Leasing Retail Space In Transit-Oriented Developments

"Fruitvale Village in Oakland, California, has become a reluctant symbol of the difficulties that transit-oriented development (TOD) can encounter. Three years after the $100 million collection of apartments, retail, and community and professional services opened next to a Bay Area Rapid Transit station in the Fruitvale neighborhood, four of its 23 retail spaces remain empty...The slowness has given developers and transit specialists yet another case to cite when cautioning about putting large volumes of retail space in TOD projects -- at least in unproven locations."

Yet, Fruitvale Village also offers lessons in how to overcome the challenges of vacant retail space. The project's sponsor, the non-profit Unity Council, has implemented several strategies to increase pedestrian traffic and attract tenants.

"At the end of October, negotiations were under way to fill the plaza's four remaining vacancies."