Update: On Monday, November 16, Redwood City’s City Council unanimously approved the South Main Mixed-Use development. Greenbelt Alliance was excited to endorse this project and is thrilled that more climate SMART—Sustainable, Mixed, Affordable, Resilient, Transit-Oriented—homes will be coming to the region.
“We applaud the City Council for making this choice for our region to encourage a walkable and vibrant community for residents of all incomes, provide public open space and retail uses, support the local economy, and offer a host of environmental and quality of life benefits.”
Director of Climate Resilience, Zoe Siegel
This mixed-use development over 8.45 acres by Greystar Development will add 540 residential units, 530,00ft2 of office space, and 28,000ft2 of retail space to the El Camino Real corridor in Redwood City. It’s composed of six contiguous parcels, and one off-site parcel less than 0.2 miles north. The residential portion of this development will have 27% of units provided at below-market-rate (with the off-site parcel comprising 100% affordable units), and will remain affordable for 55 years—providing much-needed affordable homes in a location where prices have skyrocketed.
We are pleased to see that the project has an average residential density of 63.9 units per acre, which will help maximize the potential of these sites well-located near jobs and transit. The project sites are located just ½ mile from the hubs of Redwood City Caltrain Station and SamTrans Transit Center, easily accessible via a short walk or bike ride. Over 700 secure bike parking spaces will be provided, as well as showers and changing room facilities in office buildings, to encourage residents, employees, visitors and guests to use a range of transit options. The developers are also looking into strategies and opportunities to incentivize additional transportation modes (such as public transit, walking, cycling, shuttles, scooters), with the goal of reducing the number of miles driven by vehicles.
The primary site is currently used for auto sales and repair, surface parking lots, warehouse space, and a former indoor roller rink that was closed prior to this project’s inception. The underutilized space will be transformed into a vibrant mix of new housing, office, and retail, including a public open space and a child care facility, supporting the vision of Redwood City’s El Camino Corridor Plan, which was adopted in 2017. The project also proposes a full landscaped, publicly accessible “creekwalk”, adjacent to the Redwood Creek that runs between El Camino and Lathrop street. The residential buildings have been designed to be set back from the creek to allow for the pedestrian pathway.
Due to the commitment to affordability, well-placed location and walkable design, and smart planning to implement infill housing, Greenbelt Alliance is proud to give this project our endorsement.
Greenbelt Alliance’s “Grow Smart Bay Area” goals call for fully protecting the Bay Area’s greenbelt, directing growth into our existing communities, and accomplishing both in a way that equitably benefits all Bay Area residents. Our Endorsement Program helps further our “Grow Smart Bay Area” goals by providing independent validation of smart infill housing (the development of vacant land within urban areas) and mixed-use projects (allowing for various uses like office, commercial and residential).
Learn more about sprawl threats around the Bay Area by downloading our At Risk report today. You can also find out more about our Endorsement Program here. Of course, we’re always here to help so feel free to contact our team for more information and support.
