Affordable Housing Approved for 800-803 Belmont Avenue in Belmont, San Mateo County

Belmont City Council has officially approved plans for 800-803 Belmont Avenue. The project is expected to replace a low-slung hotel with 125 affordable housing units in San Mateo County. ROEM Corporation is responsible for the project as the applicant and property owner.

The eight-story development will rise from a 1.5-acre property to have over 230,000 square feet with 104,600 square feet for housing with amenities and 71,220 square feet for mechanical uses. The project will also have a three-floor subterranean garage with a capacity for 15- cars. The building itself will be terraced as it rises on a gradient, such that no individual portion of the project will rise above six floors. Residential amenities will include a fitness center, recreation space, club room, computer/homework room, and children’s play structure.

800-803 Belmont Avenue inner-lot view, rendering courtesy Roem

Unit sizes will vary with 52 one-bedroom units, 40 two-bedroom units, and 33 three-bedroom units. Thirty-six units will be for extremely low-income households, of which 19 will be supportive housing for formerly homeless veterans. The remaining 89 units will be for low-income households earning between 50-80% of the Area Median Income.

Withee Malcolm Architects is responsible for the design, which integrates arched windows and portals for a historicized aesthetic. Facade materials will include cement plaster, stone veneer, terracotta-tone roof tiles, and foam trim profiles for decorative classical ornamentation.

800-803 Belmont Avenue site map, illustration by Withee Malcolm Architects

The following excerpt comes from the project plan: “The building embodies a classical organization along its street fronts, with a defined base, mid, and upper section… This organization brings cohesiveness throughout the design, despite the change in elevation and shifts in building mass.”

Demolition will be required for the existing Bel Mateo Motel. The motel was finished in 1952 and was reviewed as a possible historic resource as a mid-century modern design.

Residents will be just five minutes away from the Belmont Caltrain Station and adjacent grocery store with the SamTrans bus. The train station’s parking lot also hosts the Belmont Farmers’ Market every Sunday morning.

800-803 Belmont Avenue, image via Google Satellite

Construction is expected to last 23 months from groundbreaking to completion. An expected groundbreaking date has not yet been established.

Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail

Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews