Items Tagged ‘big box stores’
Adapt-A-Building
Synopsis:
The editorial staff at the Phoenix Magazine in Phoenix, Arizona, is calling for an adapt-a-building program for the Phoenix area. While Phoenix is going through a remaking process to right the wrongs of its immense sprawl development, this call is to look at the potential of reusing some of the old buildings in the area for new purposes. The new CityScape complex in downtown Phoenix has the potential of bringing new, denser life to downtown, but something also needs to happen with the numerous vacant retail spaces in the area. With a 12.2% vacancy rate for retail space in Phoenix, there is a lot of opportunity. And that’s what the staff is hoping people see, especially with all the empty big box stores. An example is the new POOL in Mesa which is the result of a $3-million adaptation of the vacant Mervyns department store. POOL now houses a wide range of vendors in an upscale version of the flea market. So what else is in store for the Phoenix area?
Once Levitz Furniture, Now Paintball Venue
Publication Date:
April 5, 2010Written By:
Jeff QuackenbushSource:
North Bay Business JournalRead more...
Synopsis:
What was once best categorized as a prime example of suburban shopping, Redwood Drive in Rohnert Park, California, is fast becoming an entertainment district. Marking by big box stores that have outlived their occupants, these structures are now gaining new uses as paintball fields, indoor raceways and sports centers. The newest project is the conversion that is about to start on an old Levitz Furniture store that will soon be a facility with paintball, laser tag and an arcade. Similar conversions have already taken place to an old Linens n’ Things and Costco. The area is transforming itself into an all new destination point, thanks to adaptive reuse.
Building Department to Enhance Services, Programs to Promote Development
Synopsis:
In a move to help spur activity in a down economy, the City of Phoenix has approved a number of policy changes and enhancements. One such change is to expand the Adaptive Reuse Program to include buildings up to 100,000 square feet and “big box” retail spaces. Adaptive reuse is a great way to help revitalize and stimulate communities. Phoenix’s investment in this policy furthers this concept. By expanding the buildings covered by this streamlined process, the city acknowledges that there are now a number of large structures becoming vacant due to store closings. These buildings tend to be newer and also are prime locations for new, more walkable reuses.