Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/753030
80 S C T / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 assets such as piers, marinas and parks, plus a 6,000- capacity concert hall among its 3.2 million square feet of residential, office, hotel, retail and cultural space. Designing any well-planned work-live-play development and peppering it with communal and social activities will lure the local population, says Tammy McKerrow, senior vice president and design principal for the Los Angeles–based Jerde Partnership, an urban-planning and architectural firm specializing in urban placemaking. "Once locals take pride in a place and treat it as their living room, it will become a destination for them and others," McKerrow said. The Jerde- designed, 31-acre Pacific City complex, in Huntington Beach, Calif., is one such community drawing room, says McKerrow. The mixed-use center boasts hotel and residential compo- nents, an artisanal food market, an Equinox gym, surf shops and specialty stores, plus about 20 food-related businesses, all in its 191,000-square-foot retail segment. Pacific City's architecture, which a local newspaper de- scribed as having a "textural California coastal aesthetic," cre- ates a surf-side vibe that locals immediately felt comfortable with, McKerrow says. "It makes you feel like you're hanging out in an environment that was designed for you, rather than a themed lifestyle center or mall that could be anywhere," she said. Pacific City also has numerous mom-and-pop business- es, another desirable element in today's community-oriented developments, she says. >> BY THE BOOK Most economic development strategies focus on attracting and retaining productive businesses that create jobs and generate tax revenues while offering residents prosper- ous, safe communities. Too often, however, communities are unaware of their retail po- tential and the tools that are available to help support successful development projects. To assist in this effort, ICSC recently published an entirely revised and updated second edition of Retail as a Catalyst for Economic Development. The book shows how retail and shopping center industry professionals team up with economic development profes- sionals and public sector officials to better serve the needs of the community. Pacific City, in Huntington Beach, Calif., aims to be the surfside community's drawing room " ONCE LOCALS TAKE PRIDE IN A PLACE AND TREAT IT AS THEIR LIVING ROOM, IT WILL BECOME A DESTINA- TION." "