Mayor Martinez de Villas outlines housing, transportation, parks and economic investments in State of the City address

Mayor Martinez de Villas delivered Redwood City’s State of the City address on March 23, 2026, telling residents the city is “grounded in history, shaping the future” while outlining priorities in housing, transportation, parks and economic vitality.

The address framed housing as the city’s central challenge and listed several ongoing actions. Council Member Diane Howard described planning and permitting activity under the city’s certified housing element and said the city preserved eight privately owned units as deed-restricted affordable housing through a $1,200,000 loan from the Housing Preservation Program. Howard also said regional partnerships and the city’s Hopeful Horizons Ordinance supported transitions out of homelessness: “In 2025, … 126 people experiencing homelessness transitioned into interim and permanent housing in Redwood City,” she said, citing coordinated outreach and case management with county and regional partners.

Howard cited tenant protections that took effect Jan. 1 aimed at housing stability — including minimum lease terms, just-cause eviction protections and relocation assistance — and said the city is working to remove barriers that delay approved housing projects moving toward construction.

Transportation and safety featured prominently. Council Member Isabella Chu and the mayor emphasized Vision Zero goals and recent data on crashes: officials said the city logged more than 3,200 traffic collisions from 2020 to 2025, with 3.5% resulting in severe or fatal injuries, and described the capital program’s investments in roads, sidewalks, signals, bike lanes and traffic-calming. The mayor highlighted a major reimagined interchange project intended to reduce congestion and improve bicycle and pedestrian connections, and cited neighborhood-level projects such as the Roosevelt Avenue permanent traffic-calming work, the Vera Avenue Bicycle Boulevard and the Bay Road Complete Streets project.

Parks, libraries and community programs were another focus. Council Member Chris Serkin described investments at Mezes Park, near-completion work at Jardina Nino Park and a large renovation at Hoover Park (a 3.5-acre project that includes a roughly 4,000-square-foot spray/play area, pickleball and turf volleyball courts, playgrounds, dog areas and improved accessibility). Serkin also noted library partnerships and services, including weekly food distributions with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley and volunteer contributions he said totaled 710 volunteers and more than 20,000 hours.

On public safety and resilience, the mayor and council described the city’s Community Wellness Crisis Response Team (a mental-health–focused response paired with police), the new Sequoia Station police substation to improve response in a commercial area, and the Fire Department’s Community Risk Reduction Division. Council Member Jeff Gee discussed Redwood Shores’ sea-level rise protection work and a levee project that officials said serves approximately 11,500 residents.

The address also highlighted downtown economic momentum. Council Member Marcela Padilla pointed to the Elko Yards development and said the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative signed a lease there; the city has rolled out a new online permitting portal and is launching Innovate RWC, a speaker series to connect residents to local businesses and research employers.

The mayor closed by announcing the Veterans Memorial Building and Senior Center will open on May 4 (phased amenities) and invited the public to the celebration. “The state of Redwood City is strong,” the mayor said. The council adjourned and scheduled its next meeting for April 2 at 6:00 p.m.

Ending — Next steps: the address focused on multi-year capital investments and partnerships; the most immediate public item announced was the May 4 opening of the Veterans Memorial Building and Senior Center.