The Future of Country Fair Shopping Center: A Redevelopment Proposal
Nora Flynn November 6, 2015
Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 3 Existing Conditions 4 Potential Futures 6 Our Vision 7 Implications and Conclusions 11
Executive Summary Country Fair Shopping Center is struggling to compete economically with other commercial districts in the city. In recent years, as improvement seems less and less likely, the question of what happens next becomes more important since Country Fair is in an accessible location. This report will consider the history of Country Fair and possible solutions, focusing specifically on a redevelopment proposal that sticks to commercial zoning but with a different approach. By changing the physical landscape of the site to be open and walkable, Country Fair may be able to bring in businesses that prefer to be in a more residential environment.
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Introduction
Built in 1959, Country Fair Shopping Center sprawls across 326,000 square feet at the intersection of Springfield and Mattis Avenues1. Yet the center has struggled with falling property values for years as vacancies increase. Businesses are more inclined to operate near Marketplace Mall and North Prospect Avenue, a thriving commercial center just north of Interstate-74. Smaller and older shopping centers are forced to compete with North Prospect’s lucrative growth for businesses and customers alike. However, Country Fair has the potential to become an appealing location for Champaign residents again.
Figure 1: Google Maps.
Location
Country Fair Shopping Center lies southeast of the intersection between Interstate-57 and Interstate-74, making it accessible to those in surrounding municipalities. On the local level, Mattis and Springfield Avenues are principal arterial streets and see relatively high automobile traffic. As seen in Figure 1, it is positioned further west than Marketplace Mall, Downtown Champaign, and Campustown. But with Champaign’s plan to expand towards the south and west, it is likely that in time, Country Fair will be much closer to the city’s geographic center.
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Existing Conditions
Shown below in Figure 2 is an aerial satellite image of Country Fair’s layout. As can be seen, a big proportion of available space is used for parking lots or serves no specific purpose at all. The main shopping strip is surrounded by these large lots and as a result, storefronts are are not visible to passing drivers.
Figure 2: Aerial View of Country Fair Shopping Center, Google Maps.
Visually, it is clear that Country Fair is an aging development. The pavement is cracked and uneven, with fading paint. Most of the available spaces are connected in a large strip mall with uniform storefronts. Store windows are kept in the shade due to the front sidewalks being covered. With so many vacancies, businesses are spread out across the strip in clusters of three and four, making it inconvenient for shoppers to visit multiple stores. To potential customers, Country Fair can come off as bare and uninviting, which in turn does little to incentivize private investment from developers and business owners. Figure 3: Google Maps Street View.
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Figure 4: Google Maps Street View.
Current Zoning
Shown in Figure 5, Country Fair Shopping Center is a Commercial General District (CG). CG Districts are meant to be high intensity commercial districts with a focus on automobile access and heavy traffic2. They permit a wide variety of building sizes, shopping malls, and commercial establishments. However, Country Fair is not completely surrounded by CG zoning. Towards the east are residential neighborhoods zoned as a Single Family and Two Family District (SF2). Directly west of Country Fair is a Multifamily High Density/Limited Business District (MF3) which currently contain three-story apartment buildings. To the north and directly south, Commercial General zoning continues. These areas appear similar to Country Fair but on a smaller scale.
Figure 5: Champaign Zoning Map 2014.
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Potential Futures Adaptive Mixed Use
Country Fair was designed for heavier commercial use yet it is close to many residential neighborhoods. North Prospect has the space to hold larger retailers and businesses and has already developed as a successful regional shopping center. If Country Fair aims to change its purpose by incorporating multifamily housing, it would be more cohesive with the larger region while still providing commercial opportunities. This approach would feature buildings with commercial space on the first floor and medium density housing above it. Increasing housing the area could also slow or prevent further urban sprawl.
Figure 6: Weber & Thompson, Retreived from http://www.livablecities.org/ awards/2007-mixed-use-design-awards
Community Centered
Rather than strictly focusing on establishing commercial or residential usage, the city can use the land to build public facilities. Country Fair was considered to be the site of a new Champaign Central High School in 2014 but was not chosen due to not having enough room to accommodate the number of students. However, Country Fair is still an optimal location to host community based services such as an early childhood center, a library branch, or parks and sports fields. These would be available to and used by the greater Champaign community but especially beneficial for local families.
Figure 7: Champaign Public Library, Retrieved from http://www. champaign.org/about_us/construction_news/design
Economic Renewal
Country Fair can still exist and thrive as a commercial-centric location if it is able to attract customers and businesses over competing regions. Redevelopment focused on beautification and creating a walkable will attract shoppers and diners to the area. Commercially, Country Fair doesn’t need to become more dense. Instead, vacant space could be redesigned to create an environment that people want to spend longer amounts of time in, similar to a downtown. 6
Figure 8: Santa Fe Plaza, Retreived from http://urbanlandscapes.info/
Vision Through careful consideration, the proposal focusing on renewing Country Fair as a primarily commercial destination appears the most promising. This plan aims to see Country Fair combine shopping convenience with leisure and a community atmosphere.
Guiding Principles Cohesive Community
Country Fair is seen as an extension of nearby neighborhoods rather than a separate entity.
Accessibility for All
Transportation is safe and available, whether it be through driving, walking, biking, or public transit.
Aesthetics
Commercial buildings are visually varied and interesting while open space includes landscaping, pedestrian plazas, and inviting storefronts.
Innovation
Renewal at Country Fair inspires neighborhood oriented commercial development at nearby centers.
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Proposed Changes Zoning
Most of Country Fair Shopping Center would be re-zoned as a Commercial Neighborhood District (CN). The CN District is meant to be a low intensity shopping district which is more suited to current commercial density at Country Fair than a CG District. A CN District is the foundation for creating a shopping center with a neighborhood feel. This district serves surrounding residential neighborhoods first, in part by stressing bicycle and pedestrian-friendly designs. Establishments are also limited in size, allowing the center to appear smaller in scale. CN and CG districts have considerable overlap in their listed permitted uses. Both allow restaurants, retail food and rug, as well as personal and commercial services2.
Figure 8: Proposed Zoning Changes to Country Fair Shopping Center As seen in Figure 5, two current parcels west of Country Fair Drive would be re-zoned as a Multifamily High Density/Limited Business District (MF3), to act as an extension of the MF3 zone across the street. Ideal usage would include a park but could also includes mixed use buildings or additional multifamily housing. This zoning not only provides park space for children from all surrounding neighborhoods but also intentionally incorporates the existing multifamily housing into the new development. Land parcels within the CN District along Country Fair Drive and Mattis Avenue would retain current boundaries. The most noticeable change for parcels would be the complete removal of the main strip mall in the center of the lot. The commercial space would instead be rebuilt as two separate buildings divided into smaller spaces, as outlined by Champaign Municipal Code2. 8
Small Area Plan
Figure 9: Conceptual Development for Country Fair Shopping Center
Pedestrian Space
The reallocation of parking lots and vacant space towards a pedestrian plaza that surrounds most commercial buildings. By having most of the storefronts connected through this plaza, the center becomes highly walkable. As a result, Country Fair is more accessible to everyone, especially children and older adults who can safely roam without worrying about cars. The wide walkways between buildings can accommodate larger crowds during warmer months. On the western side, pedestrian space is still present between the parking lots and Mattis Avenue. By breaking up the area between the parking lots and streets, Country Fair would appear more inviting to passing drivers. Ideal usage in this area would include public sitting space, gazebos, and benches. Establishments bordering the pedestrian walkways could also use them to offer outdoor seating.
Transportation Options
Automobile parking is still available, but scaled down for lower density shopping. Most establishments do not have their own parking lots so that the center can have higher walkability as a whole. The separation of parking and storefronts allow Country Fair to be an enjoyable space but also takes into consideration the fact that many people will drive there. Bike specific parking is provided in on two sides of the lot. By encouraging biking through structural improvements, the city is encouraging healthy, sustainable methods of transportation. Champaign Urbana Mass Transit District buses will continue to run through the center at a total of five stops, running regularly throughout the day. Country Fair will also improve accessibility for local residents by improving and adding sidewalks around the perimeter in addition to repaving and repainting parking lots and crosswalks.
Visualization
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Visualization
Figure 10: (Flynn, Nora). 2015, October 20. Champaign, IL.
Figure 11: : (Flynn, Nora) 2015, October. Created in Adobe Photoshop.
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Figures 10 and 11 show the current conditions of Country Fair, in the northwest corner of the block area. The proposed redesign shows the pedestrian space as a spacious, brick-paved plaza. Within the plaza, there are design elements such as a fountain, flower box, green spaces, and seating options that contribute to Country Fair becoming a place that can be experienced and enjoyed while shopping. Another design element would be requiring new and remodeled buildings to have storefronts facing at least two directions so that streets and shoppers alike don’t feel shut off. This change would be particularly significant where the main strip is currently located. By breaking the strip mall into two buildings and smaller parcels, with storefronts wrapping around the building, there will be no large voids of empty space. Additionally, separating the buildings helps to connect the entire shopping center into one rather than being cut in half.
Implications and Conclusions
Country Fair Shopping Center could potentially shut down completely if it continues to decrease in market value and businesses try to locate elsewhere. Although the site could easily be turned into a new residential subdivision, it is important for the City of Champaign to consider developing alternative commercial centers. North Prospect and Marketplace Mall have the absolute advantage in the number of retail and dining options provided in a centralized area. Perhaps the future of Country Fair is not to be a bustling hub of commercial enterprise but a smaller center that caters to those living further south and west. Country Fair will have to become a desirable location for businesses to be. We have proposed that the best way to do so is to modernize and design the site to be attractive yet functional. Changing the built environment will change how the community thinks and talks about Country Fair.
References 1- Pressey, D. (2015, August 30). Country Fair: No concrete plans. The News Gazette. Retrieved October 1, 2015. 2-Champaign, IL Code of Ordinances. (2015, May 19). Retrieved October 1, 2015, from https://www.municode.com/library/il/champaign/codes/code_of_ordinances
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