What’s Up Our Sleeve? Check Out Our Pocket!

We are excited to announce the launch of Designers’ Pocket, a website resource for the design community.  You say there are already a ton of those?  Perhaps, and we have thought through this pretty carefully and hope the content we bring you will be both informative and refreshing.  Where we think we are different is the fact that we are and will be looking at the designer’s needs holistically.   If you have a creative block, we hope the imagery and right-brain articles will help inspire you to push through to the next step.   And if you need help with a budget, creating an invoice, or writing a contract, our left-brain articles are sure to help round out your creative skills with some solid business acumen (check out the Six DOs and DON'Ts of Asking for a Raise).

Every few weeks we will feature a member of the design community.  They could be just getting started, a veteran in the industry, or an entrepreneur that has one (or both) feet in design (check out the story of Tada Creative Studios).  We also have an ever expanding list of resources to supplement both halves of your brain.

Crocker Park Update

(Proposed Rendering from Bialosky + Parnters)

(Proposed Rendering from Bialosky + Parnters)

Crocker Park, the lifestyle center located in Westlake, Ohio announced this past week that American Greetings' new world headquarters will relocate there.  The 700,000 sf office building, new investment, and the 1,750 new employees will also spark a new hotel and 50% more retail to be built on existing land owned by the center.  


The $100 million investment is reported to include the hotel, 250,000 sf of additional retail offerings, a parking garage as well as other green space and amenities.

International Retail Development Update

(Paradise Center in Sofia, Bulgaria)

(Paradise Center in Sofia, Bulgaria)

(Paradise Center in Sofia, Bulgaria)

More bullish news on the international front:


Bulgaria
Bulgaria’s Paradise Center, the country’s largest shopping mall in the city of Sofia, is set to open at the end of 2012. The 1.1 million sf center will have 860,000 sf of retail and 270,000 sf of entertainment venues. Built as a lifestyle center with both interior and exterior venues, the center will also have an ice rink, be connected to the city’s transit system and provide 1900 parking spaces.


RTKL (London) designed the center and the Management company that will lease the development is Forton International. Forton is a regional alliance partner with Cushman & Wakefield. CA research recently confirmed Bulgaria saw the largest growth of shopping centers in Europe.  This will be one of 5 centers that are expected to open by 2013 in the city of Sofia. For an overview of the Bulgarian Retail Market (Q1 2011) see this document from Forton.


Peru
And an article from Living in Peru stated that their country will add 22 new malls by 2013 which equates to an investment of $687 million. To understand the scale of this economic growth you only have to look back to 2000 when Peru had only seven shopping centers of which six where in the capital city of Lima. Since that time, Peru has added on average 3 centers per year and now has a total of 39 centers. These new projects will bring the total to over 60 retail centers throughout the country.


I spent several months in Peru in 1996 and the lack of retail centers was quite evident then. At the time it was a two class society of the very poor or the very rich. There was little or no middle class that would support such centers. And as an editorial comment – what an amazing and wonderful country. The poverty that I witnessed there was not due to lack of effort. I have never experienced more hard working people than the Peruvians. I hope these new retail centers are an indication that Peru is developing that middle class.


Read more about Bulgaria:
   Bulgaria’s Next Largest Shopping Mall to Open 2012 End
   Bulgaria Sees Highest Growth of New Shopping Centers in Europe in 2010
   Sofia Citizen to Enjoy 5 New Shopping Malls by 2013


Read more about Peru:
   Peru Will Have 22 New Shopping Malls by 2013


And for past posts relating to other international retail development projects:
  Turkey and US Retail Development Update
  India Shopping Center Explosion: 94 New Malls by 2012




  

Part 5 – Ohio Lifestyle Centers: Legacy Village

(Image from Dorsky Hodgson + Partners Website)

(Image from Dorsky Hodgson + Partners Website)

(Image from Dorsky Hodgson + Partners Website)

(Arial View Looking North)

We head back to Metropolitan Cleveland for this ongoing Ohio Lifestyle Center series.  Opened in 2003, Legacy Village is located just east of Cleveland in the upscale community of Lyndhurst. 

Dorsky Hodgson + Partners (Cleveland) designed the $145 million development that sits on a 67-acre parcel and contains 650,000 sf of retail and restaurants in a “Main Street” configuration.  An additional 25,000 sf of office space resides above the retailers.  When originally opened, the center boasted that 60% of the retailers were new to Northeastern Ohio.  Stores like Expo Design Center, Crate & Barrel, Galyan’s, Cheesecake Factory, Z Gallerie,  and Restoration Hardware were all new and exciting destinations entering the Cleveland Market.

Although Legacy Village has done quite well since its opening, many of those original stores have since closed (exiting the center have been Expo, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, and Z Gallerie to name a few, while Galyan’s was purchased and became Dick’s Sporting Goods)

First Interstate Properties LTD developed the property and the project is noteworthy not only because of its high end destination for east siders, but also because of its proximity to the 1.2 million sf Beachwood Place, a well known and visited mall across the street.  And before Legacy Village and Beachwood Place, there was Shaker Square, built by the legendary Van Sweringen Brothers in 1929.  It is purported to be the second planned shopping center in the country at that time.  With upscale apartments, office space in proximity, and Cleveland’s RTA (commuter trains) running right through the center of the square – it truly was an original mixed-use project that still maintains itself as true town center.  Here are some aerials of Shaker Square.

Today, the center boasts over 70 stores and still maintains an impressive store directory.  Although the Lifestyle Center model may have taken a hiatus over the past several years, those well placed and with the right tenant mix continue to thrive.


Here are some relevant books that you may be interested in (mouse over for the details).


  

Colwood City Centre Heating Up

(Rendering by MCM Partnership showing the project as originally conceived in 2007)

(Image from City Centre Colwood website)

(Image from City Centre Colwood website)

(Image from City Centre Colwood website)

Colwood, British Columbus is a city located on Vancouver Island about 275 miles north of Portland, Oregon and 90 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Colwood City Centre is a project originally proposed in 2007 but was shelved as the economy began to sour.  It was announced recently work will finally begin on the reported $1.0 billion project and construction is expected to start in September.

The 14.25 acre property will be developed over the next 15 to 20 years depending on market demand and will eventually be home to 2,200 condominium units in multiple mid-rise and high rise towers, over 200,000 sf of retail and restaurants, and significant amount of office space (not yet determined).  Total build out of the project is expected to be more than 3 million sf. Developers hope Colwood City Centre will become the western urban hub of the island and is currently reported to be one of the top three single-site projects in Canada.


MCM Partnership (Vancouver, British Columbia) is the architect for the project and it is being developed by Turner Lane Development Corporation (Victoria, British Columbia).  Financing the project is League Assets Corp also of Canada.


Again, its great to see stalled projects make their way off the boards and back into the headlines.  I know from my personal experience as well as talking with other Architecture and Design firms, many are very busy which means future project announcements are sure to come in the coming months and perhaps some sustainable growth in the real estate/retail development sector.


Here is a article from the Vancouver Sun:
Condo, Retail Development in Colwood Nearing Launch


And here is a statement from League Assets Corp from September 2010:
Colwood City Centre:  Full Steam Ahead


(Mouse over these books for details)