After six years of discussion, the owners of the Hillsdale Shopping Center have submitted plans to the city of San Mateo for the site’s redevelopment, which includes demolition of the indoor mall, while adding a mix of commercial buildings, retail and 1,392 new housing units.
According to the proposal, the businesses north of 31st Avenue — such as Apple and Cinépolis — would remain and that a new retail village will integrate into this current “North Block” area. A mix of office, retail and multiunit developments would replace what is now the main 1.5 million-square-foot shopping center with more than 2 million square feet of new retail, office and garages, and 1.9 million square feet of residences that will extend to the current retail area south of Hillsdale Boulevard as well.
According to a preapplication letter to the city, the new proposal “advances a new network of pedestrian-first streetscapes and open spaces, evolves the site’s retail to remain relevant and successful” and aligns with the city’s stated goals of increasing high-density development near public transit. The Hillsdale Train Station is across El Camino Real.
The decision to replace the mall was largely the result of a national trend in the decline of indoor shopping centers, said David Bohannon, president of Bohannon Properties, which owns the site.
“Malls have been disappearing, and many of them are gone already,” he said. “If you look at the Bay Area, all of the traditional, department store-anchored malls are in some form of redevelopment. There are a few, like Stanford and Valley Fair that continue on, but most of the others are either already gone or in some form of reconception.”
The plan proposes building eight- to 10-story commercial buildings along El Camino Real, with five- to eight-story multiunit residential buildings close by. Townhomes would be situated closer to the single-family residential neighborhood bordering the site. Despite a sluggish office market, which has stalled several developments in San Mateo due to tough lending conditions, Bohannon said the commercial plans are meant to provide long-term need in the community.
“Real estate is subject to cycles, so cycles come and go. There are times when interest rates and the economy are not supporting developments, so development slows down,” he said. “I don’t have that fear about Hillsdale. This is an extremely well-located project that will take multiple cycles to build out.”
The commercial developments will likely comprise traditional offices, as well as research and development space, with ground-floor retail included as well. Out of the 1,392 housing units, a little over 200 below-market-rate homes would be part of the development.
“We aren’t targeting any particular commercial office type … they could include biotech, tech or professional offices,” Bohannon said.
A formal application must be completed by August before it is reviewed by the City Council.
Correction: The story has been updated to reflect the deadline by which a formal application must be submitted.
(2) comments
Is this really what Measure T supporters wanted? Or do I sense a little buyers remorse?
Love how nowhere in this article does it mention the potential nightmare traffic scenarios this would result it. The two primary roads that cut through the space today (Hillsdale Blvd and 31st Ave) are consistently traffic nightmares and this will make it 10x worse. Plus, we lose a Trader Joes? This could be one of the worst re-development plans I've ever seen.
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