Mixed-use projects are all the rage, but often times, the ground floor retail storefronts remain empty long after residents have moved in.
" The Cityville apartments just east of Parkland Hospital offer more than 260 new rental units in a row of brightly colored buildings.
One look at the parking garage shows that the apartments have leased well.
But so far, not much is going on with the ground-floor retail space. Only one space, containing a small sandwich shop, is occupied in the 42,000-square-foot strip along Medical District Drive.
Developers are hoping that retail business will pick up in the project when the DART rail station opens across the street in 2010.
Such mixed-use developments with shops and apartments are all the rage with developers.
Although the apartments have been a hit, somebody forgot to check with the shopkeepers. And some of these projects – like the one on Medical District Drive – have been slow to lease.
That doesn't surprise apartment analyst Greg Willett.
"It's a good concept, but it hasn't always come together the way people thought it would," said Mr. Willett, vice president of research with Carrollton-based M/PF YieldStar. "Multifamily developers don't necessarily know how to do retail correctly."
Often it's not the developer but city officials who want to include shops in apartment complexes. The cities want the sales taxes generated by retail, he said.
And sometimes it's easier to get a mixed-use development zoned than stand-alone apartment projects, industry consultants and builders say."
FULL STORY: Mixed-use developments often struggle to fill retail space
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Dallas Surburb Bans New Airbnbs
Plano’s city council banned all new permits for short-term rentals as concerns about their impacts on housing costs grow.
Divvy Introduces E-Bike Charging Docks
New, circular docks let e-bikes charge at stations, eliminating the need for frequent battery swaps.
How Freeway Projects Impact Climate Resilience
In addition to displacement and public health impacts, highway expansions can also make communities less resilient to flooding and other climate-related disasters.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.