Quote:
Originally Posted by h0twired
If you think the rent prices in the Exchange are too high... then the case for small retail spaces in a newly constructed downtown building will be even worse. Unless of course you are okay with a couple more Starbucks, Subway and Tim Horton's locations.
I would agree that street level retail goes a LONG way for walkability and the overall feel of a neighbourhood, but unless independent retailers and restauranteurs are willing to pay considerably more you really can't make a case for developers to put it into their new builds. The litmus test for this really shows itself in the retail spaces under the Ryan Block parkade.
This puts the city into a bit of a predicament. Construction costs are too high and small business owners are too cheap. Where does the balance or tipping point exist to allow for this type of development to flourish?
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I'm a big fan of flex space. Rather than forcing developers to build at grade retail units when the demand isn't there, encourage them to build main floor residential that meets all code for retail/restaurant (in terms of ceiling heights, access, fire code, etc.), so that when the demand is there, it can easily be sold/converted.
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