Structuring the retail Renaissance: Extensive detailed coordination and communication is the key

The emerging trend in the retail market involves the development of "big box" stores along side smaller discount stores. This includes the design of both new structures as well as the renovation of existing buildings to create the most efficient retail establishments. The structural engineer along with the rest of the design team face the challenge of designing the most successful combination of retail spaces in the most cost-effective way. Innovative designs are required in order to maximize the retail floor areas; provide required floor flatness and floor levelness criteria, especially for pile supported foundations and steel framed floor systems; maximize bay sizes for the sales areas by minimizing the number of columns; maximize storefront areas to increase visibility; design the structure with construction sequencing in mind in order to facilitate the construction process; minimize interior storm water piping by pitching the roof structure to the perimeter; etc. And of course, the most economical design solutions are always mandatory. Coordination between all design disciplines is critical to achieve this as well as to expedite the completion of the construction documents. The shop drawing approval process is also expedited if the CDs are well coordinated; this will result in a reduced construction schedule and save the owner money. In the current economy, these newly constructed and renovated retail complexes continue to be developed, which is a very positive sign. They range from large shopping malls to smaller strip shopping centers. Recently, OJR has been a member of the design team on several of these projects. And the challenge of providing the most efficient and economical design is still extremely important. We are members of the design team on several projects developed by Acadia Realty Trust / PA Associates. The Canarsie Plaza in Brooklyn is a 250,000 s/f new construction project which includes BJs Wholesale Club as the "big box" anchor with smaller retail stores. The subterranean BJs floor is pile supported and the roof structure is designed for parking. A similar project, also developed by Acadia Realty Trust / PA Associates, is a 235,000 s/f retail shopping plaza at Pelham Manor. It was completed this past year with BJs Wholesale and Michaels as the "big box" anchor tenants. A slightly different project with Acadia Realty Trust / PA Associates is the 276,500 s/f mixed-use Fordham Place project in the Bronx. In addition to extensive alterations to an existing Sears department store building including new escalators, elevators, window washing rig, and new 20,000 s/f floor, this project also included a new 14-story office building. At the Bergen Town Center in Paramus, N.J., we were members of the Vornado Realty Trust design team which transformed the oldest mall in New Jersey into a 1.5 million s/f retail facility with numerous retail anchors including Century 21, Target and Whole Foods. The entire facade was enhanced with a new light gauge metal framing system to improve the aesthetics of the mall. New escalators, elevators, entrances, and storefronts were installed. Similar renovations were performed at the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, N.Y., including new facades, new entrances, new escalators and elevators. All of these projects required extensive detailed coordination between the entire design team as well as with the owner and the tenants. Major anchor tenants typically require compliance with their prototypical specifications. However, variances from those prototypical requirements are often dictated by site specific characteristics. For example, for the Canarsie Plaza project, the BJs sales floor is approximately 12.5 ft. below grade on unsuitable bearing material which required the use of a pile supported foundation system in lieu of a slab on grade. In addition, the rooftop parking level is approximately 15 ft. above grade; accordingly, a cantilever foundation wall is required because there is no first floor construction. Because the supported slab is utilized to resist the lateral forces from the cantilever retaining wall, OJR developed a design at the request of the owner to accommodate construction sequencing in order to facilitate the achievement of the required floor flatness and floor levelness. In the above mentioned projects as well as in all retail projects, there are many other architectural and MEP design issues which require deviation from the prototypical requirements due to the size of the facility, availability of utilities, etc. Therefore, in order to satisfy final goals of each specific retail complex, structural design is provided as required for all issues in coordination with the entire development team. Steven Smolinsky, P.E., is the managing partner of OJR, New York, N.Y.