Politics & Government
Council Scouts Bidders' Past Work
Public welcome to join tour of senior living homes created by each contender for the town center bid.
Down to two candidates, the Foster City City Council plans a field trip today to peruse the crowning achievements of each contender seeking to build a mixed-use complex on a vacant, 15-acre parcel.
Residents are welcome to join the caravan, but must transport themselves.
The first stop at 2 p.m. will be at Merrill Gardens by Willow Glen at 1420 Curci Dr. in San Jose, the project of Foster City Community Partners Team
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The second visit is slated for 4 p.m. at The Sequoias Portola Valley by Northern California Presbyterian Homes and Services at 501 Portola Road in Portola Valley, a development of the Sares Regis Team.
For the vacant Foster City parcel, Sares Regis has pitched a “Village Square” -- 200 independent apartments, 30 assisted-living apartments and 24 “memory care” homes, offering a Community Care Residential Community with three levels of care for seniors, as well as a retail center made up of shops, restaurants and gathering space.
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Sares Regis would partner with Mercy Housing and Northern California Presbyterian Homes and Services to manage the proposed living community, Bank of America/Merril Lynch to finance the project, and Perkins Eastman architects.
Foster City Community Partners is a coalition of groups including Urban Community Partners, New Home Company, Campus Housing, Mid-Peninsula Housing and Merrill Gardens/SRM Development.
The Partners envision a mix of condos, apartments and for-sale homes, some 37,000 square feet of retail space including shops and eateries, an “interactive water feature,” a stage for small live performances, and seating.
As master developer, Partners would coordinate the project. Individual developers would buy and bring to fruition the various elements. A spokesman for the group said financing will come more easily to five smaller projects than one costly development.
Having heard both proposals, council members and residents have voiced concern over the height of the buildings, the quality of the architecture, the style standards of the retailers, and the financing.
The council will make a decision Oct. 3, drawing to a close a discussion that began in 2007.
The city’s negotiators will meet with representatives of both bidders in a special closed session at 5 p.m. Monday Sept. 19 to discuss the lease and/or sale of the land. The council will meet in open session directly afterward at 6:30 p.m.
