Entertainment district developers agree that ample parking and mass transit give entertainment districts an edge that can make or break a venue.
The newly opened Irving Music Factory in Texas struck an agreement with a nearby shopping plaza that gives the district access to 2,500 of the plaza’s 2,700 parking spaces after 5 p.m. There are also plans to extend the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Orange Line—which goes out to DFW airport—to include a station near the entertainment district.
“We believe this is going to emerge as a multi-region destination,” predicts Barry Hand, Principal and Studio Leader with Gensler, which designed the entertainment district.
Kansas City’s recent downtown economic boom can be attributed in part to KC Streetcar, a 2.2-mile light-rail system that opened in May 2016, and connects downtown’s north and south quadrants.
This map pinpoints more than $2 billion in real estate development. Courtesy CBRE.
In Los Angeles, the entertainment district L.A. Live, whose parking is woefully inadequate, is expected to benefit from the proposed expansion of the city’s mass transit system. The Blue Line, which connects downtown L.A. to Long Beach, would be linked with the Gold Line, which runs out to Pasadena. The city also passed a sales tax to extend the system’s Red Line to Beverly Hills.
The proposed University City district in Charlotte, N.C., would be about a quarter-mile from one of the new station stops of the city’s light-rail system that’s being expanded.
“University City is exciting because of the impact of light rail and its development opportunities,” says Ashley Clark, Associate AIA, LEED AP, Director of Strategic Development and Communications with Land Design, an AE firm working on the project.
The district would be close to UNC Charlotte and the city’s Research Park. “The vision is for the entertainment district to provide a sense of place, with the transit as its gateway,” says Clark.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
See what $3,000 a month will get you at Chicago’s Aqua Tower
Magellan Development Group has opened three display models for the rental portion of Chicago’s highly anticipated Aqua Tower, designed by Jeanne Gang. Lease rates range from $1,498 for a studio to $3,111 for a two-bedroom unit with lake views.
| Aug 11, 2010
Architecture Billings Index flat in May, according to AIA
After a slight decline in April, the Architecture Billings Index was up a tenth of a point to 42.9 in May. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. Any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings.
| Aug 11, 2010
Construction employment declined in 333 of 352 metro areas in June
Construction employment declined in all but 19 communities nationwide this June as compared to June-2008, according to a new analysis of metropolitan-area employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. The analysis shows that few places in America have been spared the widespread downturn in construction employment over the past year.
| Aug 11, 2010
Casino Queen breaks ground on $2.15 million entertainment venue
The Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Ill., is raising the stakes in its bid to capture a larger share of the local gaming market with the start of construction on a new $2.15 million sports bar and entertainment venue that will enhance the overall experience for guests.
| Aug 11, 2010
Outdated office tower becomes Nashville’s newest boutique hotel
A 1960s office tower in Nashville, Tenn., has been converted into a 248-room, four-star boutique hotel. Designed by Earl Swensson Associates, with PowerStrip Studio as interior designer, the newly converted Hutton Hotel features 54 suites, two penthouse apartments, 13,600 sf of meeting space, and seven “cardio” rooms.
| Aug 11, 2010
Arup, SOM top BD+C's ranking of the country's largest mixed-use design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 Mixed-Use Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
10% of world's skyscraper construction on hold
Emporis, the largest provider of global building data worldwide, reported that 8.7% of all skyscrapers listed as "under construction" in its database had been put on hold. Most of these projects have been halted in the second half of 2008. According to Emporis statistics, the United States had been hit the worst: at the beginning of 2008, "Met 3" in Miami was the only U.S. skyscraper listed as being "on hold". In the second half of the year, 19 projects followed suit.