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The proposed affordable housing project on Vera Avenue in Redwood City is expected to begin construction in May and will not be delayed by the recent fire, according to the developer.
At 2:17 a.m. on Feb. 8, a fire broke out at the development site located at 112 Vera Ave. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Developers plan to demolish the existing structures as originally intended and are moving forward with the timeline set before the fire.
Firefighters from the Redwood City Fire Department and the Menlo Park Fire Protection District arrived on scene at 2:22 a.m. that morning and extinguished the blaze within approximately 20 minutes. Crews remained on site until 4:44 a.m. to ensure the area was secure.
“And we’re not eager to leave the scene soon, just so as to be precautionary,” said temporary Battalion Chief Doug Fournier. He said some people who had been living at the site illegally were displaced by the fire but no one was injured.
Plans for the project, still in its early stages, are to construct a seven-story, 178-unit residential building. This includes 176 units designated as affordable housing for low-income residents and two unrestricted-income manager units. The development will feature 25 studios and 153 one-bedroom, one-bath units, with 70 units set aside for low-income households, 75 for very low-income households and 31 for extremely low-income households. The building will rise to a height of 78 feet, reaching the top of the parapet.
Jake Lingo, senior vice president of the developer Integrated Community Development, told this news organization that the company is hoping to begin construction in May, with escrow scheduled to close in April.
He said that it plans to demolish the existing buildings to accommodate the proposed higher-density development. Construction is expected to be completed in 2027.
“Our goal is, once we purchase the site, to get out there, be great neighbors and do a security assessment,” Lingo said. “And do what we need to do to prevent that (the fire) from happening again in the future.”
At a city council meeting in July 2024, some residents voiced concerns about the project’s limited parking. The plans include six dedicated spaces for management, staff and rideshares, one ADA-accessible space and 115 bicycle parking spaces on the ground floor.
Redwood City Community Development Director Jeff Schwob, however, pointed out at the meeting that the intention is to reduce vehicle miles traveled as part of the state’s goals to reduce emissions.
Peninsula for Everyone, a local chapter of YIMBY — a nonprofit advocating for affordable housing — supports the project. Members believe that the development’s proximity to the Caltrain station, El Camino Real and downtown makes it an ideal location for commuters, reducing the need for car travel and alleviating traffic concerns.
“I would be personally ecstatic to see a fenced-off vacant lot I pass nearly every day turned into something that could provide shelter and opportunities to (more than) 175 new neighbors,” said Shishir Bhat, a Redwood City resident and a volunteer lead for Peninsula for Everyone.
He added that one of the biggest issues facing the Peninsula today is the absurdly high cost of housing and projects like this can create more livable conditions.
