Redwood City office building plan includes rooftop futsal

The proposal is one of six gatekeeper projects seeking a General Plan amendment to receive permission from the City Council to submit a proposal for city review. In total, 939,000 square feet of office space and 33,410 square feet of retail space was given the green light. 

When first being presented to the public last summer, the 601 Allerton St. development and all other proposals received strong community criticism for the immense amount of office space being proposed. 

Members of the public argued that the pandemic would reduce the need for offices, having forced many employees to work from home. And there was encouragement for building more housing instead. 

Responding to the concerns, Michael Halow, founder of Premia, said he anticipates a strong return to collaborative in-person work once communities better overcome the pandemic. And while hybrid schedules may grow more common, he said employees will still need a workspace. 

“Offices in the long term will be back and people will want to see each other and collaborate. People want mentors and they want to be creative,” Halow said.  

Office developments also offer a solution to the city’s housing problem, Halow asserted. The region faces an immense housing shortage, particularly for affordable housing, and each gatekeeper project has proposed to build homes in addition to office units. 

For the 601 Allerton St. proposal, the developer has acquired an existing apartment complex at 450 Redwood Ave., which will be renovated and offered at very low income levels, ranging from $38,400 to $72,350 depending on family size. 

Some housing proponents shared support for the plan when presented to the City Council. Other support came from members of the Police Activities League which is slated to receive $2 million from the firm over the next 15 years. 

The public would also have access to a 15,600-square-foot rooftop recreational space with two futsal courts and a clubhouse. Halow said the space is intended to relieve some of the pressure put on city parks due to the growing interest in community sports including soccer. Futsal is a modified soccer game on a smaller court, rather than a field.

Formally submitting development plans is only the first step in a long review process that will include an environmental review, public hearings and a final approval. Halow shared optimism for the process and said he intends to work closely with the community to ensure a “high quality” development is achieved. 

“We’ve got nothing but love from the community on this project including people who don’t typically support projects,” Halow said. “I’ve been in Redwood City for a long long time and I think I’ve proven that I’m at least going to do what I said I’m going to do.” 

sierra@smdailyjournal.com 

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