Progress continues at The Preserve, where a new elementary school, new townhomes and a new nature area are taking shape. Keech Properties, a Redwood Shores company, is the master developer of this ecologically focused community.

New school, new name: The school was recently named the “Redwood Shores Elementary School” by the school district, in part to recognize the “hard work and generosity of Redwood Shores residents who made this school possible.” The school remains on target for completion inside and out before summer.

Lagoon improvements: A small barge can be seen on the lagoon as Redwood City continues its dredging project to protect water quality. According to the city’s web site, the project may continue through February, as they use the barge pump to move silt through a pipeline from the lagoon to the Preserves wetland restoration area.

Wetlands Restoration: Keech Properties continues to create public access paths, plazas and landscaping that will complete the system in the spring. The 90-acre natural area includes an 80-acre restored marsh that will provide habitat for the endangered California Clapper Rail and Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse.

Preserve Townhomes: Work on the models continues, despite rough weather in January. The townhomes are being built by KB Homes, which also constructed the nearby Seacrest, California Bayside Cove and Shore communities. Models open in April. Two, three and four bedroom units range from 1,400 to 2,000 square feet, and will be available beginning summer of 2010.

Shearwater Parkway Widening: Most of the construction has been completed to make Shearwater Parkway wider to handle the new school traffic. There are new turn lanes and utilities to the new School site, as well as landscaping, which has just been installed in the median islands.

For detailed information on the project visit www.keechproperties.com.