Overview
The project creates a pedestrian-oriented development that activates Castro Street and Gateway Park by creating ground-floor retail shops and restaurants. These street-activated uses include a recessed arcade for outdoor dining and a pedestrian walking/shopping experience that will activate both Castro Street and Gateway Park.
The project is proposing to close Fairmont Street to autos and create a new “PedestrianPaseo” that encourages walking and bicycle use while at the same time helps to promote a connection to downtown and the “Old Town” neighborhood to the east. The Paseo features include; space for outdoor dining and seating, raised landscape planters, unique lighting, and other pedestrian features to further promote a walkable addition to the neighborhood. Street-level residential entries, a neighborhood community room, and fitness center all open out to the new Paseo which promotes additional pedestrian activation along this new connector to Castro Street.
Castro Street’s vibrant downtown atmosphere has long been an attractive focal point conducive to both work and play, and we intend to extend this lifestyle to the gateway to downtown. By providing healthy amenities and vibrant activities, individuals will have the complete experience of Mountain View all within the palms of their hands—all without leaving Castro Street!
Home of one of the most attractive corners of the Bay Area, Mountain View’s growth has faced a crisis affecting many seeking to live in the area: housing. With this in mind, we are proposing Castro Commons to help the city develop 100+ new homes providing more equitable and inclusive housing opportunities in the Downtown area. The project will include a selection of market-rate and below-market-rate housing.
Castro Commons is proposing to revitalize the local area by providing public spaces with a mix of retail, dining, and open spaces with outdoor amenities that will be meaningful for everyone. Drawing inspiration from active and vibrant spaces like Santana Row, downtown Santa Barbara, and even Paris, we see this project embodying the outdoor-indoor living and dining experience amplified by COVID-19. Take the North end of downtown Mountain View on Castro Street, for example. Very vibrant!
To achieve our goals of supporting local businesses and residents, Castro Commons aims to promote foot traffic and conserve local businesses.
We are dedicated to enhancing Gateway Park and conserving its prominence within the community. The project proposes to take advantage of many environmental features such as PV panels to generate and storage power. Electric vehicle charging stations for residential and visitor parking, electric bike and scooter charging will also be included in the project to help promote a green solution. Other sustainable features are highlighted and included in the green energy checklist within the drawing set