{"id":1004414890,"date":"2020-05-06T16:06:58","date_gmt":"2020-05-07T00:06:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/?p=1004414890"},"modified":"2021-09-10T04:32:46","modified_gmt":"2021-09-10T12:32:46","slug":"the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mind Behind Billion-Dollar Megaprojects"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Donald Clinton, Partner, Cooper Robertson. Image courtesy of Cooper Robertson<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Developable land has become scarce in most megacities, forcing developers to give more complicated locations a second look. Some firms see potential in post-industrial landscapes such as waterfronts, abandoned sites or rail yards, which are or can easily be well-connected to the city\u2019s infrastructure. However, developing these sites requires careful planning, vision and thinking big. Despite this lengthy process, which includes years of waiting for approvals, large-scale mixed-use developments remain highly coveted because they provide a good diversification opportunity<\/a> for developers.<\/p>\n

Donald Clinton, a partner at architecture and urban design firm Cooper Robertson, has led master planning work for various megadevelopments including one of the most talked about Manhattan projects\u2014Hudson Yards\u2014as well as Riverton in New Jersey<\/a> and the new M City in Canada. In an interview with Commercial Property Executive<\/em>, Clinton reveals the concepts and workflow behind large projects and sustainable urban growth.<\/p>\n

What are the key drivers behind the growth of megadevelopments?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Clinton:<\/strong> One of the main drivers behind today\u2019s megadevelopments is an interest in expanding the mixed-use concept. Developers really see the benefits of mixed-use districts from an economic viability and placemaking perspective, where the variety of uses can work together and boost the appeal and success of a project as a destination.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Celebration. Image courtesy of Cooper Robertson<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

For example, residential and commercial office uses will bring in the most revenue, but retail is a critical placemaking device. It can activate public space and make the development attractive to a wide variety of users\u2014the people who live or work nearby and those who otherwise might not patronize the area. From an urban design, developer\u2019s or owner\/operator\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s really important for any neighborhood to have those signs of life at the street level, a vital mix of special and open spaces. If you\u2019re trying to attract a tenant who’s looking for office space and competing for talent, you\u2019ll want your development to appeal in as many ways as possible.<\/p>\n

\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> Challenge Accepted: Building for a Sustainable Future<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

You can have this kind of usage mix in a single building\u2014the Time Warner Center in Manhattan is a good example of a really complex mixed-use program in one structure. But as more developers explore the master-developer role and push the mixed-use model by aiming to draw the best of each sector, you need scale for the concept to work. New York\u2019s Hudson Yards, where Cooper Robertson developed the initial master plan, is a great example of this. <\/p>\n

Can megacomplexes become an actual neighborhood? If so, what makes them viable and livable?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Clinton:<\/strong> Megacomplexes and large-scale developments can be very successful as true neighborhoods, but they need to address certain key considerations in order to be viable and livable. In an urban setting, one of the most important questions is: How does the development connect with, and integrate into, the surrounding city?<\/p>\n

This can be a very literal question. When we developed the framework plan for Battery Park City in Lower Manhattan\u2014an entirely new neighborhood built on filled land\u2014the core idea was to create a street grid that connected directly back into Manhattan as much as possible. That was critical for establishing continuity and for creating an environment that felt like a natural extension of the urban experience. <\/p>\n

Cooper Robertson also used the same approach in our master plan for M City, a new 16-acre district in Mississauga, Ontario, just outside of Toronto. The scale of the blocks and their alignment with the existing neighborhood to the south create that crucial level of continuity. We also placed retail uses very strategically near the border of Mississauga\u2019s downtown core, which helps link this new district to the city.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The connection back to the city is especially important if you\u2019re redeveloping a former industrial waterfront district. There are so many of these sites throughout North America and many of them were inaccessible and cut off from the surrounding city. In order to reactivate these sites as neighborhoods, it\u2019s essential to restore those connections to public access and the street grid. <\/p>\n

In fact, cities will often mandate those connections from the waterfront to the urban street grid. When we developed the Master Plan For The Central Delaware in Philadelphia, a key principle and directive was to create connections from existing neighborhoods to the riverfront at regular intervals on this 12-mile stretch of land, which opens the door for more successful development down the road. <\/p>\n

What shapes your vision when designing a megadevelopment?
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Clinton:<\/strong> Market conditions are always a major catalyst. Hudson Yards is a great case study. It was inspired by the recognition that midtown Manhattan was running out of large Class A office development sites. For New York to remain competitive and continue to grow as a regional and national office market, these sites were necessary. City officials realized they could develop the Far West Side and that it could be done in a very significant way that also made a dramatically underutilized part of the city more appealing.<\/p>\n

\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> Q&A: Building Design Shifts Toward Wellness Architecture<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Similarly, in Las Vegas\u2014a very competitive market\u2014we worked with MGM Resorts International on The Park Las Vegas, a streetscape project intended to draw people in and create a new kind of destination and experience that could stand out. Our original plan was only for a small leftover parcel set aside for a park between the New York-New York and Monte Carlo resorts. As the project evolved into a larger park and master plan, MGM realized it could feasibly build an arena to anchor the new pedestrian environment. When the T-Mobile Arena opened, it was an immediate success. As a result, New York-New York and Monte Carlo reoriented their properties so they opened directly onto The Park.<\/p>\n

Tell us about the biggest challenges in large-scale project design.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Clinton:<\/strong> One challenge is the pressure to build at high densities, which a lot of developers face. To be viable, the projects need to be mixed use, which in turn requires a more sophisticated developer or coalition of developers to successfully realize. A Hudson Yards or an Essex Crossing is not a simple model to pull off. One trend we\u2019re seeing now is the coalition\u2014a group of two, three or four developers that partner in developing a proposal, then build and operate the project as a collaborative. Many cities are encouraging this kind of effort. We\u2019ve worked on projects across the country where public agencies function almost as \u201cmarriage brokers,\u201d crafting a framework for a megadevelopment and then opening it up to teams of developers. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

M City. Rendering courtesy of Cooper Roberston<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Another related challenge that\u2019s particular to cities such as New York is that a megadevelopment can bring really high underlying infrastructure costs. Think of Hudson Yards, where the project team had to build a platform over an active rail yard. In order to build on that kind of site and make it economically feasible, you need to build on a very large scale and at a very high density. New York faces a similar challenge now with Sunnyside Yard in Queens, another huge development opportunity that\u2019s extremely challenging because of the need to create a platform over the rail structures.<\/p>\n

Cooper Robertson\u2019s portfolio includes projects throughout the country. How do the various landscapes impact design?<\/strong> <\/p>\n

Clinton:<\/strong> Our first instinct is to look closely at what\u2019s already there. The character of a city or a region is something we always work to understand when we\u2019re planning a new development. An area’s neighborhoods, its landscape, the material quality and character of its architecture are all important elements that reflect whether a new large-scale project is going to feel appropriate for its setting, and resonate with its market.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve done a lot of megaprojects in Florida, for instance, such as Celebration and Watercolor. We asked ourselves, \u201cWhat is the character of a great coastal development? What is the architectural vocabulary? What does the open space look like?\u201d<\/p>\n

It also helps to learn from what\u2019s happening in markets around the country and to distill the ingredients for success. We can bring a lot of experience and depth of knowledge to our clients, but we\u2019ve also gone with clients and other key consultants on weeklong, cross-country trips to look at comparable mixed-use developments or cities and towns that offer a model of success. When you\u2019re working nationally, it\u2019s really important to see what\u2019s translating into results across markets.<\/p>\n

Where do you see opportunities for new megadevelopments?<\/strong> <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Hudson Yards. Rendering courtesy of Cooper Robertson<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Clinton:<\/strong> We\u2019re seeing rail yards and waterfronts across the nation that present great opportunities for large-scale, mixed-use projects. Redevelopments of institutional sites or campuses are also emerging as a promising new trend and there\u2019s interest in different types of megadevelopments that cater to a variety of lifestyles and experiences\u2014from the classically urban to expanded visions of the traditional small town, to more outdoors and recreation-oriented megaprojects.<\/p>\n

Fallow urban renewal sites are another exciting opportunity. Many smaller cities have large, underutilized spaces that were cleared decades ago in anticipation of development that never happened. As demographic and population shifts bring more people into these second- or third-tier urban areas, there will be new market demand to develop these sites<\/a> in creative ways. It\u2019s an exciting chance to integrate new, high-quality housing with commercial, cultural and retail uses that will stimulate economic growth and civic life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cooper Robertson\u2019s Donald Clinton explains how influential large-scale developments are born and touches on the future of sprawling mixed-use constructions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":741,"featured_media":1004421241,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21782,21752,23891,21742,21744],"tags":[40476,33486,49192],"class_list":["post-1004414890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-development","category-mixed-use","category-national","category-latest","category-people","tag-cpetalks","tag-cooper-robertson","tag-donald-clinton"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Mind Behind Billion-Dollar Megaprojects - Commercial Property Executive<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Mind Behind Billion-Dollar Megaprojects\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cooper Robertson\u2019s Donald Clinton explains how influential large-scale developments are born and touches on the future of sprawling mixed-use constructions.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Commercial Property Executive\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CPExecutive\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-05-07T00:06:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-09-10T12:32:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/04\/CR_Don-Clinton.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"775\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Corina Stef\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@cpexecutive\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@cpexecutive\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/\",\"name\":\"The Mind Behind Billion-Dollar Megaprojects - Commercial Property Executive\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/04\/CR_Don-Clinton.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-05-07T00:06:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-09-10T12:32:46+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/73262f140f4b0a11baea2dd6f27beadf\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/04\/CR_Don-Clinton.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/04\/CR_Don-Clinton.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":775,\"caption\":\"Donald Clinton, Partner, Cooper Robertson. Image courtesy of Cooper Robertson\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Mind Behind Billion-Dollar Megaprojects\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/\",\"name\":\"Commercial Property Executive\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/73262f140f4b0a11baea2dd6f27beadf\",\"name\":\"Corina Stef\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2021\/04\/Corina-Stef.jpg?w=96\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2021\/04\/Corina-Stef.jpg?w=96\",\"caption\":\"Corina Stef\"},\"description\":\"Corina Stef started her tenure as a music journalist a decade ago and has been occupying a full-time real estate editor and blogger position since 2017. She is a senior associate editor with Commercial Property Executive and Multi-Housing News who focuses on commercial real estate trends and in-depth stories.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/author\/corina-stef\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Mind Behind Billion-Dollar Megaprojects - Commercial Property Executive","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Mind Behind Billion-Dollar Megaprojects","og_description":"Cooper Robertson\u2019s Donald Clinton explains how influential large-scale developments are born and touches on the future of sprawling mixed-use constructions.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/","og_site_name":"Commercial Property Executive","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CPExecutive","article_published_time":"2020-05-07T00:06:58+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-09-10T12:32:46+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":775,"url":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/04\/CR_Don-Clinton.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Corina Stef","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@cpexecutive","twitter_site":"@cpexecutive","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/","url":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/","name":"The Mind Behind Billion-Dollar Megaprojects - Commercial Property Executive","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/04\/CR_Don-Clinton.jpg","datePublished":"2020-05-07T00:06:58+00:00","dateModified":"2021-09-10T12:32:46+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/73262f140f4b0a11baea2dd6f27beadf"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/04\/CR_Don-Clinton.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/04\/CR_Don-Clinton.jpg","width":1000,"height":775,"caption":"Donald Clinton, Partner, Cooper Robertson. Image courtesy of Cooper Robertson"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/the-mind-behind-billion-dollar-megaprojects\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Mind Behind Billion-Dollar Megaprojects"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/","name":"Commercial Property Executive","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/73262f140f4b0a11baea2dd6f27beadf","name":"Corina Stef","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2021\/04\/Corina-Stef.jpg?w=96","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2021\/04\/Corina-Stef.jpg?w=96","caption":"Corina Stef"},"description":"Corina Stef started her tenure as a music journalist a decade ago and has been occupying a full-time real estate editor and blogger position since 2017. She is a senior associate editor with Commercial Property Executive and Multi-Housing News who focuses on commercial real estate trends and in-depth stories.","url":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/author\/corina-stef\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/04\/CR_Don-Clinton.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1004414890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/741"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1004414890"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1004414890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1004431525,"href":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1004414890\/revisions\/1004431525"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1004421241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1004414890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1004414890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1004414890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}