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Construction on the long-awaited first phase of the Veterans Memorial Building/Senior Center-YMCA project at Red Morton Park in Redwood City is set to start in July and last about 24 months, according to city staff. The first phase of the project includes building a two-story, 45,000 square foot Veterans Memorial Building/Senior Center along Madison Avenue that features multipurpose rooms, a caterer and food demonstration kitchen, a 299-seat theater, exhibit space honoring veterans, NFL alumni exhibit space, pickle ball and half-court basketball gymnasium, wellness and adaptive physical education studios, rooftop garden and walking track, and various conferencing and administrative space for city staff and nonprofits, according to city documents. "The project also includes the construction of a public promenade connected to the park, a new east side senior center parking lot and traffic calming improvements on Madison and on Valota," the city said. On Monday, the City Council of Redwood City approved awarding the first-phase contract to Novato-based Thompson Builders Corp. for $51.1 million, with the option of increasing the contract amount by 10 percent if necessary. The City Council also approved the City the sale of bonds for up to 64.5 million to finance the first phase of construction. The second phase of the project will include construction of a new YMCA building, plus parking, and will be financed by the YMCA. Planning on the project has been the works for over a decade and was further delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in 2010, both the city, which has been operating out of aging Veterans Memorial Senior Center Campus buildings at Red Morton Park, and Sequoia YMCA, currently located on Hudson Street, expressed interest in upgrading their respective facilities, and ultimately decided to partner on a joint project at Red Morton Park. Since 2011, the City has embarked on reimagining the Veterans Memorial Senior Center Campus at Red Morton Park. There are a total of five separate buildings in the northern portion of the Park which includes the Veterans Memorial Senior Center (VMSC), the Gift Shop/VMSC Administration Building, the Senior Center Annex (“Old 49er Building”), the NFL Alumni Building, and Herkner Pool. All of these buildings are at various stages of decay, are inefficient in terms of energy usage, require significant maintenance obligations, and are inefficient to staff and for facility operations. The total project site for both phases is 5.4 acres along Madison Avenue. Red Morton Park encompasses 32 acres. Image rendering of future Veterans Memorial Senior Center Campus courtesy of the city

June 21, 2021 Community/Infrastructure

Redwood City announces construction start date for Veterans Memorial Building/Senior Center project

Monday, July 12, has been set as the start date for construction of Phase 1 of the Veterans Memorial Building/Senior… … Keep Reading

June 3, 2021 Community/Infrastructure

Caltrain electrification delayed to 2024, and its cost has gone up

The launch of electrified service on Caltrain has been delayed by two years until late 2024, and the cost of… … Keep Reading

May 27, 2021 Community/Infrastructure

San Mateo invites residents to weigh in on Central Park playground designs

San Mateo is inviting residents to share their thoughts on two design alternatives aimed at improving the playground at Central… … Keep Reading

May 25, 2021 Community/Infrastructure

San Carlos installs bicycle dismount areas on Cedar St.

San Carlos has installed two dismount bicycle areas along Cedar Street approaching Arroyo Avenue, which aim to provide designated spaces… … Keep Reading

May 25, 2021 Community/Infrastructure

Veterans Memorial Building/Senior Center project set for July groundbreaking

Construction on the long-awaited first phase of the Veterans Memorial Building/Senior Center-YMCA project at Red Morton Park in Redwood City is… … Keep Reading

Supes vote in favor of placing Regional Measure 3 on June ballot

May 22, 2021 Community/Infrastructure

Dumbarton Rail: A bridge to the past

A billboard-sized sign off Middlefield Road a few blocks from Costco proclaims “Redwood Junction.” I wondered why it doesn’t say… … Keep Reading

May 11, 2021 Community/Infrastructure

San Mateo County advances to yellow tier, revises mask policy

San Mateo County will advance to the yellow tier — the least restrictive in the state’s Blueprint for a Safer… … Keep Reading

Caltrain to suspend weekday Baby Bullet Service as coronavirus impacts ridership

May 11, 2021 Community/Infrastructure

Caltrain considers continuing Monthly Pass discount through 2023

Caltrain is considering extending its 20 percent discount on the Monthly Pass through June 30, 2023, in order to encourage… … Keep Reading

May 3, 2021 Community/Headline/Infrastructure

Magical Bridge Playground temporarily closes so shade structures can be installed

The Magical Bridge Playground is temporarily closed to make way for the installation of shade structures at its Slide Mound,… … Keep Reading

Project to improve at-grade crossings in San Mateo to impact parking

April 29, 2021 Community/Featured/Headline/Infrastructure

Caltrain begins safety improvements at 5 at-grade crossings in San Mateo, Menlo Park

A Caltrain project to improve at-grade crossings (intersections where train tracks cross a street) will prompt parking restrictions on 1st,… … Keep Reading

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