"They were built before the city of East Palo Alto was founded, to now-outdated building codes, and were not well maintained by the previous ownership," the press release states.

Woodland Park's buildings, which include multistory apartments and single-family residences, are between 50 and more than 100 years old, putting them at "the end of their useful life," the company stated in a press release.

The redevelopment would affect less than 10 percent of the 1,800-unit Woodland Park Communities, which is located west of U.S. Highway 101. Sand Hill would relocate the 160 tenants to similar residences within the same neighborhood during construction, then give them a "right to return" at their same rental rates, according to the company. (View maps of the plan provided by Sand Hill here ).

The proposal at Woodland Park Communities would not cause the eviction of current residents, a rarity among developers, the company said. Sand Hill would designate 160 apartments in the new development as rent controlled, available first to the existing tenants, and would add 445 apartments for rent at market rates.

The largest owner of apartments in East Palo Alto is proposing to demolish 160 rent-controlled units and to replace them with 605 apartments, some of which would rent at market-rate, owner Sand Hill Property Company announced Wednesday.

Residents of a duplex at 2044 Euclid Ave., managed by Woodland Park Communities, would be among the tenants who would be temporarily relocated to make way for a new housing development by Sand Hill Property Company that would give them a "right to return" to similar units in the new building. Photo by Veronica Weber.

This single-family home at 2040 Euclid Ave. managed by Woodland Park Communities falls under an area where Sand Hill Property Company plans to build new residential buildings the developer says would result in "zero-displacement" for existing tenants. Photo by Veronica Weber.

The apartment building at 2054 Euclid Ave. is one of the properties managed by Woodland Park Communities in East Palo Alto, where Sand Hill Property Company is eyeing to build new market-rate and rent-controlled units. Photo by Veronica Weber.

The apartment complex at 2001 Manhattan Avenue, managed by Woodland Park Communities, is one of the buildings which would be torn down and replaced with affordable and market rate housing units which the property's owner, Sand Hill Property Company, is proposing as part of a redevelopment plan in East Palo Alto. Photo by Veronica Weber.

The apartment complex at 2001 Manhattan Ave., managed by Woodland Park Communities, is one of the buildings Sand Hill Property Company is proposing to demolish to make way for new residential units in East Palo Alto. Photo by Veronica Weber.

Rent-controlled apartment complexes at 501 O'Connor St. and 2001 Manhattan Ave. in East Palo Alto, managed by Woodland Park Communities and owned by Sand Hill Property Company, could be redeveloped under a new plan proposed by the developer. Photo by Veronica Weber.

An apartment building at 2021 Euclid Ave. is one of the properties managed by Woodland Park Communities in East Palo Alto where Sand Hill Property Company is proposing to build a new development that would increase parking to 620 spaces. Photo by Veronica Weber.

The apartment building at 2012 Euclid Ave. is one of the properties managed by Woodland Park Communities in East Palo Alto, where Sand Hill Property Company is proposing to build affordable and market-rate units. Photo by Veronica Weber.

A handful of rent-controlled apartment buildings on Euclid Avenue in East Palo Alto are some of the properties that could be redeveloped by Sand Hill Property Company, which seeks to replace the current buildings that range between 50 and more than 100 years old. Photo by Veronica Weber.

Several rent-controlled single-family homes on Euclid Avenue in East Palo Alto are some of the properties that would be redeveloped under a new proposal by Sand Hill Property Company, which seeks to build 605 new units. Photo by Veronica Weber.

Rent-controlled apartment buildings at 2025 and 2021 Euclid Ave. in East Palo Alto are some of the properties which could be redeveloped under a proposal by Sand Hill Property Company. Photo by Veronica Weber.

An apartment complex at 2054 Euclid Ave., managed by Woodland Park Communities, is one of the buildings that would be demolished and replaced as part of Sand Hill Property Company's proposed Euclid Improvements project in East Palo Alto. Photo by Veronica Weber.

The apartment complexes at 2054 Euclid Ave. and 2033 Manhattan Ave. in East Palo Alto, managed by Woodland Park Communities, are some of the buildings that would be torn down and replaced with affordable and market-rate housing units under a proposal by property owner Sand Hill Property Company. Photo by Veronica Weber.

The new redevelopment, Euclid Improvements, will be located on two properties behind the University Circle business park and Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley. The largest parcel is at the corner of Manhattan Avenue and West Bayshore Road, bordered by O'Connor Street and Euclid Avenue. An adjacent, smaller development would be at the corner of O'Keefe Street and Euclid. (View a list of the impacted addresses at the end of this story.)

"Our proposal has been informed by years of discussions with our residents, our neighbors and the community. We will continue our engagement and outreach and will partner with East Palo Alto to create a community informed plan all of us can be proud of," Kramer said in the statement.

The development would also increase parking to approximately 620 spaces (up from the current 155 off-street slots), seek to improve nearby transit options and improve pedestrian and bicycle access, the company said. One space has tentatively been designated as "flex/retail."

The company hasn't yet determined how tall the buildings will be, but estimates four to eight stories, depending on what they are neighboring. Buildings next to the tall University Circle complex or U.S. Highway 101 could be taller and those next to residences would be shorter, said Mike Kramer, chief investment officer of Woodland Park Communities.

Woodland Park has had a rocky history since being acquired in 2007 by Page Mill Properties, which fueled concerns and distrust. The properties were engulfed in lawsuits over the city's rent-stabilization ordinance and steep rent increases by Page Mill. Investors sued , including over a $100 million failed investment in the company by the California Public Employees' Retirement System.

The announcement may help alleviate some concerns among residents and city leaders, who have feared for years that the large chunk of affordable housing would be converted to high-end apartments or condominiums.

Sand Hill's chief housing officer Candice Gonzalez, who was hired in July after serving 10 years as CEO of the affordable-housing developer Palo Alto Housing, reaffirmed the company's commitment to its current tenants in a statement: "Constructing new rent-controlled homes is relatively unprecedented in the industry, but it is vital that we protect current tenants and preserve affordability. The core principles that inform our plans are no displacement, having a community-informed plan, creating better parking and mobility, and constructing safer, healthier buildings."

The company sent a letter to Woodland's residents last week informing them of the proposed development. Representatives held meetings with those residents on Monday and with the broader Woodland Park community on Tuesday, with plans for additional community meetings during the next several months.

The company plans to submit the project application to the city this summer. If approved, construction could begin in 2021. The first apartments would be completed by 2023 at the earliest, Kramer said.

In October, the company apologized to tenants for a gaffe by its management company after residents who tried to pay their rent were refused if they could not show identification that matched their lease agreement. A company attorney told the East Palo Alto Rent Stabilization Board that Sand Hill was trying to protect residents' privacy.

In August, then-East Palo Alto Mayor Ruben Abrica, a resident of Woodland Park, recognized Sand Hill's efforts to improve the properties and tenants' experiences in his State of the City address. "(Woodland Park Communities) has acted differently, and I have seen that they have tried to restore the trust between management and the tenants, they have addressed more directly issues of parking, of maintenance, of security, and they have also done additional activities for the children and for the families," he said.

Hundreds of new apartments proposed in East Palo Alto

Property owner plans to replace 160 rent-controlled apartments, add 445 market-rate apartments