Burlingame breaks ground on town square

“We’ve wanted some sort of centerpiece square gathering area for the community for at least 14-15 years,” she said.”It took a long time to get to this point, to break ground.” 

Mayor Peter Stevenson also expressed excitement for what such a town square means to the community 

“I’m very excited about the project, not only that it started, but for what it’s going to be for the city — kind of a destination, a place for people to gather for community events, community gathering,” he said. 

Currently, the town square site — Burlingame Parking Lot E, bookended by Park Avenue on the western side and Lorton Avenue on the eastern side — is being cleared for construction, Goldman said. 

The Burlingame City Council approved a $6.4 million construction contract with Azul Works for the project in October 2024, despite concerns voiced about the company’s ties to a corruption scandal in San Francisco’s Public Works Department.

The design for the project includes a grove of trees on Lorton Avenue, a series of terraces along the former post office, outdoor seating, a water wall, a small stage and a public restroom.

“The water feature, all of the tables and sitting spaces, the trees that will like part of the square … then there’s spaces for games and other things to be able to enjoy,” Stevenson said. “All of that to me is important because it’s really more about having a space, a place for community events.” 

Burlingame is optimistic that residents and visitors alike will flock to the square when it’s completed as a community space, bolstered by the inclusion of a restaurant in the ground floor of the post office building.

The historic preservation of the post office building and the town square project have been a collaborative funding effort, Stevenson said. 

“It’s a very nice collaborative effort both in terms of public and private opportunity for this space,” he said.  

Hopefully, construction noise will be kept to a minimum throughout the process, as the only buildings to be constructed will be the restroom and janitorial area, situated behind the water wall, Goldman said. 

When the square is completed, the city will begin the process of activating it — planning events, inviting musicians and other events for the community. 

“This has been a long time coming,” Goldman said. 

holly@smdailyjournal.com

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