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JUNE2005 redesigning SHOPPING CENTERS in the Delaware Valley FROM GREYFIELDS TO COMMUNITY ASSETS JUNE2005 redesigning SHOPPING CENTERS in the Delaware Valley FROM GREYFIELDS TO COMMUNITY ASSETS Created in 1965, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is an interstate, intercounty, and intercity agency that provides continuing, comprehensive, and coordinated planning to shape a vision for the future growth of the Delaware Valley region. The region includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties, as well as the City of Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer counties in New Jersey. DVRPC provides technical assistance and services; conducts high priority studies that respond to the requests and demands of member state and local governments; fosters cooperation among various constituents to forge a consensus on diverse regional issues; determines and meets the needs of the private sector; and practices public outreach efforts to promote two-way communication and public awareness of regional issues and the Commission. Our logo is adapted from the official DVRPC seal and is designed as a stylized image of the Delaware Valley. The outer ring symbolizes the region as a whole, while the diagonal bar signifies the Delaware River. The two adjoining crescents represent the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey. The logo combines these elements to depict the areas served by DVRPC. DVRPC is funded by a variety of sources including federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Departments of Transportation, as well as by DVRPC's state and local member governments. The authors, however, are solely responsible for this reports findings and conclusions, which may not represent the official views or policies of the funding agencies. table of contents ▀ Executive Summary i ▀ Chapter One: What are Greyfields? 1 ▀ Chapter Two: Redesign & Implementation of Greyfield Sites 17 ▀ Chapter Three: Methodology & Inventory of Shopping Centers 31 ▀ Chapter Four: Shopping Center Case Studies 41 Appendices Appendix I: Shopping Center Definitions 67 Appendix II: Shopping Center Tenants Median Sales per Square Foot 73 Appendix III: Shopping Centers and Potential Greyfields in the Delaware Valley 77 Resources 105 Maps Map 01: Shopping Centers and Potential Greyfields in New Jersey 39 Map 02: Shopping Centers and Potential Greyfields in Pennsylvania 40 Tables Table 01: General Characteristics of Shopping Centers 11 Table 02: Design Characteristics of Shopping Centers 13 Table 03: Summary of Shopping Centers in the Delaware Valley 38 Figures Figure 01: Design Techniques 22 Figure 02: Redesigned Shopping Center: Suburban Plaza, Hamilton, NJ 25 Figure 03: Photo Simulation: Suburban Plaza, Hamilton, NJ 48 Figure 04: Redesigned Harrowgate Plaza, Philadelphia, PA 64 executive summary The Delaware Valley has a plethora of shopping centers, with centers, otherwise known as greyfields, in the region that are more being constructed each year. Current development abandoned or which meet a definition of decline; and patterns and retail trends are forcing tenants to abandon older provides access management, public transit service, land use shopping centers and relocate to new, big-box regional centers and zoning and design recommendations to help communities and malls in outlying, growing townships. Over time, these to reinvent these places into vibrant, mixed-use centers. In older shopping centers have become vacant and present a addition, this report contains a shopping center inventory in blighting influence on their surrounding communities. Appendix III of all shopping centers in the Delaware Valley. Solutions to encourage revitalization and redesign can be Shopping centers have been categorized by type and size, and impeded by a lack of knowledge by municipal potential greyfields have been identified. The report contains officials on how to redevelop and renew these sites, working two other appendices that explain shopping center in concert with regional and local land use and transportation terminology and outline median sales per square foot for policies. This report identifies vacant or underused shopping shopping centers on a national average. These appendices are explained throughout the report. i chapter one: WHAT ARE GREYFIELDS ? 1. INTRODUCTION were initially successful, but as The purpose of the DVRPC redesign and development patterns and demands inventory of shopping centers study is to changed, they soon fell victim to their own develop land use, economic development, success. Bigger and more modern and transportation policy shopping centers utilizing cheaper, recommendations - including design undeveloped land were built further from guidelines - to help communities find new the dense urban areas while the older and innovative ways to recreate these shopping centers were left as “shells” of abandoned sites into viable parts of their what once characterized suburbia. communities. Today, these obsolete shopping centers Following closely behind post-World War have become architectural, fiscal, and II residential suburbanization was a rapid social eyesores. These shopping centers no growth of a new form of retailing called longer serve their communities and drain shopping centers. These new shopping the financial base and quality of life from centers provided persons moving to the nearby neighborhoods. These shopping suburbs with easy access to department centers are in need of attention, stores, specialty stores, and local services. particularly in the communities that have They became a place of gathering for the lost population and employment to the community and soon were a large part of bigger and newer exurban communities. social life for suburbanites. The shopping centers built in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s 3 While shopping centers have changed in policy recommendations, including design character, it is also important to recognize guidelines with featured case studies of that the communities in which they exist several local shopping centers. Consistent have also changed. As the middle class with DVRPC’s long-range plan and the moved out of the inner-ring communities region’s smart growth efforts, this study to larger homes in the growing suburbs, will help municipalities to understand how this left the homes in older communities as these abandoned centers and parcels can a more affordable alternative for less once again become economically viable affluent people who also wanted single- and thriving areas in their communities. family homes. As this trend was occurring, the older shopping centers and 2. WHAT IS A GREYFIELD? their retail practices were less adaptable, The Congress for the New Urbanism and began to struggle for survival. Once (CNU) and PricewaterhouseCoopers the community gathering place, many (PWC) introduced the term greyfield in a older shopping centers became community jointly published report in 2001, Greyfields liabilities. into Goldfields. This report recognized that many of the nation’s major shopping In order to combat this downward trend, centers and regional malls are obsolete and this study will document shopping centers offer tremendous value for communities in that qualify as greyfields in the DVRPC their redevelopment potential. While that region and provide land use, zoning, study does not address malls less than transportation, and economic development 500,000 square feet, there are similar 4 elements of decline that all centers exhibit. Greyfields differ from site to site. Not all DESIGNtip Vacant or underutilized community and greyfield sites are on the decline; some BY HAVING A THOROUGH neighborhood level shopping centers may still bring in sufficient revenue to UNDERSTANDING OF THE largely contribute to the visual blight of a remain open, but not enough for new EXISTING TOPOGRAPHY, community, as well as to the depletion of improvements. Owners of these sites, who ACCESS, DENSITY, the quality of life. In many communities, do not want to sell, often rent the space at VISIBILITY, AND these abandoned shopping centers often low rates to tenants that do not service the SETBACKS OF THE lead to a declining tax base for surrounding community. Such tenants EXISTING SHOPPING communities as well as losses in include flea markets, warehousing, or CENTER, IT WILL BE employment. storage; uses that often do not bring in EASIER TO INCORPORATE sufficient sales tax revenues. The Congress NEW DESIGN ELEMENTS Derelict shopping centers, otherwise known for a New Urbanism (CNU) suggests that INTO THE REDEVELOPED as greyfields or “dead malls,” are once a mall’s sales drop to $150 per square SITE. recognized by empty storefronts and vast foot or less, it qualifies as a greyfield. The areas of unused asphalt parking lots. They 2001 report about greyfields also suggests are older, economically depressed retail or that there may be as many as 140 commercial areas that are characterized by qualifying greyfields in the United States, outdated buildings, are in a state of while another 200-250 shopping centers are disrepair, lack sufficient physical space to quickly approaching this status. This meet market demand, and fail to generate represents approximately 18 percent of all the revenue that would justify their regional malls in the United States. continued use as retail centers. 5 3. HISTORY OF THE SHOPPING MALL department stores

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