Located on the edge of Redwood Shores, Redwood LIFE is home to leading life science companies pioneering life-saving treatments for some of the most critical health issues facing the world. While the region has seen more traditional office space development, demand for purpose-built life science lab and innovation office space continues to far outpace supply.
Since acquiring the project site in 2019, Longfellow has worked to renovate the existing office buildings to meet the needs of its tenants; however, the existing campus is technologically outdated and there is a limit to the type of improvements that renovation can accommodate. Longfellow proposes to transform the campus over time, through a carefully phased development, into a premier life science campus that thoughtfully engages its ecology and community.
Through Redwood LIFE Evolve, Longfellow seeks to truly ‘evolve’ the campus to better serve the life science sector by providing 3.3 million square feet of purpose-built, state-of-the-art lab space (a net increase of 2.3 million SF), giving companies room to grow and thrive. This will allow for a significant increase of green, open space on-site by concentrating the new lab and office space in modern facilities, and by transforming the site’s surface parking to a mix of architecturally-designed structured garages and podium-parked buildings.
Redwood LIFE Evolve will create a 21st-century campus for today’s leading life science companies, help Redwood City attract world-class life science and innovation companies, and secure long-term economic vitality for generations to come.
Today, Redwood LIFE is home to leading life science companies pioneering life-saving treatments for some of the most critical health issues facing the world’s population. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to invest in life science innovation and has triggered increased demand for modern R&D lab space. While the region has seen substantial growth in more traditional office space development, demand for purpose-built life science lab and innovation office space continues to far outpace supply.
1. Longfellow engaged leading experts in a thoughtful planning process, working closely with industry experts on traffic, construction, and environmental sustainability to proactively identify potential issues of concern and ensure we thoughtfully address the community’s feedback through the design of the project.
2. Several regulatory agencies will review the project. Before breaking ground, Redwood City and several other regulatory agencies – including the San Mateo County Department of Environmental Health, California Regional Water Quality Board, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, State Lands Commission, and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission – will study the Redwood LIFE Evolve project to identify potential environmental impacts and identify all feasible mitigation measures. These agencies will also exercise oversight to ensure the construction and operation of the project follows all health and safety standards required by law.
3. The project site’s current zoning allows research and development lab and office space. Longfellow is not proposing any different use or any greater density than what is currently allowed. Research facilities of this nature can be found in residential neighborhoods throughout the Bay Area – a practice that is common thanks to the extensive oversight, regulations, and safety procedures required for these types of facilities.
4. Construction on former landfills has become quite common throughout the Bay Area due to advancements in construction technology and Longfellow will work with industry experts to plan and execute the development. Throughout construction and occupancy, Longfellow will also adhere to regular monitoring overseen by several state and regional agencies to ensure the health and safety of tenants, the neighboring community, and the environment.
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Whether you’re a Redwood Shores neighbor, city resident, or local business owner, we want to hear from you!
Throughout the planning process, there will be many opportunities to provide feedback and ask questions. We will also be hosting community events and meetings to share updates.