Dana's article in the Daily Journal - Condos planned for former Shen site
A new developer is hoping a plan to turn a long vacant San Mateo Drive property into a 154-unit condo and retail complex will win the city's approval this month.The San Mateo Planning Commission is set to hear the plan by Centex Homes of San Ramon redevelop the 3.11-acre lot that at the corner of San Mateo Drive and Peninsula Avenue. The former Shen Chevrolet dealership has been mostly vacant since 2000. In 2004, the commission rejected a plan that would create a commercial and retail development. This time the project will have a 16,000-square-foot retail space big enough for a small grocery store and 154 condominiums. The condos will range from one to three bedrooms and start at 870 square feet with some custom condos reaching 2,000 square feet. The project will be four stories high, said Devin Hassett of Centex Homes.
The city once hoped to lure another car dealership to the site so it could collect additional sales tax. However, the downturn in the economy left little hope of a new car dealership making any plans to roll into the spot close to Burlingame's auto row. In 2004, the commission rejected a plan to put a 20,000-square-foot retail spot for a Trader Joe's market with 40,000 square feet of office space because of a poor design and feeling that it didn't have enough mixed use.
- Written by Fiona
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