PL PACKET 04211998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Land Use and Urban Design Plan Apachd Plaza Area Redevelopment of the Apache Plaza shopping center is already underway. However, this process may.continue over several years, giving the City additional opportunities for input into the design. Elements that should be considered include: ■ Better pedestrian and vehicular connections to adjacent uses. The shopping center is surrounded by a mixture of office, free-standing commercial and multifamily uses, but there are few clear connections between them. An improved internal drive and walkway system—again, with landscaping to define these elements —would help the area function as more of a unified whole. ■ Enhance Silver Lake Road (see below under Road Corridor Improvements) to include an improved pedestrian crossing at 39th Avenue, improving connections to the northeast neighborhood. ■ Create a small outdoor public space within the center, connected to one or more cafes or restaurants with seasonal outdoor seating. This type of setting is now becoming popular in many suburban shopping centers (Centennial Lakes, Excelsior Boulevard at Highway 100, Southtown, etc.) where they enhance not only the "public realm" but the amount of use the entire site receives. Attractive landscaping and a water feature such as a pool or fountain'can contribute to the appeal of such outdoor spaces, and encourage public use. ■ A defined transit waiting shelter for the four bus routes that stop at the center, and restoration of the informal park-and-ride lot that occupied the north end of the parking lot (recently eliminated during the Cub Foods construction): Providing transit facilities will increase the center's customer base, especially among senior citizens who may prefer to use transit. Park- and-ride facilities will also increase the number of daily commuters who will use the center for convenience shopping on their way to work or home. Kenzie Terrace Area While redevelopment of the Kenzie Terrace area is well underway, several areas still need attention: ■ The small "triangle" of single-family detached homes at Kenzie Terrace and Lowry Avenue is suitable for redevelopment, and the City is already acquiring properties in this.area. Uses that may be appropriate include professional office or service uses (to serve the new senior housing along Kenzie Terrace) or additional multifamily development. r Al E i 2-10 BRW,Inc. October 1997 624555 - --