Silverstein Properties’ Post

Great article in the FT with POoR Collective, discussing the issue of how buildings can be repurposed and retrofitted in a way that is responsive to local needs. Pleased to see the references to the Stratford Centre which I'm fond of to this day, and in agreement with Larry Botchway's comments that it has been “readopted and reactivated” to the benefit of the community. Although still scruffy around the edges (and subject to numerous failed redevelopment proposals over the past decade), it has a footfall of 20million(!) a year and plays an important part in providing affordable retall and eating options for local people. Many of them visit Roof East up on the top level of the centre's car park. It was a hard sell back in 2013/14 when we (the Stratford Renaissance Partnership) worked to facilitate the opening of the new attraction up on the roof, a space previously occupied only by pigeons and a few other activities (not to be mentioned here). Many people thought there was no way such a stark concrete space open to the elements could compete with the wealth attractions on offer in the shiny new Westfield mall across the road and it would be best to just demolish the whole centre - starting with the underused car park in question. But all credit to Cathy Low, Urban Space Management and Newham Council (the freeholder) who inspired by our 2013 visit to Frank's Cafe in Peckham worked together to turn the disused roof into a thriving space full of fun, creativity and small business enterprise, still successfully operating 10 years later! It might not have the stunning views over London that you get from the top of Peckham Levels but it does hold its own in terms of how popular it has become and managed to hold onto its place in the 'new' Stratford. And who would ever have imagined the Washington Post describing it as "Stratford’s place to be... they have thought of everything" and Time Out saying "it’s the most fun you can ever hope to have in a multi- storey car park. Legally." It will be a number of years before the vision to re-imagine The Train Shed here on the Earls Court site as a new destination for cultural events, food and more will come to life, but the example of the Roof Garden shows just how quickly time passes - hard to believe it is over a decade since the first plans were made for that space.

Take a quick look at what HayDrews & Co. Global Consulting posted Across Midtown, new ordinance aims to boost street-level vibrancy In Midtown Atlanta, Special Public Interest Zoning (SPI-16) is looking forward to enhancing the street-level experience for residents and tourists by making it more “vibrant” and “tech-savvy”. These changes consist of parking decks matching the vibe of its neighboring building, active uses to avoid vacancy, outdoor dining, and other amenities. This project would be very beneficial to the city of Atlanta as it is a great addition to its overall city structure as it improves urban design, giving the city more of an identity, and would potentially increase its number or tourists. https://lnkd.in/e9g5XzkN Across Midtown, new ordinance aims to boost street-level vibrancy atlanta.urbanize.city

In a new book “Key to the City,” author Sara C. Bronin, chair of The White House advisory council on historic preservation and professor at Cornell University College of Architecture Art & Planning, examines zoning and how land use regulations impact the built environment in America. Bronin has advocated through Yale University School of Architecture, the University of Pennsylvania Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, Tulane University School of Architecture, Urban Land Institute, Latinos in Heritage Conservation and other organizations about property, land use, historic preservation, climate-friendly transportation, climate-smart buildings and energy. Her focus is on how law and policy can foster more equitable, sustainable, well-designed and connected places. Bronin currently lives in the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C. A native of Texas, she refers to her new hometown in the district as “arguably the best neighborhood in the United States.” As a neighborhood, Georgetown is walkable, mixed use and historic. So is San Francisco and some urban neighborhoods, like SoHo in Manhattan. Those features combine to create a sense of place and community because it’s so dense, and because it has a diversity of housing stock. Georgetown was built at a time that didn’t prioritize the car, and it’s a livable place. On the other hand, zoning often prevents us from building coherent, walkable communities. For example, zoning for single-family homes throughout suburban America is the most common form of zoning in the country. It doesn’t allow corner stores, nor restaurants, nor offices, just single family homes laid out on a grid. By comparison, Georgetown’s zoning expressly allows for corner stores, restaurants and shops within the residential blocks. They’re often the gathering places for the neighborhood, and they’re also convenient. Single-family-home zoning is good for those who want that exclusivity and don’t mind driving everywhere, but going forward, large segments of land should be set aside for zoning that allows multifamily, condos, offices, hospitality, retail and restaurants to encourage new development of walkable mixed-use properties that are preferred by many. Those more varied zoning standards are more likely to emerge in areas that have been zoned for strictly commercial uses. Live-work-shop-play communities have been common throughout the world with the possible exception of the U.S., but for the past two decades, mixed-use developments have been built and leased successfully from coast to coast, and the trend is only likely to continue.

🌊 Transforming Tampa: Water Street Development 🌊 Tampa is witnessing a remarkable transformation through the ambitious Water Street Tampa project. As one of the largest mixed-use developments in the nation, this $3 billion initiative is set to redefine urban living in the heart of the city. 🏙️ What's Happening? Residential and Commercial Spaces: The project includes over 3,500 new residential units and nearly 2 million square feet of office space. This blend of living and working environments is designed to cater to diverse needs and foster a vibrant community. Retail and Entertainment: Water Street Tampa will feature a variety of retail shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues, aimed at creating a lively urban atmosphere for residents and visitors alike. Public Spaces and Greenery: Emphasizing sustainability, the development includes expansive public parks and green spaces, promoting outdoor activities and enhancing the city's aesthetic appeal. 🚀 How It Will Improve Tampa: Economic Growth: By attracting businesses and residents, Water Street Tampa is poised to boost the local economy, creating jobs and stimulating investment in the area. The development enhances walkability and transportation options, making it easier for people to navigate the city and reducing reliance on cars. Community Engagement: With its focus on mixed-use spaces, the project encourages social interaction and community involvement, fostering a sense of belonging and vibrancy. For more insights into this transformative project, check out this Tampa Bay Times article. https://lnkd.in/ewnVt8xE Water Street Tampa is more than just a construction project—it's a vision for the future of urban living in Tampa, promising to make a lasting impact on the city's landscape and community. #WaterStreetTampa #UrbanDevelopment #TampaGrowth #CityTransformation

This is a good article about Atlanta's I-MIX zoning designation, created in 2020 to allow for mixed-use development in formerly industrial spaces while leaving space for some industrial uses. Some of the biggest recent developments in the city have happened through this zoning. Apparently the success of it is prompting other cities to explore similar zoning designations. And while it's good to see new life on these properties, there's still some serious work to be done to improve the projects. Apart from the obvious need to fund affordability in them, there's also the transportation component that needs to be addressed. The article focuses on The Works on Chatthoochee Avenue. It's a street that lacks frequent transit, has no protected bike lanes, and has spotty sidewalks. We can do better than drive-to urbanism. Instead of just applauding individual developments in a vacuum, let's work at a more holistic level and ensure that these projects are part of equitable, sustainable urban neighborhoods. https://lnkd.in/eUPrHFCf

In their quest to build more housing and bring down costs, YIMBYs have identified one overlooked hang-up: stairs. Yes, the humble stairwell is an unlikely but powerful foe. More specifically, they're taking aim at a widespread rule that requires almost every new apartment building in the US to include at least two separate stairwells. This part of local codes, they say, is an outdated safety measure that really just makes apartment units smaller, more expensive, and darker (yes, darker). Only a few US cities, most notably Seattle and New York City, allow single-stair buildings to stretch up to six stories — pretty much everywhere else in America caps it at three. But the single-stair movement is gathering steam, and it could change how entire cities look and feel. Every new apartment building needs stairs, sure. But maybe we could do with a lot fewer of them. Here's my story for Business Insider: https://lnkd.in/dkjsjvig #pointaccessblock #singlestair #realestate #housing

The previous low-storey commercial buildings on the 400 block of West Broadway were demolished to accommodate the construction staging area needs for SkyTrain’s Millennium Line Broadway Extension, reported Daily Hive. "This same block is also the location of the subway station entrance into Broadway-City Hall Station, which will evolve into a major regional interchange hub between the Canada Line and Millennium Line when the new subway reaching Arbutus opens in 2027. For many years, this site has been envisioned as part of a new Vancouver City Hall campus, but it would be carried out over the long term." "A new City Hall is being eyed as it would significantly reduce the municipal government’s lease expenses for privately owned office space at market rents, resulting in major cost savings over the long term. With a wide mix of major uses beyond City Hall functions, it could also be a revenue-generating opportunity for the City. Through major upgrades, it would also address the seismic issues of the 1935-built heritage City Hall building at the southern end of the campus fronting West 12th Avenue." https://lnkd.in/g7tAM8e8 #vancouver #cityhall #development

Clowes Developments’ Dove Valley Park. The saving grace for lack of space? Dove Valley Park at Foston just off the A50 between Derby and Uttoxeter has seen terrific growth over the last few years, with just under one million sq. ft. built and either sold or let to expanding local and indeed national companies including Hines, MEG, GXO Logistics, Inc., TopHat and JCB to name a few. It’s also one of the few locations in the East Midlands where bespoke built warehouse or manufacturing space can be offered for sale as well as to rent and it’s possibly the reason why we are seeing increased levels of activity centred on the park in early 2024. Design and build is very much a ‘posh phrase’ for having something built to an occupiers’ needs and their exact specification, but the message that such buildings can often be delivered within as little as 12 months from initial discussions seems to be permeating the local and regional market, particularly as with Dove Valley Park where freeholds can be offered as well as leasehold opportunities. Given that buying an existing building can often take many months and even then, it might not be ideal for an occupier, if of course a vaguely suitable building can be found, then design and build becomes a more and more keenly followed route when occupiers try and procure new space. Dove Valley Park can offer property solutions to buy from as little as 30,000sq ft upwards in what is an excellent location, just off the A50 between Derby and Stoke on Trent, providing great access to both the East and West Midlands markets. https://lnkd.in/eGgdFHcA

Downtown is Growing Up REAL ESTATE: Mix of Office, Housing, Retail ‘Maturing’ San Diego's Urban Core BY RAY HUARD SAN DIEGO – Downtown San Diego is going through a transition coming out of a post-COVID period when high interest rates put a damper on new construction. Demand for downtown office space is weak, with vacancy rates the highest in San Diego County at 27.1 % in the first quarter of 2024, according to Cushman & Wakefield. At the same time, demand for retail space is strong and the completion of three major downtown projects portends a bright future. Long term, several experts said that San Diego’s urban core is performing far better than many other cities. “I think downtown is finally growing up,” said David McCullough, principal landscape architect at McCullough Landscape Architecture and a board member of the San Diego Architectural Foundation. “We had a juvenile downtown for many years now. It just went through its teens and it’s going into its maturity,” McCullough said. “We’re going to see our city turn into what I would call a 24-hours city, which is what really needs to happen.” McCullough said that, “San Diego is setting a standard across the country for how a city can do it right,” citing zoning changes that make it easier to develop in neighborhoods near transit. “We’re going to see a lot of money and developers start to focus here in this region. I really believe that,” McCullough said. Alberto Lopez, project manager of Project Management Advisors, said that, “San Diego is poised to grow, particularly in the residential market.” “We’re going to continue to see a lot of residential high rise come in,” Lopez said. Most of the downtown apartment towers have been luxury apartments, but Lopez said that a 40-story East Village apartment building, Revel, planned by Cresleigh Development, could be a model for future middle-income housing downtown. https://lnkd.in/gGZCFTeH #commercialrealestate #development #construction #downtown

🏢 The historic and former Swift and Co. building, located in Houston’s bustling Heights neighborhood, is set to be transformed into a 4.47-acre mixed-use development. I love hearing that developers are taking such initiatives to restore what is one of the oldest, and first, neighborhoods and residential areas in Houston. Houston's landscape is drastically different from growing up there; but, is turning into something truly special refreshing and updating the City's image and also capacity for its now diverse and growing population. 🏗 They are expected to begin construction later this year, and the structure will encompass over 60,000 square feet dedicated to retail, office and restaurant space, all overlooking the popular Heights Hike-and-Bike Trail nearby. According to the Houston Chronicle, Random Capital and Triten Real Estate, the developers behind the initiative, will also enhance pedestrian accessibility to the building by revitalizing the surrounding green space and introducing new entry pathways. A BIT OF HISTORY: Originally established in 1917 as a cottonseed oil refinery, the century-old building later transitioned into one of the region's largest meatpacking facilities during the 1950s, courtesy of Swift and Co. In a bid to safeguard its rich history, the developers are pursuing a historic designation for the building. Anticipated for completion in 2025, the development aims to welcome restaurants within the same year. This isn't the first revitalization project for this development duo. They previously transformed five historic industrial buildings into a vibrant 4-acre mixed-use complex that now boasts 30 restaurant and merchant vendors. 🔗 LINK TO ARTICLE - https://lnkd.in/gkj9RjeY