Daly City, California, September 7, 2025
News Summary
Work is underway on The Chester at Westlake, a seven-story mixed-use apartment building at 99 Southgate Avenue in Daly City. The project will deliver 214 apartments above a two-story concrete podium garage on a 1.93-acre site, plus roughly 10,000 sq ft of ground-floor retail. The building will feature varied facade materials, private balconies for most units, and over 13,000 sq ft of shared amenities including a fitness center, co-working space, landscaped courtyards and a rooftop sky lounge. Developers say the project will add market-rate housing and street-level retail to the Westlake neighborhood.
The Chester at Westlake: Construction Underway on Seven‑Story, 214‑Unit Mixed‑Use Building at 99 Southgate Avenue, Daly City
Construction has officially started on a seven‑story podium apartment building at 99 Southgate Avenue in Daly City. The project will deliver 214 apartments above a two‑story concrete parking podium on a 1.93‑acre site in the Westlake District, with an anticipated opening in Winter 2027.
What was announced and when
Work began in early September 2025. The development is being positioned as the city’s first new mixed‑use apartment community in about fifteen years and the first major predominantly market‑rate apartment project to break ground in the same span. Construction financing has been arranged and the project team is mobilized on site.
Site and scale
The property sits between the Westlake Shopping Center and the Westlake Village Apartments and covers just under two acres. The building will rise roughly 85 feet and encompass more than 350,000 square feet in total, with roughly 250,000 square feet allocated to housing and about 10,000 square feet of ground‑floor retail.
Housing mix, parking and amenities
The Chester will add 214 units in a mix of studios through three‑bedroom apartments. More than two‑thirds of the homes will include a private balcony or terrace. The parking podium will provide 288 spaces, a ratio of about 1:1.35 parking spaces per unit. Observers note that roughly 28% of the building’s interior square footage is devoted to parking.
Shared amenities will occupy more than 13,000 square feet and include a fitness center, a yoga room, co‑working space, a communal bar, two landscaped courtyards, and a rooftop sky lounge.
Design and materials
The project is a contemporary podium‑style design with façade articulation and material variation intended to reduce visual bulk. Exterior cladding shown in the approved plan set includes fiber cement panels, siding, board‑formed concrete, and stucco. The two‑story concrete podium forms the base of the building and contains the garage level and support spaces.
Developers, contractors and financing
The development is a joint venture between two national real estate firms, with one partner serving as lead developer on the site. The general contractor has begun site work, and a major financial institution is providing construction financing. The project design, landscape, civil, and interior teams are engaged and have detailed responsibilities for architecture, exterior landscape, civil engineering, and interior fit‑out.
Transit, neighborhood and context
The site is described as well‑connected to local transit. Bus and bike travel between the site and Daly City BART Station is estimated at about eight minutes, with multiple nearby bus stops served by routes that provide frequent service. Developers and planners point to the location as one where many daily needs can be reached without driving, though driving remains common in the region.
Local history and nearby housing efforts
The Westlake area has deep retail history, with the adjacent shopping center having opened in the early 1950s. The new market‑rate project arrives alongside a large nearby affordable housing effort that recently completed its first phase and has additional phases under construction, collectively replacing older public housing with several hundred new apartments and community services including a sizeable childcare center.
Timeline and next steps
Major structure and framing are expected to follow podium completion, with full project delivery targeted for winter 2027. The development team has indicated that construction is proceeding under standard permitting and inspection milestones, with regular site mobilization and material staging as the project advances.
Project team summary
Key contributors on the project include the lead developer and joint developer partner, the general contractor, the project architect, landscape architect, civil engineer, and interior designer. A major bank is providing construction lending.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is being built?
A seven‑story mixed‑use apartment building with 214 units, ground‑floor retail, and a two‑story concrete parking podium.
Where is the project located?
The site is at 99 Southgate Avenue in Daly City, in the Westlake District between the local shopping center and adjacent apartment complex.
When will it open?
Completion is expected as early as Winter 2027, subject to construction schedule and permitting.
How much parking will there be?
The garage will provide 288 parking spaces, about 1.35 spaces per unit.
What amenities are included?
A fitness center, yoga room, co‑working space, communal bar, two landscaped courtyards, and a rooftop sky lounge are included in the amenity program.
Who is financing and building it?
Construction financing is provided through a large lending institution, and the project is being delivered by an experienced general contractor working with the developer partners and consultants.
Key project features
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Address | 99 Southgate Avenue, Daly City |
| Site size | 1.93 acres |
| Units | 214 apartments (studios to three‑bedrooms) |
| Total area | Over 350,000 sq ft (approx. 250,000 sq ft housing) |
| Retail | Nearly 10,000 sq ft ground‑floor retail |
| Parking | 288 spaces in two‑story podium garage (approx. 1:1.35) |
| Amenities | Fitness center, yoga room, co‑working, communal bar, courtyards, rooftop sky lounge (more than 13,000 sq ft) |
| Height | Approximately 85 feet, seven stories |
| Expected opening | Winter 2027 |
| Construction financing | Provided by a major financial institution |
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
Additional Resources
- SF YIMBY: Construction Begins on The Chester at Westlake
- Wikipedia: Daly City, California
- ConnectCRE: Bozzuto, Kimco Break Ground on Daly City Rentals
- Google Search: Bozzuto Kimco Daly City rentals
- San Jose Mercury News: San Mateo County Affordable and Market-Rate Housing Break Ground
- Google Scholar: Daly City affordable housing
- San Mateo Daily Journal: Affordable Housing Project Breaks Ground in Daly City
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Daly City
- ReBusinessOnline: Mid-Pen Opens First Phase of Midway Village in Daly City
- Google News: Midway Village Daly City
Author: Construction CA News
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