Business & Tech

Redwood City Experiencing Construction Boom

Redwood City staffers said Tuesday that the amount of housing in downtown is expected to double in the next few years, bringing new places to live and perhaps a few new retailers.

Almost 2,500 new homes will be built in or near downtown, according to Bill Ekern, Redwood City’s community development department director.

Some of the downtown projects such as the Redwood Towers project are already underway, with the preliminary phases complete. Others are still in the planning stages.  All of the developments are expected to literally change the face of Redwood City’s downtown area in the next three years, both in landscape and citizen.

Ekern credits the city’s Downtown Precise Plan for the “construction boom.”

“We’re experiencing a lot of interest in building new housing in Redwood City,” he said. “It’s a reflection of the plans that the city has in place that make it so that the processes to develop are clear for developers,” Ekern told Patch.

The City of Redwood City has 12 major construction projects in progress within its borders. Some are residential projects, while others are commercial projects such as the Kaiser Permanente Hospital Expansion. The city expects that the new housing units will attract a different type of person to Redwood City, the type of person who wants to walk to get around town.

“It’s a confluence of good events,” he said, remarking that high gas prices are motivating a lot of people to reconsider their transportation options.  Ekern said most of the new downtown domiciles would be multi family spaces built to condominium standards, which will make it simpler for property owners to turn rental units into homes that can be purchased as the housing market shifts. 

The new office spaces that will be built in downtown are also expected to attract retailers who will cater to the needs of current and new residents and bolster the local economy. 

The Redwood Towers project is expected to begin in September and be in construction for about 30 months, according to city staff. Redwood City Mayor Alicia Aguirre said it is an exciting time for Redwood City. 

“Over the next several years, our community is going to see new construction on several sites Downtown," Aguirre said in a statement.

"This shows that developers have great confidence in Redwood City, and that our local economy is gaining strength. I appreciate the community’s patience while these new projects are being built, and urge everyone to share in the excitement of what these developments mean for Redwood City.”

Many of the projects are expected to cause significant traffic congestion in the areas near construction sites, dust, and noise.   
  


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