The future of downtown Hayward

The City is inviting input on environmental and other issues Hayward community members think should be studied as part of review of future development planning in downtown Hayward.

The City is preparing a Hayward Downtown Specific Plan to revitalize and enhance the Downtown City Center Priority Development Area, approximately 320 acres at the north end of Hayward and encompassing the area generally centered at B and Main streets and straddling Foothill Boulevard to northeast and the elevated Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) railway to southwest.

The Downtown Specific Plan will establish a planning framework to facilitate future development of new housing and retail; foster linkages to other neighborhoods and destinations throughout the City; and enhance the overall character and accessibility of downtown.

Future development facilitated by the Specific Plan would be concentrated on four opportunity sites located near the Hayward BART and along Foothill Boulevard. Called an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), the study will evaluate the maximum potential buildout of up to 3,427 housing units and 1.9 million square feet of non-residential development.

Public comment on the scope, topics and issues that should be studied as part of the EIR are due no later than 5 pm Monday, March 26, and should be addressed to Hayward Senior Planner Damon Golubics, by email at Damon.Golubics@hayward-ca.gov or in writing mailed to the City of Hayward, Development Services Department, 777 B Street, Hayward, CA, 94541. For more information on the Downtown Specific Plan, visit the City of Hayward website.