If you’ve ever parked next to the Downtown Library, gone to the Zoppé Italian Family Circus, or spent much time downtown, you probably know Library Lot B.

It’s the surface parking lot at 1016 Middlefield Road, right next to the library. Today, it has 98 public parking spaces.

But someday, it could look very different.

Redwood City is exploring the possibility of turning the city-owned property into affordable housing while keeping public parking on the site. Early studies suggest the roughly 0.7-acre lot could potentially accommodate 70 to 104 affordable homes, depending on how the property is ultimately designed.

Before anyone gets too far ahead of this story, though, there’s something important to know:

Nothing has been approved.

There’s no final design, no developer has been selected, and there’s no construction date. Right now, the City is asking the community what it thinks.

So, what could actually go there?

That’s still a big question.

The early concepts include affordable housing, public parking, and potentially some limited City office space or other amenities. But some of the details people will probably care about most haven’t been decided.

How many homes? How tall would the building be? What would it look like? How much of the existing parking would remain?

Those are exactly the kinds of questions being discussed now.

And parking is likely to get plenty of attention. If you use the Downtown Library or spend time downtown, losing or changing nearly 100 existing parking spaces isn’t an insignificant detail. The City’s concepts contemplate retaining public parking, but how much should remain is one of the questions being put to the community.

Why this particular property?

There’s a bigger housing story behind this.

Like communities throughout the Peninsula, Redwood City is planning for significantly more housing. Under its state-mandated Regional Housing Needs Allocation, or RHNA, the City must plan for 4,588 additional homes during the 2023–2031 housing cycle, across a range of income levels.

Library Lot B is already owned by the City and sits in the middle of downtown, so it’s one of the places being evaluated for housing.

That doesn’t mean 104 apartments are suddenly going up next to the library. It means the City has identified the property as a possible site and is figuring out what could realistically be built there.

If you have an opinion, now is the time to speak up

This is actually one of the more interesting parts of the story because the project hasn’t been designed yet.

The City is holding a community open house:

Tuesday, October 6
5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Downtown Library Community Room
1044 Middlefield Road

There will be brief orientation sessions at 5:00 and 6:00 p.m., and the City is also accepting responses to an online survey through October 20.

After that, the feedback is expected to go back to the City Council. One possible next step would be seeking proposals from nonprofit affordable-housing developers in early 2027. Any actual development would still require additional approvals and financing.

Why am I paying attention to this as a Realtor?

Because this is the kind of thing I want my clients to know about before they buy a home, not after.

When someone is considering a property near downtown Redwood City, we obviously talk about the things that exist today: the restaurants, Caltrain, schools, traffic, shopping, walkability, and the neighborhood itself.

But I also want to know what might be coming.

A vacant lot, parking lot, commercial building, or piece of publicly owned land may not look particularly important when you’re standing in front of a house. Five or ten years later, what happens on that property could change the experience of living nearby.

That doesn’t automatically make a proposed development good or bad for a particular homeowner.

It simply means you should know about it.

If I were working with a buyer near downtown Redwood City today, I’d want them to know exactly where Library Lot B is, what the City is considering, and which details are still unknown.

Then they can decide for themselves whether it matters to them.

Redwood City is going to keep changing

I’ve watched Redwood City evolve enormously over the years, particularly downtown, and I don’t expect that to stop.

That’s true throughout the Peninsula. Cities are making decisions about housing, transportation, zoning, commercial districts, and publicly owned land that will shape these communities for years to come.

You don’t need to follow every City Council meeting to be an informed homeowner or buyer.

But when something could meaningfully change the neighborhood around you, I think it’s worth paying attention.

And this is one of those proposals I’ll be watching.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling in Redwood City or anywhere on the Peninsula, I’m always happy to talk about more than just what homes are selling for. Understanding what’s happening around the homes is part of making a smart real estate decision, too.

Kat Bedbury
The Bedbury Group
Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty
650-740-4494
Team@BedburyGroup.com
DRE #01817656

Your Dreams, Non-Negotiable®

Information is current as of September 29, 2026. This is an early-stage proposal, and the design, number of homes, parking, timing, and other details may change. For current project information and opportunities to provide feedback, consult the City of Redwood City.