Even with all of the recent chatter about the mass exodus of residents to suburban areas that are situated outside of major cities, there are rumblings about new mixed-use, retail-heavy development projects located smack dab in the center of urban sprawl landscapes. The goal is to create a vibrant live-work-play environment that will not only not be a thriving community for the locals in the vicinity but will also appeal to both the daytime office workers and the outlying residents/suburbanites who will commute specifically to enjoy these developments.
The urban projects gaining considerable buzz include the East River development in Houston’s Fifth Ward neighborhood, directly adjacent to the East End district, and the Hollywood Park development in Inglewood, Calif., that will be a component of the 2-year-old SoFi Stadium, where the Los Angeles football teams, the Rams and the Chargers, play their home games. Both locations are expected to provide a unique mix of local brands and nationally known concepts that center on dining, entertainment, daily errand needs and fitness, in a mixed-use setting that provides ample green space for an optimum work-life balance.
East River Will Energize Former Industrial Area
The first phase of the Midway-developed East River project, which is occupying a former manufacturing and shipping industrial site, will include three acres of green space, as well as a 13,000-s.f. central plaza. The site, less than two miles from downtown Houston, overlooks the Buffalo Bayou River, allowing for easy access to the connecting hike and bike trails. The remaining buildings — consisting of a 360-unit apartment building, office buildings and a parking garage — will feature ground-floor retail. With all construction phases expected to be completed over the next 15 to 20 years, the final plans call for 500,000 s.f. of retail, in addition to continued construction of hotels, multifamily developments and office buildings covering 150 acres.
Phase One, which will include 100,000 s.f. of retail, should be completed by the fall of 2023. El Condor Coffee Roasters, a New York-based coffeehouse brand that features world-blend coffees, beer, wine and breakfast/lunch offerings, will open its first Texas unit in a 1,500-s.f. space. Additional tenants include the Texas brand, Lick Honest Ice Creams, which will occupy 1,124 s.f. of space, and local Houston-based brands, such as URBN Dental with a 2,612-s.f. unit; Tomi, a jewelry shop that will open an 880-s.f. space; The Astorian, which will open a 15,509-s.f. event venue for weddings and concerts; and Broham Fine Soul Food & Groceries, a farmer’s market specialty shop, conceived of by a James Beard Award-nominated chef, that will open a 4,000-s.f. unit. Additional tenants that East River is seeking include best-in-class restaurants, destination entertainment brands and Class A services for the residents and employees in the nearby area. By the end of this month, the East River development anticipates the opening of its 25-acre East River 9 nine-hole golf course, which also features a 300-yard driving range and six pickleball courts. The golf course will also include a 1,000-s.f. pro shop, as well as a family friendly bar/restaurant, called Riverhouse Houston, that will feature live music and an outdoor kids playscape area.
Hollywood Park Will Invigorate Urban Space
Hollywood Park, developed by Wilson Meany, expects to have up to 890,000 s.f. of retail as part of its 300-acre concept. Expect upcoming retail tenants targeted to include daily errands brands, such as a supermarket or dining hall marketplace concept, as well as apparel and footwear shops, in addition to large anchor store concepts and full-service experiential-themed restaurants.
Hollywood Park hopes to have at least 30% of its total tenancy to include local, California-based retailers. The first phase of the retail portion, in which 320,000 s.f. is expected to debut by the spring of 2023, has already signed on notable retail tenants, such as Cinepolis, which will open a 55,137-s.f., 12-screen dine-in luxury cinema. The other tenants announced are locally known brands, including Iconix Fitness, a Long Beach, Calif.-based health club brand which will open a new gym inside of a 56,000-s.f. building, and Sky’s Gourmet Tacos, an LA-based soul food-inspired taco/burrito concept that will open a 3,800-s.f. restaurant complete with a stage for live entertainment, a piano bar/lounge area and an outdoor patio.
In addition, Three Weavers GRDN, a local restaurant/craft brewery brand, will open a 20,000-s.f. unit that will include a rooftop deck/outdoor beer garden. Other announced tenants include the LA quick-service restaurant chain, Grilled Fraiche, which serves healthy Caribbean fusion food, Red Bay Coffee, a Northern California-based African American-owned brand, Antojitos Martin, a local juicer that also serves sweet and savory Mexican-influenced treats, and Residency Art Gallery, an African American-owned commercial art gallery.
The Hollywood Park project, taking over space that was once occupied by the Hollywood Park racetrack, has already completed SoFi Stadium, as well as a six-acre man-made body of water, called Rivers Lake, that includes a 12-foot waterfall and is surrounded by a 12-acre green space called Lake Park. In addition, the 227,000-s.f., 6,000-seat YouTube Theater, next to the SoFi Stadium, was completed last year, and features live comedy and concert performances, as well as esports tournaments.
Also in the pipeline for Hollywood Park are additional live performance and sports spaces. By spring of 2023, there will be a 65,000-s.f. domed venue that can accommodate 1,700 guests and will feature experiential immersive art events. It will potentially be called Cosm, which is the company behind the LED-infused experiential entertainment technology. By 2024, the Intuit Dome is expected to be completed, which will be the new arena for the LA professional basketball team, the Clippers, and it will also house 63,000 s.f. of retail.
Multifamily developments, hotels and office buildings are also factored into the mix at Hollywood Park. Two high-end apartment buildings are slated for completion by 2023 and will be within easy walking distance to the retail and restaurants: The Wesley, with 101 units, and The Crosby, with 213 units. Up to 500,000 s.f. of office space is also in the works, including the new seven-story building for the National Football League’s West Coast headquarters. Nationally based media and technology brands are expected to be targeted for upcoming office tenancy.
