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Shopping Centers Today -> May 2004
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‘WHAT’LL YOU DO FOR US?’ MORE MUNICIPALITIES ASK
BY DONNA MITCHELL
Getting local governments to approve development projects requires more patience than ever, said speakers at this year’s Mid-Atlantic Idea Exchange, in Washington, D.C.
There are things developers can do to help themselves, however.
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“If you can provide that, along with what you want to do, you’ll get there a lot faster,” Kaufman said.
Linowes & Blocher advised client GFS Realty, a development subsidiary of Landover, Md.-based Giant Food, with regard to the conversion of a grocery-anchored community center in Rockville, Md., to a mixed-use project. GFS agreed to build a new road to alleviate traffic on Rockville Pike, in Montgomery County. The developer is negotiating with the state to buy the land for the road, which will run through the center, said Kaufman.
Linowes & Blocher also worked with authorities to change the 40-acre site’s zoning designation from general commercial to residential mixed-use. The project, to be called Montrose Crossing, could include about 700,000 square feet of retail space, 1,600 residential units and 100,000 square feet of offices; GFS expects the project to take about 10 years to build.
Dealing with officials in larger markets can sometimes be easier, because the procedures are more clearly established, says Taylor O. Chess, vice president of investment at Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers. In rural markets, by contrast, things sometimes operate under looser guidelines; there, the approval process can depend as much on private-public relationships as on statutory compliance, he said.
A lot hangs on smooth relations with municipalities. The sooner a developer can get approval, for instance, the easier it is to secure financing, Kaufman said.
This year’s Mid-Atlantic Idea Exchange program incorporated the value and outlet retail industry for the first time, so representatives of these sectors participated in the educational sessions and the deal-making forum.
Outlet malls are now a vital distribution channel for retail brands, said David Phillips, executive vice president of leasing at Baltimore-based Prime Retail. The landlords of these centers need to focus on making them places where customers get as much pleasure from gathering and socializing as they do from shopping, he added.
“The customer comes to us for a great experience and a day … focused on getting value,” he said.
In another change, this year’s program was moved to the Washington Convention Center, having outgrown the Washington Hilton Hotel & Towers, where it has been held in previous years. There were 1,925 people registered for the show.
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