Part 3 - Ohio Lifestyle Center Series: Levis Commons

(Photo from Levis Commons Website)

(Photo from Levis Commons Website)

(Photo from Levis Commons Website)

Part 3 in my series of Lifestyle centers around Ohio is Levis Commons.  J. Preston Levis Commons, the "official" name of this center opened on October 26th of 2004.  The center is a large mixed-use project located in the Toledo suburb of Perrysburg, Ohio.  The Town Center of Levis Commons is the center piece of the project which includes 400 acres of planned development including retail and entertainment (1 million sf),  office (650,000 sf), as well as housing (1,000+ units).

When completed, J. Preston Levis Commons will be a $500 million development that has been deemed an "urban village". 

Dillin Corp is the master developer of the project and Hill Partners, Inc is the primary developer of The Town Center at Levis Commons and manages the leasing.  MBH Architects (Alameda, CA) was the architect for the center.

Dillin Corp has become a well known Toledo name announcing a project in Downtown Toledo, the Marina District on the Maumee River, as well as The Village at Southwyck, a 550,000 sf open air community on the former Southwyck mall site in Southwest Toledo.  Also planned (according to their website) is a project in Delaware County named The Village at Liberty Walk, a 300,000 sf town center development at the intersection of Seldom Seen and Sawmill Parkway.

Larry Dillin, President of Dillin Corp has also been the target of much criticism over the past several years for spearheading large projects only to see them languish for years including the Marina District and The Village at Southwyck.  And recently Dillin has faced tax delinquency for undeveloped parcels of land at Levis Commons that Mr. Dillin anticipated would be built out by now and generating revenue to cover the tax bill.  However, the sour ecomomy has stalled that phase of the development and the property is still waiting future development.  Mr. Dillin has also paid a third of his tax obligation and has worked out a payment plan for the rest.  In the meantime - the hope is the economy will continue to improve and Levis Commons can attract investment that will begin to produce a return on investment for Dillin.

Levis Commons demographic is the suburban female shopper and is certainly evident in the store mix.  A quick review of the store directory reveals cosmetics, women’s apparel, accessories, and shoes, as well as salons and home furnishings.  Although I have personally enjoyed spending time in the development – there is very little for the male shopper beyond a few select stores.  This is by design, however as the development matures a strategy may want to include stores that have a greater appeal to the male demo.

As mentioned in my first Lifestyle Center post, The Shops at Fallen Timbers is located just 6 miles to the west of Levis Commons and although the economy has suffered over the past few years, both centers appear to be doing well.

  

Creating a Creative Village for the Creative Class

(Image from Creative Village Proposal)

(Image from Creative Village Proposal)

(Image from Creative Village Proposal)

(Image from Creative Village Proposal)

Orlando has a plan for a 68-acre tract downtown that is currently home to the aging Amway Arena, a handful of buildings, and the sea of parking lots surrounding them.  With the Orlando Magic moving to the new Amway Center in October of this year, the large parcel of land is being reconstituted into what planners are calling the “Creative Village”.  The goal, according to the City of Orlando Concept Team Report, is to build a community that is focused on technology and to attract “the lifestyle of creative people and become a supportive, business-friendly environment in which digital media and related companies can thrive”.

The village would consists of housing, retail, technology focused business, green space, as well as other amenities that would support a 20 – 40 year old demographic.  Plans call for over 1,200+ housing units, 1,000,000 sf of office space, 125,000+ sf of commercial/retail, 200 hotel rooms, 325,000+ sf of educational facilities.

Craig Ustler, President of Ustler Development Inc and a well know Orlandian restaurateur turned developer has submitted the winning proposal to develop Creative Village with his extended team under the banner, Creative Village, Development, LLC.  For a detailed review of their plan – see their proposal submitted to the City of Orlando.

This will be another interesting development to watch.  This is one of the first concepts that I am aware of that is targeting the creative industry specifically as an anchor for redevelopment.  We have seen technology components in various developments, including Southfield (see previous post here) where a $100 million film studio was incorporated into the project.  Orlando obviously has a rich history of technology when you consider the innovation that exists in the numerous amusement parks located there.  This could be a coup for them and a way to lure a creative class to an urban development that will redefine their downtown.

  

Jerome Village Update

(Image from Jerome Village Website)

Here is an update on Jerome Village, a new development under way in Union County (see original blog post). Nationwide Reality Investors has started constructing the infrastructure for what will be one of the largest residential developments in Ohio.  

Retail Traffic: Lifestyle Center Developers Apply Lessons Learned During the Downturn

(Image from Retail Traffic)

Interesting Retail Traffic article discussing the merits and pitfalls of lifestyle centers and their explosive growth over the past decade.  Two centers worth note and mentioned in the article will also be highlighted in upcoming posts:  Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio and Levis Commons in suburban Toledo.  Stay tuned.


Article from Retail Traffic:
Lifestyle Center Developers Apply Lessons Learned During the Downturn

  

Baltimore's State Center

(Rendering by Mithun)

(Rendering by Mithun)

(Rendering by Mithun)

Another project back on track after a 2 year delay is State Center in Maryland. State Center is located in the Midtown District of Baltimore and is said to be the largest concentration of state government offices in Maryland.  So with that population of workers in mind (3,500 currently), as well as being a major mass transit node (metro and light rail stations are both located in or adjacent to the project), the 28 acre site will be redeveloped across five phases over 15 years that will include additional office space, housing, retail as well as green space. Phase 1 was given the unanimous approval to move forward and will include 500,000 sf of office space and 70,000 sf of retail (including a grocery store).


Total investment of this project will be $1.3 Billion with $215 million being spent on the initial phase.  The final project will consist of one million sf of office space, 3,000 mixed-income housing units, 500,000 sf of retail, a 200 room hotel, various restaurant and dining options, 60,000 additional sf of institutional office space, 3+ acres of green space, 3,000 additional parking spaces and plans for a movie theater.


Ekistics, LLC, the developer of the project, has also committed to a LEED Silver certification.  Three firms have partnered to design State Center including Design Collective and Cho Benn Holback + Associates, both of Baltimore and Mithun of Seattle.  


This is a massive project when you consider the complexities of an urban core, existing buildings, rail lines, infrastructure, and then creating a comprehensive development plan.  It will be an interesting project to follow.  Please send me your thoughts or your photos as it comes out of the ground.  Check out the books at the bottom.  Look Up, Baltimore is a walking tour of Mount Vernon Place which is a neighborhood adjacent to this project.  


Here is a article from the Baltimore Business Journal:
State Center Redevelopment to Start in Fall, Include Grocery Store


State Center Website:
http://statecenter.org