Once again, it’s time to summarize Redwood City’s 2025 based on the columns and blog posts I wrote throughout the year. Because my columns often focus on certain categories — development projects, new and closing businesses, infrastructure projects — this summary is limited to those. Nevertheless, I hope you find it enlightening.
Regarding development, this year was quiet, relative to the pre-COVID years. Several projects underway at the start of 2025 remained so at the end, including the city’s new Veterans Memorial Building/Senior Center, the three large apartment buildings at the newly-named Broadway Village project (at Broadway and Chestnut Street), the Hampton Inn hotel (Veterans Boulevard and Brewster Avenue), the Taube Family Carriage House and Automobile Museum (construction fences just came down), Rise City Church’s new sanctuary, and the five-unit townhouse project at 239 Vera Ave.
A few projects underway in January finished up in 2025, including the 1390 Woodside Road office building, the eight townhouses at 955 Woodside Road, the county’s new office building at 500 County Center, and the restaurant spaces where Bravo Taqueria and 5th Quarter Pizza once operated (Bravo is coming back, and a new burger place is coming soon). Redwood City’s sixth cannabis retailer finished building out their Woodside Road space, but never occupied it. Most significantly, the commercial buildings comprising ELCO Yards so far wrapped up this year.
The city received proposals for, or approved, quite a few projects this year. One, for an affordable housing project at 112 Vera Ave., was both approved and got underway in 2025. The city approved the office building proposed for 901 El Camino Real and its associated affordable housing project at 920 Shasta St. The city approved a lot split at 2336 El Camino Real needed for a six-unit townhouse project, and a redesign of the multistory office-and-residential project intended for 1201 Main St. It approved the 32-unit townhouse project to be built at 1320 Marshall St., and the new YMCA building for Red Morton Park. The submission for 910 Marshall was updated (plans now show a 21-story, 222-unit apartment building). Newly submitted were an affordable housing project at 705 Veterans Blvd. and a large office project planned for 505 Penobscot Drive in Redwood Shores.
Stanford’s nine-story medical building began construction; the large mixed-use development out on East Bayshore Road got underway; Sequoia Station was completely repainted; Shores Landing gained a new community center and community garden; and Hyperion Climbing Gym began adding height to its building. Finally, the developer of the 131-unit townhouse project planned alongside Redwood Creek received permission for a three-year delay, and two major proposals were withdrawn: 1205 Veterans Blvd. (479 apartments), and the 136-unit apartment project slated to replace American Legion Post 105.
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As for infrastructure, Main Street was rebuilt through ELCO Yards, Beech Street was aligned with Lincoln Avenue at El Camino Real (cars cannot pass directly between them, but pedestrians will be able to), and two blocks of protected bike lane were added along El Camino Real from Cedar to Maple streets. Redwood City’s sewer conveyance pump station was completely rebuilt, the water reclamation facility in Redwood Shores is being upgraded, and the city’s web of recycled water pipelines grew significantly in 2025. A PCB cleanup project took place in the waterway immediately behind 505 E. Bayshore Blvd. The Jardin de Niños park expansion got underway, the city piloted an expansion of Lawrie Duncan Park, the Main Street Dog Agility Park was rebuilt, Mitchell Field in Red Morton Park received new artificial turf, a new fitness court was constructed adjacent to the Redwood Shores Library, and the Hoover Park renovation project was awarded to a contractor.
The Highway 101/Woodside Road interchange project is apparently funded, so Redwood City is acquiring parcels needed for right-of-way; and the proposed ferry service to Redwood City inched closer to reality.
Greg Wilson is the creator of Walking Redwood City, a blog inspired by his walks throughout Redwood City and adjacent communities. He can be reached at greg@walkingRedwoodCity.com. Follow Greg on Twitter @walkingRWC.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
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Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
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