When it comes to recent mixed-use multifamily development/retail projects, the main objective appears to be creating a “town center” feel. This seems to be a direct reaction to the isolation so many felt during the height of COVID-19 lockdowns, resulting in a renewed yearning for connectedness. Today’s mixed-use, live-work-play developments are cognizant of the restorative powers resulting from outdoor-oriented, pedestrian-focused layouts that encourage unity, especially with an airy town center configuration that can safely host events such as art shows, farmers markets or exercise classes. These newer developments, in which on-premises condos or apartments intersperse with exciting retail tenants, are trending even more with the work-from-home crowd, all of whom want an environment that stimulates them throughout their work days, evenings and weekends. These shoppers and residential tenants alike are drawn to the retail town center’s convenience of providing all the benefits of city living in a “safer” suburban environment. Notable developments that encompass this town center layout include Tuscan Village in New Hampshire, The Village at Totem Lake in Washington state and University Place in North Carolina.
Tuscan Village, a 170-acre mixed-use mall/multifamily development in Salem, N.H., developed by Trident Group and located about 30 miles north of Boston, expects to have its latest project completed by fall 2022. The project includes 91 luxury apartments, as well as a five-story hotel and wedding/banquet facility. Future plans will also include building out 700,000 s.f. of retail space and developing up to 1,200 additional residential units. Tuscan Village already has a few other multifamily developments on the premises, including Hanover Tuscan Village, a 281-unit high-end luxury residence developed by Hanover Company, which was completed in February, and Corsa Tuscan Village, a 256-unit Class A apartment community developed by The Dolben Company.
Tuscan Village celebrated the completion of Phase II in May, which prominently features a town center concept with piazzas, parks and pedestrian paths. The outdoor green space is ideal for live music festivals, concerts and farmers markets, and features Adirondack chairs and picnic tables throughout. The property also has a six-acre lake, which will be utilized in conjunction with the lakefront L.L. Bean store for customers to test out merchandise while trying out various activities, such as stand-up paddle boarding, fly fishing and kayaking. More experiential occurrences at the Tuscan Village include free outdoor fitness classes, courtesy of Drive Custom Fit gym, which opened in April. There are also special multi-tenant events such as a cooking school, “La Scuola Culinaria,” located in the on-site Italian grocer/café, Tuscan Market, which has its cooking students use kitchenware items provided from Williams Sonoma, a neighboring tenant, for cross-promotion.
In addition, the New Hampshire restaurant chain, Smuttynose Brewery Beer Garden, offers a lakefront beer garden setting with outdoor fire pits and beach volleyball. New tenants expected to open by late 2021/early 2022 include Chick-fil-A, Banfield Pet Hospital and uBreakiFix. The mixed-use center already features numerous new tenants that opened in 2021, such as Arhaus in July, Ulta Beauty, Old Navy, Pottery Barn and Sleep Number in May, as well as a Starbucks in April.
The Village at Totem Lakes mixed-use lifestyle center in Kirkland, Wash., a 400,000-s.f. development located about 15 miles from Seattle and managed by CenterCal Properties, added two additional on-site apartment residences, developed by Fairfield Residential, this year. These are the 406-unit Aspect at Totem Lake Apartments available for preleasing, and The North at Totem Lake Apartments, with 244 units, now leasing. These apartments are in addition to the 202-unit Bell Totem Lake property, purchased in April by Bell Partners from Trinsic Residential Group, which originally opened in late 2019. The apartments perfectly complement the outdoor mall’s goal of being a town center-like community gathering place for residents and shoppers. New tenant trends proving to be attractive to the on-site apartment dwellers include health and wellness brands, such as Mayweather Boxing +Fitness, expected to open before the end of the year, and LensCrafters, which opened in August. Additional recent tenants include Sleep Number and Washington-chain Stack 571 Burger & Whiskey Bar, which both opened in June; Barnes & Noble that opened in May; Madison Reed, which opened in April and Cinemark, which opened in March. These complement the popular Salt & Straw, Lululemon Athletica and Athleta, which all opened in 2020, as well as the grocery anchors of Whole Foods Market that opened in 2018, and Trader Joe’s that opened in 2017.
Acquired by Village at Totem Lake LLC (a joint venture between PCCP and CenterCal) in 2015, Village at Totem Lakes had previously been an indoor mall, but 95% of the property was demolished to create outdoor-oriented mixed-use “village” touches. These include fire pits with comfortable outdoor seating, mini green spaces, a waterfall fountain/rock pool, and art installation stainless steel sculptures, titled “Dandelions,” that light up at night. Community gathering events include live music in the evenings, and outdoor fitness classes sponsored by Athleta.
Ram Realty Advisors, the owners of the 43-acre University Place Mall, an enclosed mall in Chapel Hill, N.C., located two miles from the University of North Carolina, received approval in June from the Chapel Hill Town Council to construct a 250-unit multifamily building up to 90 feet tall (seven stories), with at least 5,500 s.f. of ground-floor retail. It will be in the mall’s parking lot area next to the Silverspot Cinema anchor, as part of the mixed-use redevelopment project. Additionally, Ram Realty Advisors, in coordination with Foundry Commercial and Specialty Retail Consultants (SRC), will begin demolition this month of the 59,000-s.f. former Southern Season anchor, a specialty gourmet grocery store that declared bankruptcy last year, and the space will be replaced with an open-air “main street” concept. Further, the mall’s interior-facing storefronts will be converted into exterior-facing stores, and the mall’s center will become a half-acre town center-like green space, suitable for pedestrian walkability. The open area expects to be a community gathering spot for outdoor activities, such as farmer’s market events and fitness classes. Approximately 20,000 s.f. of the green area will be set aside as an entertainment venue for concerts and such, and up to 250 trees are expected to be added to the property. Future plans for the mall’s redevelopment over the next six years are expected to include 25,000 s.f. of office and commercial space, a 23,000-s.f. dining/entertainment hall and a 150-room hotel. The mall’s current tenants include Planet Fitness, Bartaco, Chick fil-A, Stoney River Steakhouse & Grill and Hawkers Asian Street Food.
