Transcript Slide 1

RETROFITTING OLDER
COMMERCIAL STRIPS
Presentation to City of Edmonton
Planning and Development Department
May 9, 2006
SMART CHOICES PROGRAM
The Revitalization of Older Neighbourhood Commercial Strips
Achieves 4 Program Objectives:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Neighbourhood Reinvestment
Residential Infill
Walkability
Redevelopment of Older Commercial
(And Industrial) Lands
HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF
COMMERCIAL STRIPS
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Developed along Streetcar Routes
Former Main Entrances into City
Superceded by Ring Roads and Bypasses
New Trends in Retailing (Power Centres,
Mega Strips)
TYPICAL PROBLEMS WITH OLDER
COMMERCIAL STRIPS
• Oversupply of Commercial Space: High
Vacancy Rates; Marginal Tenants
• Unattractive Buildings, Signs
• Discontinuity
• Pedestrian Safety
• Traffic Congestion; Poor Flow Due to
Multiple Access Points
• Low Density / Inefficient Use of Land
REASONS FOR PERSISTENCE OF
OLDER COMMERCIAL STRIPS
• Market and Land Use Inertia
• Retail’s Enduring Preference for Visibility
and Access
• Opportunity for Independent Business
• Standard Practice of Applying Commercial
Zoning to Arterials
• Change Requires Leadership and $$$
TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO
STRIP REVITALIZATION
1. Streetscape Improvements
2. Mixed Use Zoning: Add apartments
above Commercial
PROBLEMS WITH TRADITIONAL
APPROACH TO REVITALIZATION
• Does not address underlying economic
structural problems (lipstick on a corpse)
• Mixed use development is complicated
THE CHALLENGES OF
MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT
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Residential Image
Security
Nuisance Impacts from Businesses
Parking Conflicts (customers vs tenants)
Higher Construction Costs (separate services,
different structural modules)
• Financing
• Insurance Risks
GRAND BOULEVARD / MANSION APARTMENT
NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE MODEL
Mansion Apartment Prototype
WHY MANSIONS?
Small apartment buildings (8-20 units)
• attractive to small builders (less capitalization)
• attractive to small investors (easier to manage)
• allows incremental redevelopment (large land
assembly not required)
• prestigious residential image
• neighbourly housing, not “ware-housing”
RETROFITTING PROCESS
1.
Preliminary Assessment of Potential for
Change
2.
Market Analysis Study – how much retail
can be supported?
3.
Land Development Economics Study:
retail vs. housing
RETROFITTING PROCESS
5.
Land Use Plan: Restructuring commercial strip
to evenly spaced neighbourhood centres with
intervening residential segments
6.
Building Prototypes / Designs
7.
Streetscape Improvements
8.
Incremental Redevelopment and Rezoning
ADVANTAGES OF
NEW APPROACH
For Business
• Accommodates the market’s preference for
retail concentrations at major crossroads.
• Improves viability of remaining neighbourhood
commercial
• Increased residential population = more
disposable income within catchment area
ADVANTAGES OF
NEW APPROACH
For Property-Owners
• More profitable development option
For Community
• Commercial blight removed
• More housing choice
• Improved neighbourhood image
For further information
Michael Freedman
Freedman, Tung & Bottomley
47 Kearney Street
Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94108
Tel. (415) 291-9455
Project: Highway 111, Cathedral City, CA