My predictions are based not on science but rather on rumors, intuition and my trusty crystal ball. My instincts tell me that 2015 and moreover the next ten years will see profound changes in our Pleasantville of a burb. I won't pass judgment, that’s up to you. I will simply prognosticate.
In the near future Burlingame will see more and more multi-unit dwellings pop up— filling every nook and cranny and every surface parking lot. Downtown will be surrounded by 35 foot and occasionally 50 foot tall architecture.
Here are my 2015 predictions of change.
One easy forecast is the change to the Broadway intersection. It will look and function differently. This isn't much of a prediction since evidence of this change is staring us in the face.
However, the area on the east side of the railroad tracks, near Howard Avenue and near Bayswater Avenue will see some of the auto related uses disappear and housing or offices appear in their place.
Nearby, we might see more apartments or condos replace the long-standing funeral home.
We might see the sleepy buildings along California Drive currently housing Gray’s Paint and the former Schaefer’s Tire (now located on El Camino Real and Broadway) turn into who knows what. Same goes for the buildings on Highland Avenue near downtown.
More condos? Over on Carolan Avenue we know Camissa and the surrounding businesses will be gone in the near future—that ship we know has sailed.
Oh sure, the Broadway Train Station has been vacant for some time now, but my prediction is that this is the year that we’ll see a new restaurant move in—a hamburger joint perhaps?
Speaking of long vacant property…the drive-in site on the bayfront will still be vacant despite swirling rumors that it will be the site of Alibaba’s headquarters. The Post Office or should I say, former PO, in the heart of downtown will see some sort of temporary tenant but a real proposal won't be realized for sometime.
And the city is looking for developers to build attainable housing on at least one of our surface lots near downtown and talk of a downtown parking structure has been bubbling up of late. No real movement until after 2015 on these two projects.
So let’s revisit all of this soothsaying in about a year to see exactly what has come to fruition and what died on the vine.
"A senior official at the Association of Bay Area (ABAG) Governments is under scrutiny for allegedly orchestrating the theft of $1.3 million in bond money that was meant for public parks and street improvements in the South of Market neighborhood."
SF Chronicle, 1-30-2015
Posted by: Jennifer | January 30, 2015 at 10:48 AM
Station Park Green, Delaware and Concar, San Mateo by MVE partners
This has apparently been in the works since 2011 and boasts 599 residential units, 60 of which will be available to very low income. Design-wise, yet another boxy, uninspired TOD to dot the horizon.
http://www.cityofsanmateo.org/DocumentCenter/View/43966
Posted by: Jennifer | February 04, 2015 at 07:58 AM