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From: BCC -Jason Newblanc <br />To: Council -Diane Howard; Council -Shelly Masur; Council -Alicia Aguirre; Council -Ian Bain; Council -Janet Borgens; <br />Council-Giselle Hale; Contact -Diana Reddy <br />Subject: Endorsement of Greystar"s South Main development project <br />Date: Saturday, November 7, 2020 2:39:39 PM <br />Dear Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers, <br />I am writing to request that you approve Greystar's South Main Mixed -Use development <br />project. <br />I believe that this project will transform the neglected area just outside the downtown area <br />into a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood. I am excited by the community benefits that this <br />project provides including the child care facility, realignment of the streets, dog park <br />extension, cafe space, park and creekwalk, pedestrian/bike friendly corridors, low income <br />housing, family entertainment (hopefully a reimagined roller skating rink), improvements to <br />EI Camino, undergrounding of utilities, community garden, and, of course, the public art. <br />am VERY excited by their proposed public art. <br />As Vice Chair of the Redwood City Arts Commission, I've had the privilege of working with <br />Greystar and the South Main development team on their public art requirements. Their <br />team opted to take a community driven approach to their public art direction. Together, we <br />assembled a South Main public art community task force with diverse representation from <br />the Redwood City Arts Commission, ArtsRWC, Casa Circulo, and Redwood City Parks and <br />Arts Foundation. Over the course of 6 months, the task force worked with Greystar to nail <br />down specific sites, projects, themes, and criteria for the art and artists. Ultimately we <br />delivered a set of site specific, locally driven recommendations that Greystar intends to <br />implement, should the project be approved. We fully expect the public art to transform the <br />public spaces and engage the entire community. This process worked so well that we <br />intend to develop this into a model to assist future developers with their percent -for -art <br />requirements. <br />Along this journey, I got a good sense of Greystar's attention to detail, their commitment to <br />the community, and their dedication to make this an outstanding project. They were clear <br />communicators, supported our community task force, and truly listened to our ideas and <br />recommendations. Overall, they seemed to be sincere in their desire to make Redwood <br />City a better place for everyone. <br />As a long standing resident of Redwood City, a civically minded individual, a frequent <br />patron of our downtown area and public spaces, and as an Arts Commissioner, I endorse <br />the South Main project and hope that you will approve it. <br />Thank you for your time and I look forward to your decision. <br />Sincerely, <br />