Rising at the corner of McKnight and Manchester is an interesting looking mixed use development.
Fronting along the south side of Manchester Road are smaller-sized retail spaces, with parking to the rear of them (out of view from Manchester), and then larger-sized stores are in the back. Future phases of the project are planned for residential.
With most of the buildings now standing, the form of the development is readily recognizable: it will be new urbanism in the heart of St. Louis County.
15 comments:
A one-story Gap store does not equal New Urbanism. It may be more urban than past strip malls but it is a very long way away from being New Urbanism. This is why we have the term 'lifestyle center.'
What it needs is some graf.
According to this University of Michigan article, the Market at McKnight sounds like it fits the defintion of new urbanism:
“New Urbanism” type of growth focuses on mixed land-use development and zoning, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, efficient use of natural resources, limited automobile dependency, preservation of open spaces, and reinvestment in existing communities (infill development).
Infill development does not mean razing homes that were occupied --- people were forced out of their homes and businesses. Also, public streets were vacated --- reducing public space.
Here's an interesting article about infill development, largely written from the developer's perspective.
Part of the takeway is: it doesn't matter what you call it, it has to make economic sense.
Why is the corner -- the most accessible and visible part of the development -- wasted with that silly sign and fountain?
Urbanist preferences aside, that should be the most sensible spot for a store. From an economic standpoint, the greatest visibility is the most desirable.
Designers are so enmeshed in bad site planning that they even sacrifice market logic to their fixation on sub-urban design.
^Because no one will be crossing the intersection. You see, you walk AROUND a lifestyle center, but in suburbia, you still don't walk TO anywhere.
1. The City of Rockhill issued the RFP for Redevelopment in 2003. The city requested the redevelopment of the project site. Novus responded with a responsible master plan encompassing the challenges identified by the city of Rock Hill. If you consider the master plan and now look at the plan as implemented, you will note that Novus delivered.
2. Have you driven the continuous shoulder of Manchester Road in the past five years? You can actually begin a right turn 100 yards prior to your destination. This project provides continuous street front along Manchester Rd. The parking for the retail is screened, and the two sided building requires more investment by the developer.
3. Manchester Rd is controlled by MODOT. Have you ever negotiated the signal travel distance to intersections with Missouri Department of Transportation? If you have, you must know about the 1300' traffic signal rule. This project negotiated an 800' signal ruling.
4. Does anyone remember the VACANT Windshield replacement business that occpuied the corner...crashed cars provided a much better entry to Rock Hill - dont you agree?
5. Have you ever personally invested millions of dollars of your own personal earned net worth to improve a community, provide a tax base for a bankrupt municipality, and foster an economic base for an inner ring surburban community to reestablish itself?
6. The corner - Has it ever occured to any of you that the developer had multiple site plans? That market demand and lease terms established the ultimate site plan? Oh yes I forgot - we all should have principles independent of economics when we sign our redevlopemnt agreements and commit millions of dollars to projects that have no lease committment, and are simply dreams. Any takers? To whom should I write the check?
rowdaddy - you sound like john browne. if it is you, you've owed me return phone calls from about 3 years.
novus isnt doing this out of the goodness of their hearts - they're doing it to make money. nothing wrong with that, but let's not pretty up their motives.
i live in RPA2 of this development - the one Browne won't start on, but he will sue rock hill to prevent them from assigning the project to someone who WANTS to do it (or get a nice payoff to go away). he hasnt filed suit yet - but he told residents in writing that he will.
Browne has stalled and stalled our part of the project by making lowball offers and not returning calls to negotiate. all the while he tells us we have to be "realistic" about our sale prices, meaning we should give up our homes for market value so he can clean up after he develops the land. if he wants the project, let him pay a premium for the land - as he did in RPA1 - or let him go away and let a qualified developer come in here and build a target store.
Don't be fooled if you think Browne paid any kind of premium for RPA-1 property. He used a "hired gun" appraiser and eminent domain to force homeowners out.
Rowdaddy must be Jon (or one of his employees). No one else in this town supports him.
How do you find out what shops are going into this development?
The developer is Novus. They would be the best source for information.
Here's a link for more information:
Novus Development
Other than SteinMart (a discount clothing store)it is unclear who exactly is going in. Novus has had a long list, but has been found to be misrepresenting many businesses as interested or signed when in fact they are not. Amazingly, they told Rock Hill that several businesses initially intending to go into the failed Sunset Hills project were on board for Market at McKnight. Jonathan Browne goes out of his way to spin things. Suffice it to say, Market at McKnight is much delayed and minimally leased at present.
I did find out that one of the out buildings was gonna ba a drive thru starbucks.
The mayor of Rock Hill is kind of like a dumbed down version of Edith in "All in the Family." Ever since she married Peter Sebelsky, the city hall seems to be just her playground of malapropisms. Fox 2 shows up whenever there's a slow news day, so the city is able to maintain its image of buffoonery and continue drawing in all the best developers. Oh BTW, there will be 31 flavors frozen cow's milk in the otherwise empty "Milked 'em at McKnight" by summer.
Party on.
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