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<br />
<br />August 7, 2000
<br />
<br />Making
<br />downtown
<br />from scratch
<br />
<br />OLD-AGE CONCEPT
<br />WORKS TODAY
<br />
<br />by Kathy Anderson
<br />
<br />(Editor's note: Kathy Anderso/l, AlA. is
<br />a principal at Min/leapolis-based KKE
<br />Architects Inc.)
<br />
<br />"T
<br />lungs are much blighter there ..."
<br />
<br />In the early 1960s, Petula Clark's hit
<br />song "Downtown" described how we, as a
<br />society, used to value the experience
<br />offered by a col-
<br />lection of tradi-
<br />tional communi-
<br />ty gathering
<br />spots, generally
<br />refened to as a "downtown." While the
<br />realities of society, retail and entertailllilent
<br />space have all changed dramatically since
<br />Petula fIrSt belted out her anthem, the draw
<br />of a central location for shopping and
<br />socializing applies as much today as it did
<br />40 years ago. However, this natural human
<br />search for shared, interactive social spaces
<br />must now be applied to the emerging trend
<br />
<br />GUEST
<br />COLUMNIST
<br />
<br />.~,,'" I
<br />
<br />Page 16
<br />
<br />Minne.rota astateJournal
<br />
<br />
<br />Arbor lakes in Maple Grove is the Twin Cities' first large-scale experiment
<br />in suburban downtown creation.
<br />
<br />PHOTO COURTESY OF KKE ARCHITECTS INC.
<br />
<br />
<br />of creating /lew
<br />downtowns.
<br />With popula-
<br />tion growth forc-
<br />ing migration
<br />ever farther from
<br />city cores, a
<br />demand for retail
<br />and entertain-
<br />ment offerings in
<br />areas that have
<br />typically served
<br />as agricultural
<br />land has fol-
<br />
<br />
<br />Kathy Anderson
<br />
<br />lowed. In order to save these new commu"
<br />nities from negative growth patterns, wllich
<br />impact everything from traffic movement
<br />to natural resources, cities like Maple
<br />Grove, Coon Rapids, Blaine and St.
<br />Michael, just to name a few, hilve estab-
<br />lished land-use uidelines that call tor con-
<br />centrated "downtown space - places t at
<br />residents can oint to as their community
<br />identIfier - as Important elements 0 the
<br />new development mix. In many cases; tllis
<br />means that a sense of place must be creat-
<br />ed from scratch.
<br />In Maple Grove, for example, a devel-
<br />
<br />Minnesota Real EstateJournal
<br />
<br />REPORTS
<br />
<br />DOWNTOWN from previous page
<br />
<br />ships between people, space and usage
<br />nlllst be understood for a new downtown
<br />to function as if it had evolved during a half
<br />century or more.
<br />For instance, studies tell us that shop-
<br />pers are not inclined to walk more than 350
<br />feet in cold climate conditions, an imDor-
<br />tant consideration when deslgnmg what is
<br />destined to become a pedestrian-friendly
<br />environment. We also have learned from
<br />housing develoi2ers that there are negative
<br />MLdwestern cultural stigmas to living
<br />above retail shops. However, we also are
<br />tolQjhat living in ~roximity to retail is con-
<br />sid!!..ed a plus. his becomes essential
<br />knowledge when addressing issues of
<br />incorporating housing with retail.
<br />Additionally, studies indicate that work-
<br />ers-i!!}d visitors in adjacent office buildings,
<br />as well as those employed at city hall, pro-
<br />vide a daytime and lunch consumer mar-
<br />ket that is vita the Main Street retailer's
<br />sUl.:vlval. Conversely, t lese ulllque pedes-
<br />trian shoppers also needed to be addressed
<br />when the search for the appropriate nux of
<br />Main Street tenants is planned.
<br />
<br />"Just listen to the music of the tramc
<br />in the cil]' ..."
<br />As noted above, the keys to creating a
<br />successful downtown are in the details.
<br />Urban elements, such as noise. congestion,
<br />light, color and motion, are a fonn of music
<br />that predict an atmosphere conducive to
<br />mingling, socializing and shopping.
<br />'jhe two-story portions of wildings and
<br />the relationships between each building,
<br />the street and the adjacent blocks are
<br />important considerations when stIiving to
<br />
<br />recreate an image of small town Main
<br />Streets, where buildings are rarely more
<br />than 120 feet apart and wluch people recall
<br />nostalgically. The parking locations for
<br />automobiles along Main Street not only
<br />provide conveluence for shop entrances but
<br />also form a human-scale comfort zone
<br />between the building edge. the Sidewalk
<br />and the street. . -
<br />This comfort zone should include
<br />streetscape elements, such as omamental
<br />light fixtures, benches. boulevard trees and
<br />fonnal landsca12lllg. Further enhance-
<br />ments, such as pavers and umbrella tables,
<br />add to the urban charm. S~cial attention
<br />to blick detailing and a vaIiety of canopy-
<br />il~ and signage raise the level of arclutec-
<br />ture beyond typical retail Ships.
<br />
<br />"You can forget aU your troubles, for-
<br />get all your cares ..."
<br />Where does this craving for the simple
<br />life of old come from? It appears to be a
<br />natural reaction to the retail trends of the
<br />past, as well as our cunent shopping habits.
<br />Prior to the emergence of the suburbs,
<br />downtown essentially was the only option
<br />for shopping.
<br />In the Twin Cities, the migration to the
<br />suburbs, combined with our dependence
<br />on the automobile, led to the development
<br />of Southdale, the first enclosed regional
<br />mall in the country. Southdale was tmly a
<br />reflection of the shopping habits of its time.
<br />In 1956, the target market was primarily
<br />housewives who were stay-at-home moth-
<br />ers. A need to escape the daily grind of
<br />raising a family, combined with the free
<br />time to stroll through the mall, were pri-
<br />mary factors driving the success of the
<br />
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<br />'.,~; ~".-'. I. '.-_,':1', ';:. ' .... J! ,<..\--~" '."1~"'~~,-
<br />.{ .....'..:.-~. ..~.'-'":<,.'...."<.:. -" ,.,' i, '..'~,,- .... .<.,' ">~';~""<.'" ~..<:.~.:..'..<.
<br />
<br />Cedar Business Center
<br />1701 - 1801 East 79th Street, Bloomington, MN
<br />
<br />enclosed mall.
<br />A dramatic cultural shift to time-
<br />strapped working mothers led to the recent
<br />power center trend. No longer did the tar-
<br />get market have the time or energy to stroll
<br />the mall. This market demanded conve-
<br />nience, merchandise value and the time
<br />savings of being able to drive up to a big
<br />discount retail box, park, shop and get out.
<br />Today, the value of time and energy is
<br />once again sllifting and, in its wake, a new
<br />trend in shopping may be underway. Is this
<br />a trend or an established language for retail
<br />development? Probably a combination of
<br />the two. But more than any other factor, it
<br />is essential to recognize that each site has
<br />unique forces which must be understood
<br />before presuming that Main Street is the
<br />solution.
<br />The historic pattems of retail rlp.vP.1UP-
<br />ment, such as location visibility. "r..cess,
<br />market demographics, traffic COllnt~ "'Id
<br />convelllence, cannot be forgotten. Arbor
<br />Lakes proves that for this particular site,
<br />the Main Street concept was appropriate.
<br />The reinforcement and strength that large
<br />national retailers bring to this location
<br />serve as a unique engine of opportunity for
<br />the smaller retail tenants. This was facili-
<br />tated by an early development decision to
<br />not offer an alternative location to Main
<br />Street for any tenant wislling to be near the
<br />big retailers.
<br />Combined with location decisions,
<br />strongly written architectural guidelines
<br />also were communicated to all retailers
<br />desiring this location. Also, by locating
<br />Main Street on a heavily traveled thor-
<br />oughfare, concems about access and visi-
<br />bility of shops were overcome. !Uj
<br />
<br />-
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />Page 15
<br />
<br />opment site, now called Arbor Lakes (see
<br />related report on page 12), was once con-
<br />sidered so remote that city officials decid-
<br />ed gravel mining was the best and Ilighest
<br />use of the land. Today, the site is at the
<br />crossroads of mcUor regional highways and
<br />has become the center of fast-growing res-
<br />idential development. The combination of
<br />rooftops, traffic and the success of the first
<br />generation of retail development made this
<br />area a prime location for a planned down-
<br />town with a Main Street spine.
<br />
<br />The Main Street concept
<br />One vehicle for planning a downtown
<br />site is the "Main Street" concept. While not
<br />a universal answer to every site, this con-
<br />cept has established a popular trend that
<br />has become at least a consideration in 1110St
<br />of today's new retail site master plans.
<br />Arbor Lakes utilized this concept in its
<br />master plan. The process began with the
<br />collaboration of the land owners, the city
<br />and the developer working toward a goal
<br />of strengthening the community. The ini-
<br />tial forces for the development included the
<br />success of a neighboring, big-box sh.op-
<br />pin center develo ent and ent-up
<br />emand for more homing office an retail
<br />space. The commitment from Maple Grove
<br />to locate the new city hall and government
<br />center witlun the development and collab-
<br />oration with a housin 0 er earl in
<br />the SIte planrung process helped to anc or
<br />the new downtown with a built-in pedes-
<br />trian population, located in proximity-to
<br />Mam ~treet storefronts.
<br />Planning a downtown in today's world
<br />requires gathering pertinent infomlation
<br />about the habits, desires and preferences of
<br />the marketplace. The symbiotic relation-
<br />
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