Why

A significant site in the heart of East Palo Alto, the “Four Corners” site at University and Bay has been vacant for over 30 years. Over the years, community members have consistently lamented, “when will anything ever be built here?” The site has featured prominently in previous planning processes (Ravenswood / Four Corners TOD Specific Plan and the East Palo Alto General Plan), which called for a vibrant, mixed-use “downtown” at this location. In late 2019, Sand Hill Property Company – a local, family-owned builder and housing provider – purchased the property. As a long-time property owner and housing provider in East Palo Alto, we have been deeply invested in the city, understand the importance of this site to the community, and want to help realize the City’s vision for itself.

Based on a review of previous planning processes and feedback we heard from the community, we proposed a mixed-use neighborhood and submitted a development application in 2020. This proposal was discussed at length during the recently approved RBD / 4 Corners Specific Plan Update. The resulting plan changed the development standards and reduced allowed density in ways incompatible with our proposal. The feedback we received from community input and public hearings during that process was for more housing and a greater variety of housing, and less height and overall density.

What

In 2025, we submitted two new applications proposing 106 townhomes and a mixed-use building with 168 apartments and ground-floor retail. The plans include significant below-market-rate affordable housing. We held several community meetings and presented at multiple public hearings, and expect more engagement in the future.

If you are interested in learning more or sharing your feedback, please contact Teresa Morales at (650) 690-6199 (hablamos español). We look forward to working with you to improve the neighborhood and finally bring life to this long-vacant site.