In a bid to revitalize a key gateway to downtown Mountain View, a local developer is proposing to build a seven-story condominium and commercial complex at the corner of Castro Street and El Camino Real.

Since 2015, GPR Ventures, a real estate investment firm headquartered in Mountain View, has been steadily acquiring properties along the city’s downtown corridor. Called the Castro Commons, the project site spans 1.5 acres and extends for nearly two blocks of the east side of Castro, from El Camino Real to just short of Yosemite Avenue.

Two years ago, GPR Ventures completed its most recent land purchase for the site, acquiring two properties for $19.1 million. The deal was described at the time as one of the most expensive land prices paid for the area.

Given its size and centrality to Castro Street, the project has the potential to raise concerns about what would become of the downtown area. But the company’s co-founders, Glen Yonekura and Phil Rolla, have sought to dispel some of these fears with their close ties to Mountain View. Yonekura lives less than a mile from Castro Street, and Rolla is a local resident, which they say has positioned them well to address community issues.

“Housing is needed here,” Yonekura said, adding that the community did not want to see more offices being built downtown.

Instead, GPR Ventures is proposing to build 104 condominium units and over 13,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space. The residential units are a mix of studio, one, two and three-bedrooms, with 83 slated as market rate units and 21 as below-market rate units, according to the company’s website.

The idea is for people to live near where they work, Yonekura said, noting that the development also will help revitalize the downtown area with more foot traffic to support local businesses along Castro Street.

Anchoring the entrance to Castro Commons is Gateway Park, a small patch of green space that once served as a prominent marker to downtown Mountain View and now largely functions as a site for protest gatherings.

GPR Ventures originally planned to relocate Gateway Park, which the city also proposed in its downtown precise plan. But community members pushed back against the idea; they wanted to keep the park in its current location, while also elevating its standing as a key gateway to downtown’s commercial center.

Roberto Miller, an Old Mountain View resident, pushed for the idea at community meetings and to the City Council last year.

“The Gateway Park area could be revitalized, in a way that could show the community pride of Mountain View,” he said. “And (we could) put up a sign like it was once there, welcoming people to Mountain View, just like you see in Redwood City.”

In plans submitted to the city, Gateway Park is in its original location and integrated with the Castro Commons development – something that Miller saw as indicative of the developers’ willingness to work with the community.

The two-level underground parking structure also posed a challenge for the development. It was redesigned to protect heritage trees at Gateway Park, according to the company's website.

In another change to the project plans, GPR Ventures had originally proposed to close down a portion of Hope Street to traffic coming through El Camino Real. The idea was to buffer residences from vehicles that cut through Hope Street to reach Castro Street. But the city did not support the plan.

“So, we pivoted,” Yonekura said, adding that the architects redesigned the project to keep Hope Street open.

However, GPR Ventures still intends to close off a part of Fairmont Avenue – between Hope Street and Castro Street – to create a pedestrian paseo that will link the city’s residential areas to shops and restaurants downtown.

The city has not yet formally approved the purchase of Fairmont Avenue. But GPR Ventures is working closely with the Public Works Department, which has been supportive of the project, Yanekura said.

GPR Ventures submitted its plans to the city in early November. It is still under review, according to the city’s most recent development update.

But the hope is to start building once the city approves the project, Yanekura said.

“Lots of businesses have closed down on the other end (of Castro Street). It would be great to get more feet on the street for local businesses to thrive,” he added.