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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />887 Industrial Rd, Suite F <br />San Carlos, CA 94070 <br /> <br /> <br />Aaron Aknin, Community Development Director <br />City of Redwood City <br />aaknin@redwoodcity.org <br /> <br />May 12, 2016 <br /> <br />Via: Email <br /> <br />Re: Active Ground Floor Use (Retail) Requirements on Main Street <br /> <br />Dear Aaron: <br />Following up on our recent discussions, I understand that at its March 28, 2016 meeting, the City Council <br />directed staff to initiate a Downtown Precise Plan Amendment to require active ground floor retail uses <br />on the segment of Main Street between Broadway and Middlefield. I am writing on behalf of Premia <br />9M, LLC (Premia) to express our concern with requiring active ground floor retail use on this Main Street <br />segment without exception. <br />As you know, Premia owns a ~15,000 square foot office building at 999 Main Street which is located at <br />the corner of Main Street and Middlefield, the very end of the Main Street segment proposed for active <br />ground floor retail. Unlike most other buildings within the Main Street segment, our building was <br />specifically designed and constructed for office use in 1985 and has been occupied solely by office uses <br />since it was constructed over the 30 years ago. Moreover, converting the ground floor from office use <br />to retail use would require a tremendous amount of reconstruction. And given the setback from the <br />street, low ceilings and the awkward access to the suites through an interior courtyard, we don’t believe <br />this will be desirable in any way to the community. <br />As we understand it, the rationale behind the Council’s direction is to improve the pedestrian <br />experience along Main Street by restoring ground floor retail uses on Main Street that were converted <br />to office following adoption of the Downtown Precise Plan (DTPP) in 2011. In an effort to revitalize the <br />area following the economic downturn, the DTPP allowed broader uses on Main Street, including office <br />uses, to encourage occupancy of vacant storefronts. Now that the economy has rebounded and vacant <br />storefronts are not an issue, the Council would like to see ground floor office uses reverted back to retail <br />uses to improve the pedestrian experience. <br />7.A. - Page 29