostelries that in their prime lodged leading visitors overnight and in their later years were said to be hosting couples for significantly shorter periods.

"Toeniskoetter & Breeding constructed the offices simultaneously with Turner Construction restoring the exteriors," TBI Vice President Dave Musgrave said. "The result is an interesting blend of contemporary angles and color juxtaposed with the original brick and iron."

"Existing architecture, such as brick, grooved wood girders, old-growth Douglas fir studs and wood/steel columns were exposed whenever possible," added Kelly Kosarek, the project architect from RMW Architects and Interiors in San Jose. "An original fireplace, steel sliding pocket door and mosaic tiles were salvaged and integrated into the new design."

The lobby, main conference rooms, circular stair and break areas are identified by cool colors that separate them from the texture and warmth of the wood and steel. In addition to lodging, the buildings have accommodated a number of other uses over the years, including the Garden City Card Club, Sam's Hofbrau, a Chinese restaurant, and a pawnshop. Knight Ridder Digital's servers and other computer equipment occupy the basement, where spirited poker games once reigned, with company offices on the two floors above.

In 2000, TBI Construction completed the new headquarters in Downtown San Jose for Knight Ridder. The project encompassed 40,000 square feet on the 12th and 15th floor of the renamed Knight-Ridder Tower at 50 West
San Fernando St.

Founded in 1983, San Jose-based Toeniskoetter & Breeding, Inc. Construction has completed more than $600 million in projects throughout the Bay Area. In addition to high-quality professional offices and corporate headquarters, the company specializes in Multiple Prime Construction Management for public agencies, historical restoration and renovation, religious institutions, and new buildings for TBI's own portfolio and for others.