12B — October 25 - November 7, 2019 — Owners, Developers & Managers — M id A tlantic
Real Estate Journal
www.marej.com
O wners , D evelopers & M anagers By Drew Romanic, The Martin Architectural Group, PC Re-Visioning Retail, One Center at a Time
T
he world of retail is ever-changing and ex- ceedingly fickle. Neigh-
center sees itself outpaced and out-positioned by newer cen- ters with superstores, offering both dry goods and groceries, as their anchors. At the same time, the renaissance of urban centers coupled with shifting demographics is generating a resurgence in urban and near urban areas. Just as several big box retailers are reformatting to fit into urban markets, even going vertical to accomplish this, there is still hope for the neighborhood center to be revi- talized if the location is sound. Through the evolution of the suburbs, and their expan- sion made possible by the
automobile, many markets eventually created “B” and “C” centers and malls which are now seeing a decline in use. These properties are still vi- able, but require a courageous and resourceful caretaker, aided by the design team, to repurpose and re-vision the property. The intent of these projects should be creating a place for people to shop, dine, enjoy, and relax. The added op- portunity to live and work in a newly refurbished community inserts a population into the property and provides a more compact lifestyle, saving time and energy and shifting it
toward leisure and personal endeavors. When reviewing your avail- able options for a property, begin with the low hanging fruit by refreshing the signage and facades with new finishes or visual elements to draw new clientele and existing cus- tomers back into the renewed center. Invest in landscaping, restriping the parking, and ad- dressing any safety issues such as poor lighting, pedestrian access, and vehicle entrances. Harness the power of a social media campaign, with the inclusion and participation of the tenants, to re-affirm the
property’s importance and connection to the community it serves. Invite your new fol- lowers to regularly scheduled special events to experience the new amenities and spread the word to their friends. The identity of the prop- erty may require reinvention, a physical makeover, and re- branding or re-imaging in order to compete within the market. This can be accomplished by adding new and inventive uses. Consider incorporating multifamily rental apartments, office space, and civic uses, or creating a new entertainment destination with enhanced dining options, cinema, per- forming arts, sporting venues for intramural athletics, or a library. This process is usually undertaken when the property has lost a major anchor in a crowded market and has few options to re-tenant that anchor to drive foot traffic. The incor- poration of more pedestrian- friendly amenities, such as walking paths with seating areas and hardscape, encour- ages users to leave their car and experience a more personal connection with the property. Drew Romanic is princi- pal at The Martin Architec- tural Group, PC. Cons truct ion & Real Estate Award TIMONIUM, MD — The Daily Record has selected Kinsley Construction, Inc. to receive a 2019 Excellence in Construction & Real Es- tate Award. Established this year, the award celebrates individuals and companies who are changing the land- scape of Maryland through design, construction, project management, lending, inno- vation and more. “We are incredibly hon- ored to be recognized as an organization working to build stronger communi- ties throughout Maryland,” said Steven Schrum , VP at Kinsley. The Construction category recognizes architects, devel- opers, engineers, environ- mental sensitivity, general contractors, historic preser- vation, homebuilders, inte- rior design/staging, lender/ bonding agents, project man- agers, projects of the year and subcontractors. Kinsley earns Excellence in
borhood cen- t e r s , o n c e the heart of t he subur - b a n r e t a i l l a nd s c a p e , h a v e b e e n c ha l l eng e d b y m a l l s , lifestyle cen-
Drew Romanic
ters, town centers, and power centers, all of which are a derivation or adaptation of the neighborhood center for- mula. Oftentimes the original grocery-anchored neighborhood
MARTIN ARCHITECTURAL The Martin Architectural Group was established in 1967 with a commitment to client service and design excellence. Our diverse portfolio includes mixed-use, multi-family residential, senior living communities, retail and office designs, transit-oriented developments, and sustainable projects. We are award-winning architects and planners committed to delivering the highest quality professional services to private sector real estate development. ARCHITECTS AND LAND PLANNERS IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PLAN tm
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