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After a plan to keep the 600 block of Santa Cruz Avenue closed to cars narrowly won city council approval, Menlo Park is now the next step in reimagining the space as a vibrant public plaza aimed at drawing residents and visitors downtown. Councilmembers are excited about making it a space “the city can be proud of.”
The Menlo Park City Council reviewed initial design concepts for new improvements to the 600 block, where vehicle access has been restricted since 2023. The city is far from having a plan or timeline for use of the space, but the initial concepts intrigued councilmembers.
The effort is part of the city’s broader goal of “downtown vibrancy,” one of its top five priorities for fiscal year 2025-26. The area under consideration spans approximately 2,500 square feet of additional public space, with another 1,200 square feet identified between the existing outdoor dining area and the bike lane.
Assistant City Manager Stephen Stolte said the city partnered with urban design consultants from M-Group to explore options that balance community needs, safety and aesthetics.
Concepts included flexible seating arrangements, protective barriers, shade sails, overhead string lighting and painted roadway treatments to help define spaces for different uses. M-Group also brought up the possibility of adding a sidewalk to connect the plaza with an already existing breezeway.
The city also wants to ensure the space is accessible and safe. City staff are evaluating platforms to level uneven street grades and ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Protective planters and decorative fencing could be used to separate the plaza from a bike lane.
The city will also work with the Menlo Park Fire Protection District. Gage Schlice, the new fire marshal at the district, told the council he looked forward to making a space that both accomplishes the city’s goal and is safe for residents.
By transforming the space, the city hopes to create a downtown “living room” where people of all ages feel welcome and connected.
Seemingly referring to Bistro Vida owner Ali El Safy’s idea for the space, the city is considering whether to include an event space with a stage and programming such as live music and movies.
Menlo Park Mayor Drew Combs has concerns about that idea and thinks it would be better to focus on maintain a gathering place rather than an area for city programming.
Another area where Combs differed from his fellow councilmembers concerned a street mural. He said he is worried about maintenance of a street art installation.
“I’m not a fan of murals on the street, because it’s always the case that in a few months, they look very worn, and there’s chips. Unless we are really, actively retouching the mural, I think that they really very quickly make a place look worn down,” Combs said.
The project is partially funded with $477,515 available in the city’s Capital Improvement Plan for downtown streetscape improvements. Additional costs for construction, equipment, and outreach would be determined as plans progress.
Next steps include launching a public outreach campaign in August to gather community input. Staff plan to host pop-up events at the site, provide online engagement opportunities and work directly with downtown businesses and organizations to refine design proposals.
A mural will look terrible in a matter of months.
Who wants to be in a “living room” with cars whooshing all around you?
This is one of the most ridiculous ideas ever; streets are for transportation, not recreation – we have parks for that. If you want to revitalize downtown, make it easier for businesses to move there and work with building owners to make rents cheaper.
Creating a playground in the middle of a city block is not going to improve anything – wait until the homeless take over or, heaven forbid, someone is hurt by an off course driver…
I applaud the Council’s decision to transform this centrally located popular public area into an attractive gathering place. Fremont Park is a great spot for moderate size community event but it’s NOT actually in Downtown. The 600 block is an excellent place for many kinds of small community-produced events and would draw many more people to Downtown. I am a big supporter of this decision and proposed it in a blog post in May. https://www.almanacnews.com/blogs/creating-a-more-vibrant-menlo-park/2025/05/21/menlo-parks-best-opportunity-to-improve-downtown-in-2025/
I agree with Sheryl, they should have closed the full width of the street between Curtis and Doyle. Mountain View did this with Castro Street, and it’s been fantastic! Huge hit with locals and visitors, alike. It really helped to revitalize their downtown area. Maybe Menlo Park could do the same (in addition to building more housing on the parking lots behind the businesses). Cheers!
I applaud this effort to bring more life to downtown.
I agree with Todd – I’d love to see all of Santa Cruz shut down to car traffic and the entire street turned into a pedestrian mall – much like Mountain View has done with Castro street.
In the long run, the way bring vibrancy to our town is to build more housing and mixed use buildings downtown and all the way to the train station.