FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS

The Future of Northgate

• What is the vision for Northgate? The future vision for Northgate Town Square mixes transit-oriented housing, interconnected community gathering spaces, and relevant retail with restaurants that naturally draw people into an active social environment and encourages public interaction. Central to this vision is the creation of a new outdoor Town Square that will serve as the heart of the project, attracting residents throughout the community and new retailers to this one-of-a-kind destination in Marin County.

• How has the plan changed? Over the 2+ years, the applicant team has gathered considerable feedback from the community and the City of San Rafael regarding the initial project application. The comprehensive redevelopment plan has been extensively modified in response to the input from a wide-range of community stakeholders while key components of the changes are as follows:   Town Square An enlarged Town Square destination will be constructed phase one of the development process. Originally proposed for phase two of the master plan, the creation of the Town Square will commence upon project approval during phase one. Anchored by a repurposed, iconic pavilion structure, the Town Square design has been maximized by growing in size to nearly 60,000 square feet with programming spaces for family-friendly community gathering, outdoor concerts and movies, a fenced dog park, a children’s playground, and other public amenities.
  The Town Square also will incorporate flex space that can further expand the open space via raisable bollards for larger pedestrian-only special events, such as food truck nights, art festivals or 5k runs, and other community-driven purposes. Surrounding the Town Square will be new retail shop spaces and outdoor restaurants which will bring a constant energy to the center.
  In addition to the expanded Town Square, there is an additional open space and pocket park areas integrated through the site. Housing Choices The introduction of housing at the Northgate Town Square is a fundamental element of the redevelopment plan. In response to public and city feedback, new home ownership opportunities will be created with the addition of townhomes. Along the southern parcel that is closest to the existing single-family neighborhood, a total of 138 townhomes will replace the previously proposed five-story building to create a more natural transition for the adjacent neighbors. Bicycle Amenities Between the Town Square and movie theater, there will be a locally-inspired Cycle Center that is programmed for Marin County bicycle enthusiasts as well as the broader community. The 9,000 square foot outdoor area will feature a boutique bicycle repair shop, abundant bike parking, a shipping container café/bar, and lounge seating areas with fire pits. Site Connectivity New multimodal pathways will be integrated throughout the interior of the site, leading pedestrians and bicyclists into the Town Square, retail shops, and restaurants. Bike lanes and enhanced gateway features will invite community members into the site through a prominent entrance along Merrydale Road as well as other visible entry points. Sustainability Recycled water will be utilized on all landscaping materials through the use of an existing “purple pipe” that is connected to the site. Additionally, all of the residential buildings will now be 100% electric to further reflect the goals within the City of San Rafael’s Climate Change Action Plan 2030. Community Uses Located next to the Town Square, the project will relocate the city’s existing satellite public library and expand the space to include a public meeting room for use by local community groups. The library and community room will serve to further activate the town center with regular residents and organizations. SMART Connection Access to and from the nearby SMART Marin Civic Center station from the new Northgate Town Square will serve as a great amenity for the public. Merlone Geier strongly supports the City’s plans to enhance the pedestrian and bicycle connections to SMART in the near future. As part of the application, Merlone Geier will contribute financially to the City’s implementation of these offsite improvements in order to finalize the connection to Northgate and other adjacent properties.

Retail / Dining / Entertainment / Amenities

• The original proposal included a Costco, what changed? We heard loud and clear from neighbors that the Costco Warehouse and gas station was not the right fit for Northgate. We looked at alternative locations on the site, but determined that Northgate would be better served with a true mixed-use of housing, retail, and restaurants.

• What is the desired mix on retail stores? We believe the project will attract local, regional and national retailers. This will also include a blend of local and national restaurants as well as boutiques and medium-sized retailers. The idea is to offer a complete shopping experience — from essential items to lifestyle conveniences, with the possibility of a specialty grocery store and/or a fitness amenity.

• Will there be small businesses, such as local coffee shops? Absolutely! Our leasing team is out looking for local, small businesses, as well as regional and national tenants.

• What will happen to HomeGoods, Macy’s and Kohl’s? The retail landscape is constantly changing, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, but in the near-term we’re planning for Macy’s and Kohl’s to remain anchor stores, and that HomeGoods will remain a featured anchor in the project but will eventually be relocated to an alternate space.

• What restaurants are being added and when will they open? Although we don’t have a set list just yet, we’re working on featuring both local, regional and national brands to expand upon the current offerings. We want to create places for families and residences of the community to enjoy.

• Are experiential, entertainment venues being looked at? Yes, we are actively talking to potential tenants.

Housing

• What kind of housing will be available and when? Apartments and townhome will be built/phased over time and will vary in architecture, design and amenities. By integrating housing into the fabric of this redevelopment, we create another level of activity at Northgate.

• How many units? Since the initial application, the overall unit count has evolved to 1,422 total residences. The project will be incrementally phased over multiple years. In phase 1, we will incrementally bring 864 residential units into Northgate along with the Town Square, movie theater, and community gathering areas. In phase 2, we would have the flexibility to replace the existing big box retail with more relevant retail within new mixed-use buildings with an additional 558 residential units.

• Are there plans for ownership units? In response to community feedback, we have added 138 townhomes into the project.

• How many bedrooms is the largest apartment unit? There are a limited number of 3-bedroom units.

• How did you arrive at the density? To create a successful redevelopment project, a certain number of residential units are needed to make the plan function. The existing plan is well beneath the allowable density levels on this site.

• Will there be affordable housing? Yes. We are incorporating 143 affordable units that will be dispersed throughout the project.

Design

• Will there be some kind of outdoor area or park? Yes, the Town Square will be introduced during phase one of the redevelopment. Additionally, we are planning a number of integrated residential amenities to coincide with each phase of development where people can meet, walk their dogs, have lunch and just spend time outside.

• Will there be bicycle and pedestrian paths on the interior of the site – not just around the perimeter adjacent to the roadways? Yes, we intend to make the site an interconnected environment that allows for pedestrians and bicyclists to traverse through the property.

Sustainability

• What are the sustainable components of the project? In response to early public feedback and the City of San Rafael’s sustainability goals, we are committed to making all of the apartment buildings 100% electric and constructed with dual plumbing systems. Recycled water will also be utilized on all landscaping materials through the use of an existing “purple pipe” that is connected to the site.
  Additionally, we use CalGreen building standards code as a checklist for passive and active sustainable components when we design our projects. We will be looking at ways to capture and treat stormwater on site and install solar power and drought tolerant landscaping. All the new lighting will be LED and we are looking at low impact pavers or permeable concrete. In the housing, we will have low flow toilets, LED lighting and electric car charging stations. And we will be recycling all materials during construction onsite. These are just some examples of the sustainable components we are looking at.

• Are there plans to preserve any of the mature trees on the property during redevelopment? With our landscape architect, we will prepare an arborist report and we will keep as many healthy trees as we can.