Redwood City has approved a major location switch that will move a proposed affordable housing project closer to downtown, and change who the homes are intended to serve. The revised plan calls for 75 income-restricted homes for residents aged 55 and older at a site on Veterans Boulevard.
The City Council approved the site swap in a 4-1-2 vote, with Councilmember Marcella Padilla opposed and Councilmembers Kaia Eakin and Jeff Gee recused. According to the San Mateo Daily Journal, the decision clears the way for Eden Housing to begin raising money for the new project, although design work has not yet started.
Senior Housing Moves Closer To Downtown
The replacement site at 705 Veterans Boulevard is currently occupied by an office building across from the county parking garage. The proposed building would reach 68 feet and include mostly studio and one-bedroom apartments, with 12 homes reserved for extremely-low-income residents, 23 for very-low-income residents and 40 for low-income residents. The Redwood City project page identifies the broader development as part of the city’s downtown-oriented pipeline.
The original plan at 847 Woodside Road was approved in 2024 with 72 homes and no age restriction, including studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom units. City planning documents indicate that the site is unsuitable for earning the tax credits needed to make the project financially viable, prompting a search for a replacement.
Eden Housing’s senior proposal had already drawn attention because it would put affordable homes near downtown restaurants, outdoor spaces and Caltrain rather than in a more isolated location. RWC Pulse described planned resident amenities including a resource center, technology space, exercise facilities, community meeting areas and an outdoor gardening area.
The Housing Swap Is Tied To A Much Larger Downtown Deal
The new senior housing site is linked to Lane Partners’ proposed 1900 Broadway project, a seven-story office and retail development bounded by Broadway, Main, Walnut and Marshall streets. That project is planned to include roughly 238,000 square feet of office space, more than 10,000 square feet of retail, a public plaza and an indoor community room.
As part of the arrangement, developers will pay the city $10.75 million for the vacation or closure of diagonal Spring Street. The housing swap preserves the affordable-housing commitment while shifting the project to a site officials determined could better support the financing needed to build it.
The project is still years away from opening. Commercial tenants at the Veterans Boulevard property may have leases extending as late as 2028, and Eden Housing must still complete design work, secure tax credits and assemble the rest of the financing before construction can begin, the San Mateo Daily Journal reported.
