OAKLAND, CA—Award-winning national firm KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture + Planning, and SummerHill Apartment Communities of San Ramon, Calif. (formerly known as Urban Housing Group) have begun construction work on The Lane on the Boulevard, a 141-unit architecturally distinctive apartment community in Redwood City, located on the San Francisco Peninsula, just north of Atherton.

The 3- and 4-story “wrap” style building's community amenities include convenient resident access via same-level parking, a clubroom, fitness studio, swimming pool with spa, outdoor kitchen and fireplace, bicycle storage, and a pedestrian path surrounding the property. Close by are jobs, restaurants, shopping, public transportation and freeways.

"The target market is young professionals working in Redwood City as well as surrounding upscale communities such as Palo Alto or Menlo Park, who want to live close to work but can't afford the price tag that comes with a Palo Alto or Menlo Park zip code," said Jessica Musick, the lead designer of the project.

The development is located on the site of the former Mel's bowling alley at 2580 El Camino Real. The community's name of The Lane on the Boulevard is a nod to the site's past and will include a mix of one-bedroom and two-bedroom units ranging from 705 to 1,106 square feet. The apartment homes will be energy- and water-efficient and will include gourmet kitchens with stainless steel appliances and European-style cabinetry, and in-unit washers and dryers. The Lane apartment community will include alternative transportation amenities such as bicycle storage facilities, electric vehicle charging stations and provisions for car-sharing vehicles.

"We've designed an elegant building for the community," said KTGY Principal David Senden. "From the modern clubroom and state-of-the-art fitness amenities to high speed internet connectivity and the community's sustainability features; The Lane is every bit as forward looking as anything currently being built on the Peninsula."

The architecture is accentuated by a series of metal louvered awnings, Juliet balconies, a brick base and recessed windows. The prominent cornice line gives the building a distinct presence and sets the tone for future developments.

"The design also incorporates a 26-foot-wide Emergency Vehicle Access (required for firefighting purposes) as the perfect landscape buffer to existing single-family neighbors as well as a great opportunity for a dog walk," Musick stated. "The apartment community's site also butts up against the Hetch Hetchy right-of-way, providing even more landscaped open space and a street frontage plaza for the Redwood City community."

"Working with The Guzzardo Partnership, the landscape architect, we have approached this zone as an amenity and have designed it as handsome, park-like open space that gives our building a little more breathing room from the neighbors," Senden added.

SummerHill is also making a wide range of community improvements in addition to its own 2.51 acres. "The scope of the project includes improvements to surrounding sidewalks, the El Camino Real and Northumberland Street intersection, and storefront upgrades for six nearby property owners and tenants," Musick noted.

"We've worked with SummerHill many times and they have a strong commitment to quality projects. This one will be no different and we're excited to see it taking shape," said Senden.

Instant Insights /

New Upscale Multifamily Started on Redwood City's El Camino Real

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