As brick-and-mortar stores decline due to the rise of e-commerce, cities look to mall sites as ideal locations for new housing.

“This week, the Daly City Planning Commission unanimously approved a plan to build 214 apartments on a piece of land previously occupied by the Burlington Coat Factory at the Westlake Shopping Center — home to a Target, Home Depot and DSW shoe store, in addition to dozens of smaller businesses.” The project would bring badly needed housing to the San Francisco Bay Area, reports J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle.
“If it gets the green light, the project would be the second housing development in the pipeline at the Westlake Shopping Center. The owner, Kimco Realty, has already received approvals to build 179 apartments to replace a 55,630-square-foot retail and office complex at 10 Park Plaza Drive.”
According to the article, “The latest proposal comes as Bay Area cities are increasingly targeting sprawling shopping centers to help meet ambitious state-mandated housing goals,” with similar projects in the works in other area cities. “Like every municipality in California, Daly City is deep in the throes of updating its housing element, a once-every-eight-years exercise required by the state,” Dineen explains. The redevelopment of former commercial sites such as defunct malls is one way for California cities to meet their housing goals and boost housing construction with less resistance from the opponents that frequently fight increased density in residential neighborhoods.
FULL STORY: Here’s the latest plan to convert a Bay Area mall into new housing

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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