The Buffalo News reports today on a retail project that is proposed to be built on Transit Road in Clarence near County Road. Given the demographics surrounding that area, it’s not surprising that projects such as this are being proposed for that corridor.
The Wellesley, Massachusetts-based developer has a website up showing renderings of the proposed “Carriage Court at Clarence”.
The renderings make it appear to be an upscale shopping plaza (.pdf). Nothing particularly new or different. So, I have a suggestion.
Do you see in the site plan (.pdf) how the bulk of the parking is surrounded by retail? How about reversing that. Put the parking in the back, put the retail in the center, and run a tree-lined little pedestrian area down the middle, sort of like how Benderson proposes to do with its Amherst Centre project on Maple (.pdf).
In 2008, this is how you do it:
Also, kudos to both Benderson and Berkshire for putting the plans on their websites so that one doesn’t need to traipse to town board meetings to see what’s what.
The Buffalo Record 
Obstructionist armchair architect know-it-alls like you should move to the real suburbs if you can’t handle suburban living!
Yeah I agree the “Lifestyle Center” tag on this development is a bit of a stretch. Oh well, I suppose that sounds sexier than “upscale 3-sided strip mall”
I think it provides a nice sense of place.
They should look at the malls out West (like Denver) that have parking on the outside and little streets through the middle. (this project seems to small for that). It makes it a little village with great options.
I hear that these developments attract an undesirable element.
The rendering provided by Benderson looks great in the summer (good selling tactic); what about the winter view, as this is not S. Carolina?
Like the idea of taking emphasis off parking and mixing the uses up.
That project is about as much of a “lifestyle center” as Southgate Plaza is.
Not as nice as the one the russians are building in Grozny, but close…