A Transformational Opportunity
Vol 1 Edition 9
August 2022
Welcome to Reimagining Sequoia Station, a newsletter highlighting the local and regional benefits the Sequoia Station mixed-use development project will help bring to life. This edition focuses on the project’s unique opportunity to reimagine neighborhood retail and create a new “living room” for the Redwood City community.
Sequoia Station provides vital retail services to the community despite being sorely dated. With this project, the redevelopment of Sequoia Station will remain a neighborhood-serving retail destination, while becoming modernized for today’s retailers and Redwood City’s resident lifestyles. The project includes approximately 170,000 square feet of activated, ground floor retail and outdoor dining. New CVS and Safeway stores will fit in seamlessly, and the existing stores will remain fully operational during the first phase of construction to ensure there will be no interruption of service.
Supporting Local Retail Start-up Opportunities
Sequoia Station is set to utilize a section of its updated available retail space to support small, local, start-up businesses. Wide sidewalks, street greenery, and furnishings will activate incubator and entrepreneur spaces lining the right side of Franklin St. This focus on early-stage businesses supports Lowe and Eden Housing’s goal to foster an all-inclusive and equitable small business community, and reflect the diversity of Redwood City.
Convenient Underground Parking
For those who choose to drive to Sequoia Station, there will be plenty of safe and convenient underground parking. Multiple elevators will provide access from the parking structure, including directly into the new Safeway and also at Hamilton Drive adjacent to CVS and the Plaza shop spaces. The vehicular entrances to the underground parking are on the perimeter of the site, enabling the heart of the project to emphasize bikes and pedestrians and getting cars quickly off the streets.
Pedestrian and Bike Improvements
Sequoia Station’s reimagination focuses on the creation of safe, walkable, and bikeable streets. For example, the project’s proposed primary retail corridors of Franklin and Hamilton feature narrow lanes, slow speeds, street trees, and bike parking to make the streets as enjoyable as possible for those on foot. The entire site will see improvements to bike lanes and sidewalks that, along with both day and night activation at the street level, will achieve safe, walkable streets.
At the end of July, the Sequoia Station project team conducted a community workshop in partnership with the Centennial Neighborhood and Downtown Neighborhood Associations. The goal of the workshop was to provide information to attendees on the project’s plans thus far and to gather feedback about what the community would like to see at a redeveloped Sequoia Station. Members from Lowe and Eden Housing provided presentations to attendees covering an overview of the project and three categories: Programming, Public Realm, and Retail.
Attendees had opportunities to ask questions and fill out surveys specific to each category. Here is some insight into the responses to each survey:
Here are some additional suggestions and comments from attendees:
Here are some additional suggestions and comments from attendees:
Here are some additional suggestions and comments from attendees:
We received some terrific ideas from this workshop, and the project team will work to include this feedback into our project planning.
We want to hear from you! Please get in touch to arrange a workshop for your neighborhood or community group or email us here to be added to an interest list for future workshops.
Transportation Advisory Committee Meeting
September 13, 2022
6:00 PM
The Local Transportation Analysis (LTA) for the Redwood City Transit District will be up for discussion.
Transit District Final SEIR Hearing at the Planning Commission
October 18, 2022
6:00 PM
The Transit District Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report culminates over two years of work by City staff to solicit community input and create a shared vision for the future of Caltrain in downtown Redwood City and the region. This is a crucial hearing by the Planning Commission on the SEIR to hear community feedback and provide a recommendation to the City Council.
Art on the Square 2022
August 26, 2022
5:00-8:30 PM
Hamilton Ave at Courthouse Square in downtown Redwood City
Shop for wonderful fine arts & crafts by amazing local artisans while you enjoy the sounds of Michael Jackson tribute band, Foreverland, at Music on the Square.
Picnic En Blanc
August 27, 2022
6:00-10:00 PM
Location to be revealed to guests 48 hours in advance
The Redwood City Parks and Arts Foundation transforms an outdoor space into the perfect location for cocktails, lawn games, a picnic dinner, and a dance party. This year, the event is fundraising for local youth sports scholarships.
Pub in the Park 2022
Saturdays, July 16, August 6, and September 10
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Red Morton Park
Listen to live bluegrass music, sample delicious local brews, and enjoy lawn games one Saturday a month this summer. Redwood City’s Pub in the Park will include a British-style inflatable pub with quality beers and ciders on tap from local breweries as well as food trucks. Bring lawn chairs and blankets for a picnic style afternoon with friends and family in Redwood City Parks.
As a reminder, the our team is available to meet and provide project updates to interested community members. If you have any questions or would like to request a presentation from the project team, please email sequoiacentervision@gmail.com or visit sequoiacentervision.com.
Sincerely,
Alan Chamorro
Lowe
Andrea Osgood
Eden Housing