Eastland Urban Mall RedevelopmentBy

Alison Peckett

Course Instructor: Dean Dan NadenicekDesign Advisor: Alfie Vick

A Senior Design ProjectPresented to the School of Environmental Design

College of Environment and DesignUniversity of Georgia

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture

Athens, Georgia

Spring 2009

urban mall redevelopmenteastland mall reconnecting urban dwellers to their natural environment

When it opened in 1975, Eastland Mall was the largest regional mall in North Carolina and the first in Charlotte. Retailers Belk, J.C. Penny and Ivey’s anchored Eastland and the children of Charlotte and their parents were attracted to the mall’s central amenity, its ice-skating rink. Over three decades, hundreds of retailers, food vendors and theater operators called Eastland Mall home. However today, 33 years later, although centrally located in east Charlotte, Eastland’s one million-plus square feet of retail space on nearly 100 acres suffers from changing demographics, deteriorating market forces and competition from newer, larger malls and big box retailers choosing alternative locations.

location

year built

square footage

Central Avenue and Sharon Amity- Charlotte, North Carolina (Located approximately 5 miles from downtown Charlotte)

1975- remodeled in 1990

Anchor tenants are Sears, Dillards, and Belk

1,220, 356 retail sq. ft. • Sears: 191,000 sf. • Belk: 180,000 sf. • Dillards: 159,000 sf. • JCPenny: 169,000 sf • Parking: 5762 sf.

tenants

The current location of the Eastland mall site presents several challenges and opportunities. Because it does not have easy access from a major interstate, there must be a strong draw to bring people to the area. With outlying competitors and big box retailers, the programming of what goes within the site is crucial to its success. Its central location within east Charlotte can allow it to be a more local destination; however, due to its large size- the development will need to draw from the use of the larger community

The natural systems which exist in and around the mall site largely influence any proposed design. All water currently flows in a 72” pipe below the mall from the high points which are located on the northern portion of the site. Understanding the flow of this water provides opportunities for a more creative exposure of this water throughout the development.

slope + soil analysisnatural systems

The existing infrastructure within the site provides a basic framework for redevelopment. There are several opportunities for re-use within the space. The existing transit center is a large asset to the site and has the potential to become the main transit hub for all of east Charlotte.

slope + soil analysis

physical site conditionsof existing infrastructure and systems

goals

opportunities

obstacles•area image & perception is damaged beyond reality of the situation •limited highway access (most regional malls are located off of an interstate)•new competition in outlying areas- South Park Mall•abundance of disconnected multi-family projects•low owner/renter ratio for neighborhood stability•area demographic changing•loss of retailers•outdated strip malls•inadequate transit system

•dense population- community to support development •community transit center exists and Eastland mall site will be hub for future streetcar •central location- has the potential to become the anchor for east Charlotte.•adaptive re-use opportunities through existing vacant buildings on site•potential for parks and greenway connections •international merchants/market to foster the diverse cultures which characterize the area•community commitment•affordable/attractive neighborhoods

•dense population- community to support development •community transit center exists and Eastland mall site will be hub for future streetcar •central location- has the potential to become the anchor for east Charlotte.•adaptive re-use opportunities through existing vacant buildings on site•potential for parks and greenway connections •international merchants/market to foster the diverse cultures which characterize the area•community commitment•affordable/attractive neighborhoods

opportunities

existing conditions of the sitephoto inventory

Within a one mile radius, there are a high number of jobs in the service industry. This indicates the constant growing need for a variety of job opportunities in the area, especially blue collar jobs or a way to accommodate the upcoming green collar industry. This will allow for economically sustainable growth opportunities in other fields like retail and encourage local business ownership

The market’s demographics contribute to the overall change within the area. As older residents who have lived here their whole lives begin to retire, there is an influx of younger families who live in the area- especially young immigrant families. The challenge to accommodate both age groups is relevant in any development for the area.

The east Charlotte area’s age demographic is contributing to the overall change within the area. As older residents who have lived in the area their whole lives begin to retire, there is an influx in the younger families within the area- especially young immigrant families

Compared to the rest of the greater Charlotte region, the one mile radius which surrounds Eastland mall has lower household incomes. The area’s affordability is what makes this area especially attractive to new immigrant families and a diverse population. As this area continues to grow, the programming of the mall site must be economically appropriate for those who will be using the area; if high end retailers are attracted to this site, there is a possibility of pushing out the current demographic which defines east Charlotte

The education attainment of the area is emblematic of many of the area’s challenges. With many of its residents not finishing college or obtaining a degree- it is not surprising why other categories have received such low numbers. With appropriate programming within the site- continued educational opportunities might be viable as well as other enriching programs for the community

The difference between racial/ethnic diversity from the one mile radius to the twenty five mile radius is significant. The East Charlotte area has the potential to become the international district for Charlotte, as it is already offers a variety of ethnic restaurants and retailers along the Central Avenue corridor.

•Community leaders recognized that continued economic development and attractive quality of life in Greenville would require additional local opportunities for higher education- 4 year degree programs and post graduate work.

school to foster community development

McAlister Square Mall greenville, south carolina active 1968-1998

•Similar retailers which reached their peak in 1990s.•Too many competing regional malls in the same area•The streets near the mall area were deteriorating and property values were declining.

big box reuse

similar historical trends

•Greenville Tech and University Center anchor property•Approximately 130,000 square feet of tenant space.•Turned the old Ivey’s/Dillards space into the University Center, which is a gathering point for the distance-learning programs seven universities. •Successful revitalization projects of a dead mall

•Both back up to single family housing•Some vacant stores and mall space exist within both sites•Strip malls and commercial development surround the mall

similar site conditions

case studiesgreenville university centeradaptive mall re-use

One anchor box converted to office space, others demolished, smaller buildings retrofitted and renovated.

school to foster community development

use of existing structure

McAlister Square Mall park forest plaza. park forest, illinois greenville, south carolina active 1968-1998

The site is a former 750,000 square-foot mall, located in the outer suburbs of Chicago. Forest Plaza was built in 1953 and received national acclaim for its innovative use of anchor stores Sears, Marshall Fields, and Goldblatt’s. It was also notable for its 40000 parking spaces; however, the mall had no arterial access or visibility, so it began to suffer. In 1983, Lincoln Mall opened nearby and Forest plaza declined. In 1985, the mall was sold and renovated. The department stores began to leave, and the mall sold again in 1993. The new owner could not operate the center profitably and sold it to the village government in 1995 for $100,000, mostly vacant and deteriorated.

big box reuse the transformation

similar historical trends

After a charette and a public design workshop, the village broke round on the new project in the summer of 1997. It was de-veloped with 275,000 square feet of retail space, with anchors including drug stores, cinemas, 335 rental apartments, 65 for sale housing units, 155 affordable senior housing units, including assisted living units, 75,000 square feet of office space, a Village Hall, a community theater, and a museum. Many buildings were retrofitted for alternate uses such as office spaces. The Village is redeveloping the site as a pedestrian-accessible civic town center, with a new main street to connect the center to surrounding neighborhoods.

downtown park forest adaptive mall re-use suburban mall revitalization

Accommodating a wide variety of disparate groups means understanding the relationship that the different spaces have with one another. Loose diagrammatical sketches helped to formulate the overall patterns which shaped the entire structure of the community. They worked as a matrix to evaluate the nodes and uses within the design. The existing conditions within and around the site also helped to drive the circulation within the design. These connections are essential in creating a strong relationship between new development and the existing surrounding community. Creating these connections ultimately drove the main axis through the design and informing the overall design of the role that connectivity plays within the development.

Prior to its development as a mall, the site contained a stream which later became piped and covered by a sea of asphalt. The original intentions of excavating this stream and daylighting it as an amenity presented several challenges in the overall form of the design from its inception. The curvilinear form would juxtapose the more rectilinear urban fabric which was to be created, presenting several unique designs. The reality of the character of this stream fused this idea into more abstract ways to re-create the historic relevance of water and its organic flow throughout the site. Patterns began to arise between the exploration of different forms that repeated through sketches- these forms ultimately influenced and shaped the final design.

Obsolete retail sites have the potential to accommodate redevelopment projects that are consistent with the principles of new growth. Greyfields are economically obsolete malls and other sites that offer large infill development opportunities. These greyfields are defined by seas of asphalt which separate a regional mall from its surrounding community. The Eastland mall must break free of the traditional big box format, transforming from single, retail only structures into urban neighborhood developments characterized by compact, pedestrian friendly mixed use design. Successful regional malls create a controlled interior environment that is appealing to retailers and customers. However, their largely blank exterior walls, huge parking lots, scattered buildings and large traffic demands give them a poor overall sense of place. Dead and dying malls add a sense of desolation and blight to these already challenging conditions.

eastland mall the master plan

Many ethnic groups have historic ties to the environment and its natural processes- ultimately shap-ing/influencing lifestyles and land use patterns. The way that groups can relate to their current en-vironment and learn from it is critical to the overall long term success and growth of a community.

Ecological design has the potential to strengthen locally and culturally unique features in the land-scape and thereby foster ecologically informed place values. Eastland Mall is designed to cre-ate a fertile place of cultural and educational ground in which sustainability can take root and spread to neighboring areas- ultimately restoring the sense of pride for the entire east Charlotte.

Water and its natural processes are used as the common thread throughout the site to weave the entire community together and juxtapose the current state of the site which is a heat island. The asphalt is peeled back to reveal the historical and natural elements of the site prior to its development as a regional mall.

Each section of the new development plays a role in how the overall system functions as a whole- both eco-logically and socially. Each node is brought together through common gathering spaces and connected by the natural flow of water on the site.

western portion

middle section/town square

lower portion/large open regional park

Reshaping the relationship that urban dwellers have to their natural environment & is achieved through the hybridization of cultural space + ecological functionality.

Acts as a conveyor of storm water and people to the town center. Small pocket parks and paths bring people from their residences toward the heart of the site.

Celebrate the surrounding community and the presence of water. A series of intertwined paths symbolically represent the course of a stream that for-merly ran through this portion of the site. Sections of it are day lit to collect water and function as an interactive and dynamic component of the central green during rain events.

Creates a culmination- it gathers people and water of diverse origins into a collective space. It is here that all of the water gathers as it is channeled throughout the site- through a process that essentially goes from rooftops, to bioswales, to larger swales, and eventually into a larger retention pond/natural wetland area

eastland mall the master plan Reshaping the relationship that urban dwellers have to their natural environment & is achieved through the hybridization of cultural space + ecological functionality.

c e n t r a l a v e n u e

Catalysts are created throughout the community which will facilitate the long term social sustainability and positively impact individual development. The entire site is programmed to give access to resources that can empower residents, stimulate economic vitality, and ensure the overall success and growth of the East Charlotte area. This is achieved through:

the emerging green job industry has the potential to assist toward the progress of those who live in and around the East Charlotte area. The facility has the potential to be a prototype for the entire Charlotte region and will encourage the ex-ploration of green infrastructure and give community members the tools to become a part of this new and innovative field.

encourage entrepreneurship and assist toward the personal progress of community members in and around the area.

a lack of an education is often the root of many problems. Continued education can positively impact individual development and give community members resources that can educate and empower-ultimately leading to the overall progress of the East Charlotte area.

linking the new Eastland mall redevelopment to the rest of the greater Charlotte area will not only ensure the vitality of the Eastland site, but promote the growing trend of creating communities which are built around transit oriented infrastructure. In doing so, East Charlotte can grow with the city in a sustainable way.

creates economic activity through the empowerment of its workers and facilitates communally run activities such as farmers markets and local eateries throughout the community

social programming“80% of what makes a public space successful isn’t social programming

green job industry educational facility

small business incubators/shared resource facilities

occupational re-training facilities

the incorporation of long term Charlotte transit plan

community based agriculture

“80% of what makes a public space successful isn’t design but management and programming.”the program for redevelopment:social programming

green job industry educational facility

small business incubators/shared resource facilities

occupational re-training facilities

the incorporation of long term Charlotte transit plan

community based agriculture

0

the internal structure of the sitepeeling back the layers

water conveyance

urban agriculture

green space

green roofs

street network

internal circulation

street trees

land use

figure ground

The site takes advantage of several opportunities to introduce urban agriculture on a variety of levels. Nodes are dispersed throughout areas of the site to ensure accessibility for both residents and outside visitors. Ample outdoor plazas and open space are highlighted to illustrate the adaptive spaces for markets and festivals

Designer Artelier Dreiseitl states that water is selfless, extremely transformable, full of surprises both quiet and powerful, and yet remains the reliable carrier of life for all organisms. Its untarnished beauty and elementary power are regarded with respect in many cultures, admired and revered in religions and mythologies. Its movement throughout the site allows for the rediscovery of its value and essential role in environment.

A range of parks, from village greens to ball fields and community gardens, should be distributed within neighborhoods. Open spaces should be used to define and connect different neighborhoods and districts.

An interconnected network of streets which are designed to encourage walking, reduce the number and length of automobile trips, and conserve energy. The new design attempts to create a new urban identity within the site, addressing challenging edge conditions where they front arterial streets, with mixed results. The downtown area’s main street area becomes a defining interior feature. The urban street grid which is created within the framework provides a strong juxtaposition to the natural nodes and greenways which permeate throughout the site.

The physical organization of the region should be supported by a framework of transportation alternatives. Transit, pedestrian, and bicycle systems should maximize access and mobility throughout the region while reducing dependence on the automobile

The existing flat roofs of the mall structure create opportunities for green roofs. Green roofs serve dual roles- both environmental and aesthetic and create extra spaces in a more dense urban environment.

Street trees line the streets and contribute to the overall greening of the site. Spaces within the more urban areas fuse out into more naturalized settings for parks and open spaces.

Cities and towns should bring into proximity a broad spectrum of public and private uses to support a re-gional economy that benefits people of all incomes. The neighborhood, the district, and the corridor are the essential elements of development and redevelopment in the metropolis. Within neighborhoods, a broad range of housing types and price levels can bring people of diverse ages, races, and incomes into daily interaction, strengthening the personal and civic bonds essential to an authentic community.

Development patterns should not blur or eradicate the edges of the metropolis. Infill development within existing urban areas conserves environmental resources, economic investment, and social fabric, while reclaiming marginal and abandoned areas

the internal structure of the sitepeeling back the layers

the adaptive reuse of buildings is the heart of green building and provides the more energy efficient building possible. Buildings can be seen themselves as renewable resources and help to promote this culture of “re-use” throughout the en-tire Eastland community. The construction of new buildings continues to be huge energy expenditure and the embod-ied energy of the existing structures on the site is wasted in demolishing re-usable buildings. Re-investing in these buildings which are located in smart-growth areas- such as transit oriented developments- can help rationalize the decision to make use of these buildings. Today more than ever, it is especially crucial to make use of the economic benefits of re-use-- forc-ing us to re-think the way that we can creatively adapt toward the existing infrastructure which exists on site. Economically, rehabilitation and construction toward existing buildings, due to their labor intensity, creates more jobs than new construction.

Left: The existing parking garage has the potential to become a educational green roof outdoor laboratory for the green building facility. Above: Before and after vignettes illustrate the potential for using existing buildings that are located on the site in the new development.

the entire site functions as a system which reveals the processes of water and essentially moves it from rooftop to a series of bioswales and eventually to a larger retention amenity lake. The diagram illustrates the variety of mechanisms which are used in order to convey and store the water and reveals how the entire process works together to conserve and re-use water within and around the site.

water and its natural processes are used as the common thread throughout the site to weave the entire community together. A greenway and green pockets surround the site and encourage walking. As the bioswales fill with water, they become a dynamic feature of the site and create interesting pools of water as residents walk along the greenway.

The integration of green stormwater management practices juxtapose the current state of the mall site, which is a heat island. The asphalt is peeled back to reveal the historical and natural elements of the site prior to its development as a regional mall. Through the use of street grates, stormwater will be channeled while visitors are exposed to the process.

once the water reaches the vegetated bioswale, it becomes a visible amenity that is an extension of the larger system of swales throughout the community.

water is channeled from the green roof through a pipe and exits through a culvert to connect with the exposed vegetative bioswale which is located in the open green space adjacent to the cafe area.

As the water exits the bioswale, it enters a culvert as it moves underneath the road. It essentially ends of leaving the culvert and entering the larger park area.

located at the low point of the site, the retention pond acts as a collector for the entire site’s water as well as a natural amenity for the park and its users

functions as both an edible garden and lush buffer and entry way from the busy Central Avenue intersection.

Andres Duany’s Urban Agricultural Transectfacility facilitates the organization of community based agricultural activities within and around the community.

Allows the parking area to easily transform into a larger market area during big events

Strategically located at the intersection of Sharon Amity and Central Avenue. This location is the most visible part of the site and will act as an easily accessible gathering point for all east Charlotte community members.

Allows the space to be usable at all times of the day

Serves as the predominant visual entry into the development

Urban agriculture can be a means for social organization. Learning is a consequence of experience and interactions within these spaces facilitates and encourages residents within and around the community to explore and discover the benefits of urban agriculture. There are also opportunities for agriculture to function as a source of educating youth about natural processes and resources, as a focus? for family recreation, and a major contributor to the sustainability of cities. Cities like Charlotte are developing rapidly and can benefit from the implementation of urban agriculture within dense city limits. Cities remain dynamic places, which we have seen through the rise and changes within the East Charlotte area. Therefore, a constant flux of growth, decay and transformations put a very high value on continuous technological innovation to maintain or enhance productivity and sustainability. The Eastland redevelopment uses Andres Duany’s urban transect as a framework toward understanding the options and methods that can be used to maximize the agricultural productivity of minimal space along the urban-rural transect. The areas which present the largest challenges are the densest areas. To encourage dense living, this development provides several examples of how the conversion of under-utilized surfaces of spaces like parking garages or dwellings can transform into mini-gardens on multiple levels. Duany explains the benefits of taking advantage of patios, window wills, crevices and rooftops to create innovative spaces for urban agriculture and gardening.

All of the open public spaces link the different districts throughout the development and form spaces for community congregation and gathering. The open spaces range from more public to private courtyard spaces. Links to civic institutions and functions create a civic identity for any project. Integrating the centers with civic functions helps differentiate a project from other mixed use developments and establishes its role as an important public space. This integration creates a sense of place, generates activity, and creates a pool of business patrons among employees and visitors.

The central plaza incorporates a public amenity that adds value and distinguishes the development. Investment in public amenities portrays a town center or urban district as a unique civic place. Successful mixed use developments have major civic spaces located in the heart of the development- giving the site identity upon entry. The design features a large public plaza and several acres of parks, including part of a detention basin that serves as a visual amenity.

Above: The movement of water throughout the space will create a dynamic space for a variety of uses on the site. The natural curvilinear nature of waters flow is abstracted through paving patterns, vegetation arrangement and circulation patterns creating a vibrant town center for the mixed use community.

Prior to the development of the Eastland Mall, a stream flowed underneath the site. The design becomes a celebration and central space of the surrounding community and the presence of water. A series of intertwined paths symbolically represent and abstract the course of a stream that formerly ran through this portion of the site. Sections of it are day lit to collect water and function as an interactive and dynamic component of the central green during rain events.

The best mixed use neighborhoods, on the other hand, are natural, even graceful, gathering places. Residents use the sidewalks of narrow; easily navigated streets to walk from apartments and town homes to nearby shops, restaurants, offices and other attractions. Businesses with vibrant storefront windows line these streets, complementing pleasing public spaces and cultural sites. Such conditions are familiar in beloved urban places such as New York City’s Greenwich Village or King Street in Charleston. Recognizing and enduring popularity and value of such places, retailers are rediscovering city districts and traditional main street locations, learning how to adjust their formats to better fit these compact locations.

A well-designed mixed-use town center or urban district can capitalize on the renewed interest in urban places, allowing a downtown to expand and rejuvenate itself by integrating an adjacent greyfield, or allowing a suburb to create a downtown where there was not one before- as is the case for Eastland Mall.

wrapped parking garages have become a trend in mixed use developments and al-leviate the need for excessive surface parking while providing mixed use opportunities for rooftop gardens or additional retail space underneath.

the lower portion of the site is a large regional park which creates a culmination as it gath-ers people and water of diverse origins into a collective space. It is here that all of the water gath-ers as it is channeled throughout the rest of the site. Anchored by a recreational facility, the large park facility will serve the greater region and connect to a larger greenway system in the future.Leisure areas and parks play an integral role in maintaining a sub-cultural identi-ty in a multi-cultural society. The spaces within the park are largely unprogrammed to al-low for various user groups to adaptively program the spaces toward their specific needs.

boardwalk

water pools

of

overlapping pathsemulate the flow

of water and

Minorities are less willing to travel far distances to engage in outdoor recreational activities. The costs of traveling may be prohibitive for many families and, thus, prevent them from participation. By placing outdoor recreational fa-cilities close to minority populations, these areas become more accessible and people are more likely to utilize them.

boardwalk

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native vegetation

open recreational spaces

benches

of water and create a culmination people

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bibliography • Big Box Reuse. Julia Christensen. MIT Press. United States. November 2008. • Image of the City. Kevin Lynch. MIT Press. United States. 1960. • LandDesign (Charlotte, NC) • New Waterscapes: Planning, Building and Designing with Water. Herbert Dreiseitl, Dieter Grau • Malls Into Mainstreets: An in-depth guide to transforming dead malls into communities. Congress for the New Urbanism. 2005. • Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature. Doug Farr. 2007. Wiley Publishing, Inc. Hoboken , NJ • Remembering Charlotte : Postcards from a New South city, 1905-1950. Mary Kratt & Mary Manning Boyer. Kratt, Mary Norton. • Revitalizing low-income neighborhoods: Recommendations from ULI Advisory Services Panels. Diane R. Suchman. • Sociology of Cities. William A. Schwab. Prentice Hall. 1992. • Sorting out the New South city : Race, Class, and Urban Development in Charlotte, 1875-1975. Thomas W. Hanchett. • Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature. Doug Farr. Wiley Publishing, Inc. Hoboken , NJ. 2007. • The Eastland Area Plan. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission. June 23, 2003. • Urban renewal: National Program for Local Problems. John C. Weicher. American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research Washington.1972. • www.bigboxreuse.com • www. charmeck.org • www.planetizen.com (planning and development network) • www.uli.com (urban land institute) • www.worldchanging.com (emerging innovations and designs) • www.rooseveltinstituion.org • www.livemalls.blogspot.com • www.flickr.com

acknowledgementsthank you...• Alfie Vick and Dean Dan Nadenicek for their patience knowledge and enthusiasm + expertise.

• Richard Petersheim, Will Belcher, Shaun Ferguson, Heth Kendrick and the rest of LandDesign Charlotte for providing me with the basis of my exploration for Eastland Mall and their continual guidance and advice from the beginning.

• My School of Environmental Design Family- both faculty and friends who have inspired + guided me for the past five years and helped to mold my passion for design and landscape architecture.