US Mill Creek Submits Plan for 331 Homes in San Rafael

en.Wedoany.com Reported - US Mill Creek Residential has submitted a plan to build over 300 new residential units at 700 B Street in downtown San Rafael, without a replacement grocery store. The proposal, reported by the Marin Independent Journal, calls for an eight-story, 85-foot-tall building with a total floor area slightly exceeding 500,000 square feet, including 376,750 square feet of residential space and a 133,220-square-foot two-story parking podium. The unit mix includes 130 one-bedroom, 136 two-bedroom, and 65 three-bedroom units, along with 394 parking spaces and 597 bicycle parking spots.

Of the total 331 units, 28 will be deed-restricted as affordable housing for low-income households, allowing the project to seek a 20% density bonus under the State Density Bonus law, along with related waivers and zoning concessions. The application invokes Senate Bill 330 to streamline the approval process.

The design, by SDT Architects, features a typical contemporary podium-style apartment layout with two third-floor courtyards surrounding an E-shaped residential slab, plus additional open space on the eighth floor. The ground floor includes a lobby, amenity spaces, and a bicycle storage area.

This recent pre-application is the seventh proposal in less than a year to replace a Safeway property with housing, but the first not involving an Albertsons property or falling under its partnership portfolio with Align Real Estate. The property owner is San Diego-based Niki Group.

The two-acre site is located between A Street, B Street, First Avenue, and the adjacent San Rafael Community Center. The former grocery store was the closest food option to downtown, a 10-minute walk east to the Sprouts Farmers Market location near Highway 101. The project's estimated cost and construction timeline have not yet been disclosed.