What's in the Works



The redevelopment of Tanforan transforms the existing 44-acre site into a connected mixed-use environment, integrating 1,000 units of much-needed mixed-income housing, a vibrant retail village anchored by a new Target store and an updated Century at Tanforan movie theater, a world-class science and technology campus, and engaging outdoor plazas and gathering spaces.



The Location



A modern, revitalized Tanforan will be a mixed-use transit village that will benefit from being located on the north edge of San Bruno, with excellent access to three major freeways, the San Francisco International Airport and downtown San Bruno. The site is immediately adjacent to the San Bruno BART station, SamTrans bus service on El Camino Real, and walking distance to the San Bruno Caltrain station making it ideally suited to a transit-oriented development.

Legacy of Tanforan



The Tanforan site has had many lives over the last 50 years. In the early 20th century, the site was home to the Tanforan Racetrack where famed racehorses Seabiscuit and Citation were trained and stabled. For six months in 1942, it served as one of the main Bay Area assembly centers for those forced into Japanese American internment camps, processing about 8,000 Japanese American Citizens. The track closed in 1964 and was about to be demolished, when it was destroyed in a major fire on July 31, 1964. In 1971, The Shops at Tanforan mall was later built on the site and was renovated in 2005. The San Bruno BART station opened in 2003, when the transit system was extended to Millbrae and the San Francisco International Airport. As we bring Tanforan into its next chapter, the project team will work closely will historical interest groups and the Japanese-American community to enhance, preserve and improve memorials and historical markers on or near the site.



For a more comprehensive background on Tanforan, see the City of San Bruno’s Tanforan website: tanforanforsanbruno.com.



What's Happening Next



The development team submitted a complete application package to the City of San Bruno in October 2024. This submittal follows a pre-application submittal and 18-month community engagement process with San Bruno residents and stakeholders, and marks a critical step in the entitlement process which is expected to take another 12 months. The project application provides detailed site planning, retail village layout, building massing and conceptual renderings for commercial, retail and residential uses. A joint study session of San Bruno's City Council and Planning Commission will meet on Nov 19, 2024 to review the project application. We will continue to update the community as designs progress and welcome all community feedback.