Baltimore Developer to Stack Walmart on Top of Lowe’s
The Baltimore Sun is reporting that Kann Partners, a development firm is planning a $65 million housing and retail development anchored by Walmart and Lowe’s, which they plan on stacking. This is interesting for a few reasons:
From the article:
It will be the first to open in this area since [Walmart] executives launched a campaign to retool stores with new graphics and merchandise as well as eco-friendly construction and operating practices.
On top of the Lowe’s and Walmart will be a green roof that covers an acre.
The Lowe’s store will be mostly underground.
The Walmart will be about half the size of typical supercenters, but still contain a grocery store.
The site for development is an urban part of Baltimore, not out in the suburbs.
I can’t help but wonder if Lowe’s and Walmart are being so flexible because they are running out of easy suburban opportunities. This project runs counter to the typical pattern of a big-box retail development and is much more suited to an urban locale. The stacking, shrinking, and greening of the building is a positive response to an urban context, but we’ll have to see if big-box stores can replicate their suburban financial successes in cities.
