Redwood City Sequoia Station owners focusing on stabilization

Lowe had planned to redevelop the 12-acre site with 1.25 million square feet of office space, 175,000 square feet of retail space and up to 631 housing units. Those plans are now on hold as new ownership focuses on revitalizing the shopping center, Hunter Properties President Deke Hunter said.

“When you have dark storefronts, not our best side of our communities can present themselves, so you’ll see us focus on making the shopping center vibrant, safe and engaging,” Hunter said during a City Council meeting Monday. “It’s really important for us to do a great job owning it now, owning it for people who use that shopping center as a daily needs center, as a grocery drugstore, and also seeing it as the next vision to finish off the downtown.”

Eventually, Hunter Properties does envision redeveloping the site, Hunter said. That process will likely begin in five to seven years, he said, noting elements of that original project — a mix of retail, office and residential space, and a focus on pedestrian mobility — will continue to be a priority.

Once redevelopment plans are presented, Hunter said the proposal will be “right sized” for the area. The last proposal sparked both support from housing advocates — excited by the hundreds of new homes proposed for construction and those excited by new pedestrian improvements — and outrage by residents, concerned the project was too large and contained too much office space.

“A project that size is monumental. It’s easy to talk about but hard to do but the good news is that it’s something we do so we want to get ready for it,” Hunter said, asserting the last property owner was “chasing the market.”

Councilmember Diane Howard acknowledged the safety concern residents have raised about the site and shared both her appreciation to Hunter for committing to improve the area and assertion that the city would do its part to help.

Councilmember Chris Sturken, whose district includes the Sequoia Station Shopping Center, also shared his appreciation for Hunter’s intentions and his local roots. Hunter grew up in Redwood City and previously worked at a car dealership at the site, he said.

“Sequoia Station being in my district, I’m very excited about this project and I’m really appreciative of your commitment to seeing the vision of a transit district come through,” Sturken said.

The firm is behind nearly a dozen projects in the city including office buildings on Arguello Street, Veterans Boulevard and Middlefield Road and a retail site on Manzanita Street. Hunter, who also shared his excitement about owning and redeveloping Sequoia Station, said the project very well could be his last.

“Today’s actually really exciting for me because in my 40 years of running Hunter Properties, a 60-year development firm, for me to come back to Redwood City and buy an important piece of property like Sequoia Station has been quite exciting,” Hunter said. “We own it as a family and we’ll run it, run it responsibly.”