Menlo Park is moving forward with a controversial downtown parking lot redevelopment, despite opposition from local business owners.
The city is seeking proposals from developers for multifamily housing combined with public parking and possibly retail or commercial components, the Silicon Valley Business Journal reported. The city-owned parking lots are on Oak Grove Avenue between University Drive and El Camino Real.
The plan would convert three parking lots in downtown Menlo Park into affordable housing buildings. Interested developers must submit development proposals that would help the city create at least 345 residential units for extremely low to low-income households, which in San Mateo County is between $40,600 and $108,300 annually for a single person.
So far, Menlo Park officials have approved Alliant Communities, MidPen Housing, Presidio Bay Ventures and a joint venture between Related Companies and Alta Housing to each submit one proposal. Other developers can throw their hats into the ring.
The idea of developing apartments above parking garages drew backlash from local business owners, who opposed replacing surface parking lots their customers use.
Pro-business group Save Downtown Menlo opposed the plan, collecting signatures and raising legal fees to block the parking lot redevelopment. More than 115 businesses signed an online plea to the city to prevent the endeavor from proceeding.
The redevelopment plan was the last straw for one business owner, Save Downtown Menlo organizer Kevin Cunningham told the Mercury News.
“He said he didn’t even want to see how this plays out and is just so frustrated with doing business downtown that the decision to pursue these lots was the tipping point,” Cunningham said.
Menlo Park isn’t the only city in the Bay Area to consider erecting housing-over-parking developments; Palo Alto and Los Altos are exploring similar options to turn parking into housing, according to the Business Journal.