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Redwood City is pushing ahead with about 900 new residential units as it builds momentum toward meeting state-mandated housing goals.
The city is also doing its part to battle homelessness, studying nearly 8 million square feet of potential office, retail and hotel development, and looking forward to wrapping up the long-awaited Veterans Memorial Building/Senior Center construction this year.
Those were among the city’s hot headlines highlighted in the 2024 State of the City address on the evening of March 18.
In a primetime-newscast style, City Council members turned into television reporters to collectively deliver the address. In taped segments that simulated live on-site reporting, council members talked on the microphone from various locations throughout town about the city’s efforts in housing, economic health and other priorities.
“Tonight, we embark on a journey through the heart of our city, exploring innovation, progress and community engagement that define Redwood City,” Mayor Jeff Gee said during the event dubbed “Redwood City Reporting Live” from the Council Chambers.
“Joining me are esteemed council members each on assignment reporting on our city’s most pressing issues,” said Gee, who served as the news anchor. “As we navigate through tonight’s broadcast, we’ll uncover the stories shaping our future, spotlighting initiatives that propel us forward as a community from housing and transportation to youth development (and) economic prosperity.”
Housing and homelessness
The first report, given by Councilmember Alicia Aguirre,covered how the city is expanding housing – particularly the affordable kind – and combating homelessness.
The city the past year has “entitled 316 units and issued permits for 586 units, making significant progress in meeting the city’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA),” Aguirre said in a video showing her reporting outside the new affordable residential complex at 353 Main St.
RHNA is the state program mandating a certain number of new units each jurisdiction must account for in its eight-year planning document called the Housing Element.
Redwood City’s RHNA allotment came out to 4,588 units for its 2023-31 Housing Element, which the state certified a year ago. But the city decided to plan for about 7,000 homes during that span.
The city has followed up on the Housing Element’s certification by updating zoning conditions to increase density and streamlining the building process, Aguirre said.
“The city made a long-term commitment to support the production and preservation of affordable housing,” she added, pointing out that the 353 Main development is an example.
353 Main was completed early last year and offers 125 affordable units, she said. The city has also recently approved more than $4 million toward construction of an affordable-housing project at 1304 Middlefield Road.
“As we strive to increase access to affordable housing,” Aguirre said, “we are equally dedicated to ending homelessness in Redwood City.”
The city, which she said receives about 2,500 calls a year related to homelessness, collaborates with the county, state and numerous community-based groups to tackle the problem in various ways from addressing homeless encampments to bringing health services to those suffering from housing insecurity.
The Homeless Outreach Strategy Team, for one, has helped transition 55 unsheltered people into emergency housing and 14 others into permanent homes the past year, Aguirre said.
The city’s efforts on homelessness have also provided emergency housing for 24 families with children that were sleeping in vehicles, she said.
Economic vitality
In his report, Councilmember Chris Sturken focused on elements in an updated two-year Economic and Workforce Development Plan expected to go before the council later in the spring.
The plan includes reviewing approximately 7.7 million square feet of proposed office, retail and hotel projects, analyzing underutilized sites for mixed-use development, supporting small businesses by streamlining permitting processes for pop-up events and speeding up the process for tenant-improvement applications, Sturken said.
“Over the last few several years, the city’s proximity to top employers, Caltrain and key amenities have led to an influx of development proposals,” he added, “and the city’s local economy is continuing to evolve with increased interest from the life-science industry.”
Sturken also noted that the proposed Broadway Pedestrian Mall is another way that the city is looking to help keep its economy strong.
In January, the council approved a resolution of intent to establish the pedestrian mall on the 2000 block of Broadway.
The city originally closed that section of Broadway to vehicular traffic to allow for social-distancing and outdoor dining during the height of the pandemic.
“The city found that the temporary street closure added to the vitality and vibrancy of downtown,” Sturken said, reporting from that block in his video.
Now the city seeks to keep the closure on a permanent basis to support “local businesses while creating safe and inclusive spaces for pedestrians, cyclists and customers alike,” he said.
Community spaces
In her video, Councilmember Diane Howard donned a hard hat and yellow safety vest as she reported from the construction site of a reimagined Veterans Memorial campus.
She talked about what Gee described as “transformative projects that are shaping and reshaping our community spaces to better serve and connect everyone.”
The 45,000-square-foot Veterans Memorial project should be done later this year, Howard said.
“As designed as a hub for community interaction, senior services, health services, recreational activities, theater performance and commemorative events, the project reflects the city’s commitment to creating an all-inclusive and supportive environment for all of our residents,” she said.
The city also eyes a new park downtown as part of an effort to link the area to San Francisco Bay, she said. This park at Middlefield Road and Main Street would “provide a space for community activities, outdoor programming for the library and a family-friendly shared outdoor space in the neighborhood.”
The park plan is currently under review, she said, but the city could have a construction bid in early 2025.
Other council members went over transportation, youth services and environmental sustainability.
“Each segment you’ve seen tonight from our colleagues here at the council has showcased our collective commitment to progress and innovation,” Gee said as he signed off the newscast. “Let’s carry this momentum forward as we work together to build an even stronger and more inclusive Redwood City for generations to come.”
