New renderings have been published for the proposed redevelopment of the Moonlite Shopping Center at 2610 El Camino Real, Santa Clara. Illustrations show the 14-acre strip mall to be replaced by three multi-story complexes and over a hundred townhomes. The Toll Brothers are responsible for the development.
Moonlite Center condominiums street view, rendering by Van Meter Williams Pollack
Full build-out aims to construct 584 dwelling units across the site, including 264 for-sale condominiums in the two seven-story structures, 161 affordable rental apartments in a six-story structure, and 159 townhomes. The affordability range in the apartment complex will include 16 units for extremely low households, 32 very-low-income households, 112 low-income households, and a market-rate unit for an on-site manager. The denser apartments will rise over El Camino Real, while the less dense townhomes will populate the rear half of the lot.
Residential amenities will be spread across the complex, with community access to around 10,000 square feet of workspace and fitness centers. The project will include an unspecified number of live/work apartments. Residents and the general public will benefit from around 40,000 square feet of privately owned public open space with two wide pedestrian plazas between the multi-family buildings extending from El Camino Real to the inner-lot street.
Moonlite Center open plaza between the two condominium complexes, rendering by Van Meter Williams Pollack
Moonlite Center apartments street view, rendering by Van Meter Williams Pollack
Van Meter Williams Pollack is responsible for the design. Illustrations first published by the architects show the podium-style complexes. Facades will be articulated with balconies, different exterior materials, and vertical setbacks to break apart the overall massing.
The illustrations come just over a month after the Sherman Clay Group filed the initial preliminary permits to streamline the review process with Senate Bill 330. Public records show the property has been owned by SC Group through Moonlite Associates LLC since 1977. SC Group also owns the Winchester Shopping Center at 50-52 North Winchester Boulevard near Valley Fair Mall and Santana Row.
2610 El Camino Real, image by Google Satellite
The estimated cost and timeline for construction have yet to be 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
Interesting to see a site go from 100% commercial existing to 100% residential. It looks like the ground floor residential units have some buffer/barrier from the busy El Camino Real, but i imagine this being a very dead/quiet area of the stroad. Maybe the plaza will be somewhat activated with the live/work units, community workspace and fitness centers
The state doesn’t seem to care about all the work that went into the El Camino specific plan stating this property needs to have a grocery and an anchor. They’re not looking at the big picture for Santa Clara. They’re looking just to check a box for housing. We need more $3,500 studios, right?
With all the housing stock going on the market over the next few years, the excess supply will not support the price of $3,500 studios. The prices will decline. Basic supply/demand economics. I saw this happen in 2015, pre-pandemic in San Francisco when a lot of condos were built in San Francisco, the upper end rental units experienced a price softening. However, I agree that Santa Clara doesn’t and hasn’t done a good job of planning.
I don’t believe that to be true. I did not have to reduce my rental property what so ever. To be kind, on my own I gave them a rent reduction for 3 months during COVID-19
There is a downturn looming. That can create a lot of excess inventory. The Yimbies and liberals don’t seem to care. They want more inventory whether it’s apartments or ADU’s in your backyard. These developers are not looking to reduce rents. It doesn’t fit there business model.
This is all a big plan by liberals to pack everyone into Urban zones. That means making current suburbs Urban as well. They feel owning a single family home makes you a privileged individual. This would not be fair to the people that can’t or will not work. I find it to be unfair for the 50% of the people that pay taxes in this state. California has taxpayers leaving and homeless arriving. Not great for our economy although it’s encouraged by our current governor and administration.
Please–there won’t be “excess inventory” in the Bay Area for a long time. Current high rents are an indication of high demand. We don’t have nearly enough housing for the people who want to live here. If people buy homes in newly-built dense housing, that’s not “packing everyone into urban zones”–that’s people choosing to live in urban zones. If they don’t want to live there, they won’t buy units.
Moreover, dense housing produces significantly more tax revenue than single-family homes. This enables those single-family home owners to benefit from lower taxes.
With all the building going on the rents have not been reduced. The builders are producing higher end units so they can change more. Not many affordable units for families.
There are no facts that packing people in urban areas is beneficial to people, just to the green movement capitalizing on them.
I think its sad that there is no place for small merchants to rent anywhere. The vendors at the Moonlite are a valuable resource to the community, some if them are multigenerational. The vacuum and sewing store, Ray Js barber and the MC computer store have all been in the center since 1960. I think it’s sad that affordable work places are not included in the plan. The Moonlite center is a community resource where people in wheelchairs can take walks, parent groups walk and exercise under the big awnings. I hope everyone can feel welcome in the new public space.