Supporting Legacy Retail Districts

December 2019

Target Audience: Sarasota County, FL

Self-Initiated Project

Sarasota County has a legacy of midcentury strip retail that was platted for multiple owners. The dispersed ownership of small legacy retail buildings offers distinct benefits when compared with single-owner retail centers or highway detached retail:

  • Typically feature more small businesses and unique local businesses

  • Likelier to have lower rent

  • Articulate on-site sidewalks, creating streetscapes somewhat analogous to traditional main streets despite the greater focus on parking and vehicle access

  • Often generate higher per-sf property values than large single-owner parcels

In this project, I proposed small and sensible urban design gestures, such as crosswalks and street furniture, to make shopping a more pleasant and convenient experience in legacy retail districts.