Quote:
Originally Posted by BuildThemTaller
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9397...7i13312!8i6656
There was a one-story building filled with suburban shops and restaurants, like Flattop Grill. There wasn't a parking lot, but it was seriously underutilized for the location. It always struck me as strip mall kind of space.
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Usually we call these "taxpayer" buildings, and there's nothing wrong with them. In fact, I think they are a huge positive for the city since they provide cheap space for independent businesses and they do not waste any valuable space for parking. Seriously, look at past street view images and you can see a karate dojo, a knitting store, a burger/hotdog place, a dentist, a chiropractor, a hair salon, a Middle Eastern restaurant, and a pizza place. Flat Top is the only chain. Every other one is an independent business, in just one small building over a 10-year period.
The new building fills the intersection, which is nice I guess, but it only has one retail space which will likely sit vacant because the rent is too high, or lease out to a boring tenant like a bank. 2/3 of the ground floor is given over to indoor parking which is just an utter waste of space.
If you care about vibrant cities, then you need to look past appearances and focus on the function of buildings in the economy.