Quote:
Originally Posted by Fryguy
Not everything has to have ground retail, a prime example of that would be the Vistana – many of those spots have been empty since it opened.
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But they're there, they planned ahead. And when Frost opens and has five ground level retail spaces and hundreds of people working in the building, suddenly the neighborhood will be thriving on a different level, and because those retail outlets are in Vistana they will get new and/or better tenants and be part of a thriving neighborhood. That wouldn't be possible if they weren't there in the first place. Then other buildings will be built in what is suddenly a desirable location and if done properly they will add more retail to the area thus making it even better and more inviting for humans. So yes, in an urban area, as a general rule (with exceptions of course) every building should have ground level retail when possible.
I spent some time in a co-working space in Cambridge today. It was in a building that had been vacant for thirty years. Then a couple years ago they renovated and put the work space in and now it's thriving. If that space hadn't been there in the first place it would just be another uninviting block a la downtown Houston. And I think pretty much everyone knows what I mean when I compare something to downtown Houston.
Go, Vistana! Great job including the ground level retail. Others, please do the same.