Formal permits have been filed for the adaptive reuse of an office tower at 2121 South El Camino Real near the Hillsdale Mall in San Mateo, San Mateo County. The project is looking to convert the 12-story office tower into a 144-unit residential complex. Tennessee-based Tourbineau Real Estate Partners is the project developer.
The formal application was filed a few months after preliminary permits were filed to invoke Senate Bill 330. The developer is also utilizing the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act, i.e., Assembly Bill 2011, to streamline the approval process for a housing development in a commercial corridor. There will be 22 deed-restricted units designated for affordable housing, with the exact income requirements not yet specified.
2121 South El Camino Real, rendering by TCA Architects
The 169-foot-tall structure contains around 109,500 square feet, of which 83,500 square feet will be transformed into 144 one-bedroom apartments. Residential amenities will include a new lobby, fitness center, and landscaped courtyards. The 12-story tower is part of a six-building campus. The other structures, consisting of offices and a multi-level parking garage, will all remain throughout construction.
TCA Architects is responsible for the design. The firm’s design approach includes a new grey paint job contrasted with wood panels around the pedestal. The collage-like addition of yellow and white rectangles will haphazardly adorn the exterior. Kimley Horn is the landscape architect and civil engineer.
2121 South El Camino Real pedestal redesign, rendering by TCA Architects
2121 South El Camino Real site plan, illustration by TCA Architects
Tourbineau Real Estate Partners purchased the multi-structure campus in June 2025 for $22 million, and subsequently filed preliminary plans last November. For the transaction announcement, the firm’s CIO, Ben Wong, shared that “the acquisition aligns with our strategy of targeting ‘inflection point’ real estate in key urban markets, where a property’s reset basis affords us the time and ability to choose multiple avenues going forward.”
2121 South El Camino Real, image via Google Street View
The 3.4-acre property is located between El Camino Real and Palm Avenue, between 21st and 22nd Avenue. Future residents will be a 15-minute walk from the Hillsdale Caltrain station, ten minutes from the Hillsdale Mall via SamTrans bus, and just a couple of blocks from a grocery store. The estimated cost and timeline for construction have not yet been established.
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Interesting project. It would be great to see a phase 2 as a lot of the other buildings in this site could be redeveloped with shared amenities and parking
I have always liked that building….not far from where I grew up. It always felt to “urban” to a clueless suburban kid.
this seems like a logical commercial structure to be turned into housing. i always admired it for the pedestal and its “look at me” addition to el camino. does anyone know who the original architect was?
I have been wondering that myself. According to the San Mateo County Assessor, it was built in 1974. There was a short-lived building boom along ECR in San Mateo in the late 1960s/early 1970s that saw about a half-dozen highish-rises built. Most were built near downtown. This one was definitely out there on its own south of 92.
It kind of reminds me of the Bank of America high-rise at 444 Castro Street in downtown Mountain View.
All 1-bedroom units! Another loss for families 😞
144 units, yet no 2 or 3 bedroom units. This has been a consistent family displacement trend on the peninsula. Having been born and raised in the peninsula I’m more than concerned about the imbalance of multi bedroom housing. I understand that developers are only concerned with the bottom line, but the San Mateo City council should do better job of demanding multi bedrooms.
Finally, an intelligent use of one of the MANY empty office buildings that could be converted to housing instead of some of the tear downs they are allowing all down El Camino Real!
I remember when it was built. The core was contrusted then the floors were built from the top down.
Its a unique building.