Documents filed by the Oakland architecture firm Gensler said Julia Morgan plans to pursue code upgrades and \u201cminor construction\u201d on the building to make it look more like a school.<\/p>\n
Located on the Mills College at Northeastern University campus on MacArthur Boulevard, the middle school has occupied a building designed by its namesake, Julia Morgan, for more than 20 years. The serene surroundings and historic architecture are a pull for many families who send their children to the school.<\/p>\n
In July 2025, the head of the school released a report<\/a> explaining that Julia Morgan had more than four years left on its lease but faced a \u201clooming question\u201d over whether Northeastern would keep renting to them. Northeastern acquired Mills College in 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last year, Northeastern informed parents that it would be closing the Mills College Children\u2019s School<\/a>, a 99-year-old elementary school also situated on the campus that had long served as a training lab for Mills students pursuing education degrees. In December, the Aurora School in Rockridge offered a lifeline<\/a>, announcing it would welcome students and staff from the Children\u2019s School.<\/p>\n \u201cThe most critical financial question relates to real estate and the search for a permanent home,\u201d the Julia Morgan report said.<\/p>\n \u201cNortheastern\u2019s Oakland campus has been home to the Julia Morgan School for Girls since 2003,\u201d said Renata Nyul, vice president for communications for Northeastern University. \u201cThe university values its partnership with the school and will continue to host them through the current lease term of 2029. As Northeastern\u2019s enrollment, curriculum and programs expand in Oakland, the university will continue to reimagine its campus facilities to best serve our growing student population.\u201d<\/p>\n We\u2019ve reached out to the Julia Morgan School for comment and will update this story if we hear back.<\/p>\n Julia Morgan, which currently serves about 75 students, started 30 years ago with a goal of fostering intellect, creativity, and a sense of social justice among girls in the East Bay.<\/p>\n The Beaux-Arts building on Bellevue first opened in 1929 as a women\u2019s athletic club.<\/p>\n In 2021, tech entrepreneurs Michael and Xochi Birch, the couple behind the luxury San Francisco social club the Battery, purchased the now-vacant Bellevue building for close to $10 million and announced plans to open a branch in Oakland.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2024, a spokesperson representing the owners told The Oaklandside that \u201cwhile there are indeed future expansion plans, at this time, the team is currently exploring how best to bring the Bellevue space back to life while also maintaining its beauty and stature.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Bellevue_Club\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Bellevue_Club.jpg\")
The 100-year-old Bellevue Club building was expected to become an elite social club. Credit: Amir Aziz\/The Oaklandside<\/p>\n