Comments on: Ban Big Box http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/ Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded.* Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:02:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Scott http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-4357 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:43:31 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-4357 I really loved this post. I have fantasized for years that big boxes would be banned. One suggestion I have is to outlaw surface parking lots, or reduce them to 50% or less of the adjacent building footprint. Encourage below grade parking, and outlaw single-story big boxes. Northgate North and the Safeway at 23rd & Madison are great examples. NGN stacks several big box stores and parking into a tight, dense, vertical space. The Safeway on 23rd has a fairly small parking lot, and five or six stories of apartments (or condos?) on top. Both of these show that retail - even big box retail - can be done right and don't need sprawling parking lots. Now the city just needs to get on board and make these better, denser models the statutory standard... I really loved this post. I have fantasized for years that big boxes would be banned. One suggestion I have is to outlaw surface parking lots, or reduce them to 50% or less of the adjacent building footprint. Encourage below grade parking, and outlaw single-story big boxes. Northgate North and the Safeway at 23rd & Madison are great examples. NGN stacks several big box stores and parking into a tight, dense, vertical space. The Safeway on 23rd has a fairly small parking lot, and five or six stories of apartments (or condos?) on top. Both of these show that retail - even big box retail - can be done right and don’t need sprawling parking lots. Now the city just needs to get on board and make these better, denser models the statutory standard…

]]> by: Dearborn Street Development Conditionally Approved | hugeasscity http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-1972 Fri, 09 May 2008 06:55:37 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-1972 [...] Oh, and apparently I believe big box stores should be banned from Seattle. [...] […] Oh, and apparently I believe big box stores should be banned from Seattle. […]

]]> by: David http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-1232 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:22:32 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-1232 I totally agree with banning big box stores. They just did it in Bellingham where I lived for the past 4 years while I was going to school. Bellingham has a thriving community of local oriented businesses and is a great model for how to build a sustainable community. Check out this video that I made on the big box ban a while back. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVpj2WMNgO4 I totally agree with banning big box stores. They just did it in Bellingham where I lived for the past 4 years while I was going to school. Bellingham has a thriving community of local oriented businesses and is a great model for how to build a sustainable community. Check out this video that I made on the big box ban a while back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVpj2WMNgO4

]]> by: mike http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-986 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:42:01 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-986 citrus, you just described the PCC in fremont. granted, it's rather hideous, but at leasy makes good use of the land... citrus,

you just described the PCC in fremont. granted, it’s rather hideous, but at leasy makes good use of the land…

]]> by: Matt the Engineer http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-895 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:05:41 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-895 RC: REI is a great case for this reduced footprint idea. Their retail is 2 story (plus a basement), their parking is stacked, and 2 sides are interesting to walk by. Perhaps there should be exceptions to the SF area if you place a nice park on your site - just have that not count toward the maximum area. RC: REI is a great case for this reduced footprint idea. Their retail is 2 story (plus a basement), their parking is stacked, and 2 sides are interesting to walk by. Perhaps there should be exceptions to the SF area if you place a nice park on your site - just have that not count toward the maximum area.

]]> by: danb http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-889 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 05:48:30 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-889 I agree with 3 and 5 that it would probably work better to limit the building footprint rather than the total floorspace, i.e. it would be OK to stack retail floors. Of course there would be a sorts of unforeseen complications in regulations like this. I'm just putting the idea out there. Regarding REI, well, that whole company is a bit of a walking contradiction. The massive consumption that occurs under that roof is helping to destroy the very places that these consumers want to enjoy. REI draws customers from a very large area, and they all drive there, and eventually they won't be able to use those nice new skis at the Pass because of the global warming they helped produce. Just sayin... I agree with 3 and 5 that it would probably work better to limit the building footprint rather than the total floorspace, i.e. it would be OK to stack retail floors.

Of course there would be a sorts of unforeseen complications in regulations like this. I’m just putting the idea out there.

Regarding REI, well, that whole company is a bit of a walking contradiction. The massive consumption that occurs under that roof is helping to destroy the very places that these consumers want to enjoy. REI draws customers from a very large area, and they all drive there, and eventually they won’t be able to use those nice new skis at the Pass because of the global warming they helped produce. Just sayin…

]]> by: RC http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-886 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 03:12:24 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-886 I agree with #3 -- it's the unimaginative way that the space is used/wasted that is the problem. I find the REI flagship store downtown to be a nice use of space and it is much larger than 25k sf. As a side note, the big REI store has also attracted smaller retailers like Feathered Friends and Snowboard Connection to locate close by. I agree with #3 — it’s the unimaginative way that the space is used/wasted that is the problem. I find the REI flagship store downtown to be a nice use of space and it is much larger than 25k sf. As a side note, the big REI store has also attracted smaller retailers like Feathered Friends and Snowboard Connection to locate close by.

]]> by: Martin http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-855 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:12:46 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-855 I agree w/ #1 and #3. Make them build up (like they do in Asia) and put apartments on top. Otherwise, you just get big box stores just over the city line, and Seattleites driving out to them. So they drive further, and deny the city sales tax revenue. It's a lose-lose! I agree w/ #1 and #3. Make them build up (like they do in Asia) and put apartments on top.

Otherwise, you just get big box stores just over the city line, and Seattleites driving out to them. So they drive further, and deny the city sales tax revenue. It’s a lose-lose!

]]> by: citruspastels http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-846 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:28:39 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-846 Honestly, it's not the bigness that bothers me. It's the way it occupies that space. They could take up the whole block for all I care as long as the cars are underground, and there are apartments on top. That way, we accept our current reality that most people need to drive to get groceries, but take a strong progressive step with 100 people who can do the walking-friendly lifestyle. 1 step backwards with the automobile spaces, but two steps foward by providing people with real alternatives. Honestly, it’s not the bigness that bothers me. It’s the way it occupies that space. They could take up the whole block for all I care as long as the cars are underground, and there are apartments on top.

That way, we accept our current reality that most people need to drive to get groceries, but take a strong progressive step with 100 people who can do the walking-friendly lifestyle.

1 step backwards with the automobile spaces, but two steps foward by providing people with real alternatives.

]]> by: Andrew http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-843 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:28:22 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/#comment-843 I agree completely. 25,000 sf is more than enough. How big are trader joe's? The one on roosevelt couldn't possibly be more than 10,000 sf, and it's more than large enough to be a functional supermarket. I agree completely. 25,000 sf is more than enough. How big are trader joe’s? The one on roosevelt couldn’t possibly be more than 10,000 sf, and it’s more than large enough to be a functional supermarket.

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