Redwood City OKs joint development

The affordable housing development located at 847 Woodside Road will have 72 units, made up of 25 studios, five one-bedroom, 22 two-bedroom, and 20 three-bedroom units. All units will be deed restricted to low- and very low-income residents, addressing an urgent need for housing, Councilmember Chris Sturken said. 

“We are a community in crisis, people are having to leave Redwood City left and right,” Sturken said. “These deeply affordable homes are crucial to making sure that Redwood City stays intact.” 

With the Downtown Precise Plan, Councilmember Alicia Aguirre said much of the council’s focus has been on development in that area, and she appreciates the location of this affordable housing. Though housing developments alongside Woodside Road are not unique, “what is unique is that you listened to neighbors,” Aguirre said to developers. 

The housing development has gone through various changes over the years — initially proposed as 54 units on-site of the office building, and then 85 low-income units off-site — but was finalized considering architectural and community feedback. 

With dwindling resources from the state and stretched resources at the county and city level, the housing development was adjusted to “get some of what we need for everybody,” Dixie Baus, director of Real Estate Development at Eden Housing, said. 

“Many times we are asked to decrease the size of our community and reluctantly we do so, but in this case, the goal gave us an opportunity to take a look at not only feasibility from a financing standpoint but also really holistically from the neighborhood standpoint,” Baus said.

With dwindling resources from the state and stretched resources at the county and city level, the housing development was adjusted to “get some of what we need for everybody,” Baus said. 

Considered alongside the affordable housing is its partner, the office building downtown. 

Office developments in Redwood City are required to pay affordable housing impact fees, construct on-site affordable housing units or use a land donation option. This conjoined project is the first of its kind in the city since the revised affordable housing ordinance in 2023 began allowing for this alternate option. 

“Those homes would not be possible if it were not for this project,” Sturken said. “These two projects are inextricably linked and you can’t have one without the other.”

In this development agreement, the voluntary contract between Lane Partners and Eden Housing will coordinate the land donation — which is valued as $3.6 million in excess community benefit. The proposed units are nearly three times what is required of Lane Partners. 

In the contract, the land for the affordable housing must be transferred to developers prior to the issuance for any building permits for the office building, ensuring the delivery of the units prior to office development, said Principal Planner Darryl Boyd. 

The development at 1900 Broadway will include 238,00 square feet of office, 10,060 square feet of retail, a 1,000-square-foot indoor community room, a storage closet and a 12,085-square-foot publicly accessible plaza. 

Located on the block bounded by Broadway and Main, Walnut and Marshall streets, the proposal will include the closure of the diagonal Spring Street. The plaza is proposed as a major public open space, which will help extend the downtown and the possibility for events, Aguirre said.

“It’s vibrant in a very different way, it’s not comparable to other cities,” Aguirre said. “There’s just a vibe there and I want to make sure that we continue that and I think Lane picked up on that.” 

Additional community benefits identified through the development of 1900 Broadway include the developer’s commitment to using prevailing wage labor exclusively on the project. Many members of construction trade unions spoke during public comment to share their support. 

With the downswing in construction due to high interest rates and the economic impact from the pandemic, many families in business have been hit hard, John Medina, a business representative with the sprinkler fitters union, said. Beyond the housing provided off-site, the development employs working class families, and apprentices from local training programs.

“We will build this job,” Median said. 

The City Council approved both projects, 4-0-3, with Mayor Jeff Gee and Councilmember Kaia Eakin, who both recused for conflicts of interest, and Councilmember Diane Howard absent.