The Making of a Miracle: The Malek Family

So how exactly did CHAC get a larger building below market-rate in Mountain View?

Los Altos-based MPM Corporation, with whom the Community Health Awareness Council swapped building, is owned and managed by the Malek Family sisters Mina and Mitra, mother Shohreh and until most recently to their late-father Moosa.

The MPM Corporation purchased 605 Castro St. in 2006 for development and hoped to build a new office tower, eight condominium units and an underground parking lot. However, they also wanted the footprint of 711 Church St., the now former home of CHAC.

According to Mina Malek, as they worked and negotiated with CHAC they learned of CHAC's need for more space because of the increase in clients and staff.

"We considered offering CHAC a section of the new building we were planning to build, but after analyzing CHAC's needs via interviews and a feasibility study, we learned that CHAC and it's clients would be best served having their own stand-alone building," Mina told Mountain View Patch via email. "We worked with CHAC and our brokers, Chase Lyman and Steve Henry for a long time to find CHAC the perfect home; one that is along public transit, provides a homey comfortable feel for it's clients, is centrally located and that can accommodate CHAC's future growth. 

"590 W. El Camino was the perfect fit and although the price tag was much higher than what was originally planned, our family decided it was a contribution to a cause we were happy to make."

The 590 W. El Camino Real property had appraised for $3.16 million compared to CHAC's at a little more than $1.1 million.

"We are extremely delighted that CHAC has moved into their new home and that they are going to be serving so many people in the community," Shohreh said during the ribbon-cutting celebration. "I wish my husband was to see this. He would have been so happy."