The Redwood City Council on Monday reviewed a proposal for a 21-story tower that, if approved, would be one of the Peninsula’s tallest buildings and serve the fast-growing 55-and-older market in the Bay Area.
The proposed 222-unit apartment building, known as 910 Marshall and located in downtown Redwood City, would nearly match the height of South San Francisco’s Genesis North Tower. Councilmembers were divided during Monday’s study session, with some emphasizing the importance of addressing the housing needs of the region’s aging population, while others questioned the building’s proposed height and impact on the neighborhood.
The project, led by Palo Alto-based R&M Properties, would include 188 market-rate independent living units and 34 assisted living and memory care units. No affordable units are currently planned and pricing has not been finalized.
Amenities include a theater, fitness and yoga facilities, a pool, salon, library, community rooms, and on-site dining with a bar and lounge.
According to 2025 U.S. Census Bureau data, the region’s senior population is growing rapidly, while youth and middle-aged populations are stagnant or declining in some Bay Area counties. According to San Mateo County data, more than 18% of residents are over 65.
To meet the housing demand of this growing population, R&M Properties is seeking an exemption from the area’s 8-story height limit.
“By rising taller, 910 Marshall can provide many more residences for seniors, homes that Redwood City urgently needs and simply wouldn’t be possible otherwise,” said Steve Reller, partner at R&M Properties.
City staff said the project “addresses a need for senior housing, which is a city strategic priority” and noted the facility would provide meals, personal care, and activities, allowing residents to “age in place.”
Kevin Dang of HGA, the architectural firm leading the project, said many residents would likely be “coming from perhaps four-bedroom single-family homes on 1-acre lots in a suburb and choosing to live in a vibrant city.”
Developers emphasized the site’s location across from Kaiser Hospital and near Sequoia and Stanford hospitals.
“Our growing elder population are urban-minded and value proximity. They have the power to animate downtown spaces and contribute to cities’ urban fabric and history,” Dang said. “They’re more likely to participate and make these social connections if they can walk or take mass transit to community centers and events.”
While not opposed to the project, Councilmember Diane Howard raised concerns about its height, likening the tower to New York City’s Empire State Building.
“Everything looks quite small, surrounded by the Empire State Building, but it’s not in the middle of Manhattan, but in Redwood City,” Howard said. “I really am struggling. I don’t think it’s the right proportion or the right height for that neighborhood.”
The project, roughly one-fifth the height of the iconic 102-story New York building, would still need Federal Aviation Administration clearance due to nearby San Carlos Airport.
Councilmember Isabella Chu signaled support for the plan, saying it could deliver more senior assisted-living units than Redwood City has added in the past 20 years.
She acknowledged possible fire-risk concerns, but called them minimal, emphasizing the greater risk of social isolation for older residents, the benefits of proximity to medical care, and that it fits the vision of Redwood City as a “vibrant city” rather than a “sleepy suburb.”
In 2024, San Mateo County became the first county in the United States to recognize loneliness as a public health emergency.
“The real risk to seniors is isolation. It’s not being able to find this kind of housing at all. It’s being too far away from medical care. So this project addresses many of the likely risks to our aging population,” Chu said.
Responding to criticism of high prices, Chu added, “The way to make things affordable is to have a lot of them.”
The proposal is still in the study phase and will undergo planning commission review and public feedback before returning to the council for approval.
To meet state-mandated housing targets, Redwood City must approve 4,558 new housing units by 2031.
San Mateo County, one of the nation’s most expensive areas, is among areas under increased scrutiny from state regulators.
Jurisdictions that fail to meet state-mandated housing targets, known as the housing element, risk losing funding or triggering the “builder’s remedy,” which lets developers bypass local zoning laws if a project includes enough affordable units.