SRI campus in Menlo Park could become mixed-use neighborhood
Modern offices, homes proposed to replace existing complex
MENLO PARK >> A big neighborhood of modern office buildings and new residences would replace the existing SRI campus in Menlo Park — and the project’s developer is seeking extensive community input on the proposal.
Parkline is the name of the proposed new mixed-use neighborhood in Menlo Park, according to project developer Lane Partners, which is teaming up with SRI International to revamp the existing campus that has frontages on Ravenswood Avenue, Middlefield Road, and Laurel Street.
Lane Partners, a veteran Bay Area development firm, is asking for help from the community to reinvent the 63-acre Menlo Park campus where SRI International, a 75-year-old research institute, has crafted countless world-changing solutions.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us,” said Mark Murray, a principal executive with Lane Partners. “We are doing this in partnership with SRI.”
Among the goals of the Parkline project, according to a preliminary proposal submitted to Menlo Park city planners:
• “Redevelop an aging campus into a financially viable mixed-use project that includes multi-family residential, public open space,
replacement office and research space, and community-serving uses.”
• “Increase Menlo Park’s housing supply by providing a minimum of 400 new, high-quality housing units, with a mix of unit types, sizes, and levels of affordability.”
• “Replace obsolete and unsustainable buildings with new, state-of-the-art, highly sustainable office and research buildings with flexible floor plates that can accommodate a variety of uses over time in response to market conditions.”
• Develop “a mixed-use neighborhood that can support a diverse community of residents and workers.”
• “Create business employment opportunities for local workers and businesses.”
A preliminary proposal being floated by Lane Partners would create slightly more than 1 million square feet of modern and stateof-the-art offices, which is about the same square footage as now exists on the campus.
“There will be no net increase in office square footage with this project,” Murray said.
At present, the SRI campus consists of approximately 38 office and research buildings at 333 Ravenswood Drive. Upon completion of the project, about eight to nine office buildings would exist on site.
SRI International intends to occupy about three of the nine buildings once the development is complete. The non-SRI buildings would be offered for lease to organizations other than SRI, such as tech companies or life science companies.
Stanford University established SRI in 1946 as a hub for innovation that would support the economic development in the area, initially calling the center the Stanford Research Institute, and locating the organization on the existing campus. SRI separated officially from Stanford in 1970 and in 1977 became known as SRI International.
Over the decades, SRI has obtained 4,000 patents and patent applications for breakthroughs in an array of fields.
“We are excited about the opportunity to work with Lane Partners to modernize our facilities and transform our campus into a new neighborhood that will truly be connected with the Menlo Park community,” said William Jeffrey, SRI’s chief executive officer.
Lane Partners executives intend to spend the summer in engagement and outreach efforts with the Menlo Park community to help reimagine the outmoded campus.
“The campus is overdue for a revamp, to say the least,” Murray said.
In place of the existing closed campus, a new neighborhood would sprout. The buildings would be well spaced apart, with plenty of greenery between the structures.
“The new neighborhood will be a park-like setting,” Murray said.
Lane Partners views Parkline as a transit-oriented neighborhood. The complex is a brisk stroll or very brief drive from the Menlo Park Caltrain station. Parkline also is about a five-minute drive from downtown Menlo Park.
“The idea is you could grab a sandwich in downtown Menlo Park and then ride a bicycle or drive and have a picnic in one of the open spaces in Parkline,” Murray said.
Parkline, with plenty of open space as well as the modern design of the buildings, is expected to appeal to the office requirements of the coronavirus era.
“You want to be able to walk outside and have meetings outside,” Murray said.
Plus, the new neighborhood will be designed to blend in with the existing adjacent areas in Menlo Park. It’s expected that the new neighborhood would be developed in phases.
“SRI will go from having a walled-off fortress to a great new neighborhood,” Murray said.