Shoppers and pedestrians along Fourth Street will lose a stretch of sidewalk Saturday, Aug. 22, as the 210-unit Modera San Rafael apartment project pours concrete near the downtown corridor.

The contractor for the eight-story development at 930 Irwin St. will close the sidewalk and occupy the parking lane at 545 Fourth St. from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to a city Public Works notice published Tuesday, Aug. 18. Travel lanes will remain open. The work is authorized under encroachment permit EP-25-128.

The concrete pour marks visible progress on one of downtown San Rafael's largest housing projects. Mill Creek Residential, the developer, is building the eight-story complex on three consolidated parcels at the east end of the downtown corridor. The project includes 232 garage parking spaces, ground-floor resident amenities and 18 affordable units set aside for low-income households.

The project went before the city's Planning Commission in May 2025, and a demolition permit followed that September to clear three commercial buildings from the site. The city held a formal groundbreaking on April 14, and Mill Creek expects first move-ins in 2028.

"Downtown San Rafael is one of the most walker-friendly and bike-friendly locales in the region, and we look forward to joining the neighborhood," Mike Kim, Mill Creek's senior managing director of development in Northern California, said in a Jan. 29 press release announcing the start of construction.

The project sits near a SMART train station and carries a Walk Score of 95, according to Mill Creek. The developer is also pursuing a California GreenPoint Rated designation for the building.

Modera San Rafael is one of two major apartment projects rising downtown. The 120-unit Linc apartments at 703 Third St., as we reported Aug. 13, are also under construction. Together, the two developments will add more than 300 units to the downtown area, according to city records. As of June, 368 apartments were under construction citywide, with another 1,945 approved, the Marin Independent Journal reported.

The Aug. 22 sidewalk closure applies only to the 545 Fourth St. frontage. Drivers should expect the parking lane to be blocked but can use travel lanes as normal. The project liaison listed on city permits is Mike Lisle of Mill Creek Residential Trust, reachable at 925-980-5278.