Apartments could replace Palo Alto office site under nonprofit’s plan

A nonprofit has proposed the development of dozens of apartments in Palo Alto that would replace an office building a short distance from a Caltrain station.

admin July 11, 2026 2 minutes read

PALO ALTO — A nonprofit is considering a project near a train stop in Palo Alto that would replace a small office building with dozens of apartments.

The six-story project at 555 College Ave. would produce 70 apartments near the corner of College Avenue and El Camino Real in the historic College Terrace district, documents on file with city planners show.

Minority Television Project, a San Mateo-based nonprofit that proposed the development, paid $7.1 million for the property in 2023, documents filed with the Santa Clara County Recorder’s Office show.

Plans envision five stories of housing and approximately 8,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor that could accommodate retail, dining, or other commerce-related operations.

The proposal also sketches out room for rooftop amenities consisting of a garden and gathering areas.

Separately, Minority Television Project has proposed a smaller 24-unit apartment project that would be built inside an existing office building at 127 Lytton Ave. in Palo Alto.

Both of the proposals would be built a few blocks from a Caltrain station. The Lytton Avenue site is near the Palo Alto Caltrain Station, and the College Avenue location is near the California Avenue Caltrain stop.

Minority Television Project filed its separate Palo Alto proposals by using provisions of Senate Bill 79, a state law that allows taller housing developments within 0.5 miles of qualifying major transit hubs.