Supporting Legacy Retail Districts

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.