The end of the era of the big box retailer is leaving landlords with the difficult task of finding new tenants for the large, empty storefronts.
When Sports Authority left its headquarters in the Denver suburb of Englewood, a new opportunity opened up for an atypical tenant to take its place. As Jason Blevins of the Denver Postreports, Earth Treks took over the space to open the country's largest indoor rock climbing gym. Chris Warner, the founder of Earth Treks, sees the glut of empty big box stores dotting the country as an opportunity to expand his rock climbing empire.
Repurposing big box stores, which are fading at a breakneck pace, is a mounting challenge for the retail industry, where hundreds of the suddenly empty stores anchored thousands of peripheral businesses.
CBRE, the world’s largest commercial real estate investment firm, noted in its 2017 market report that 70 big box spaces are available for rent in metro Denver.
Read the full story: Country’s largest climbing gym coming to former Sports Authority headquarters in Englewood
One of Denver’s busiest corridors to gain BRT
The project will span 18 miles and contain 74 bus rapid transit stations.
Learning loss and urban schools, part 2
Did test scores in progressive cities drop more post-COVID than test scores in moderate ones?
Denver is solving homelessness. Why aren't the rest of us?
Since 2023, Denver's street homeless population has decreased by 64%, proving that effective tools exist to support those in need of housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority