Greenstone has repackaged and relaunched the official Telido Station website with a new logo (1920s interurban rail), some preliminary renderings, and a site plan. The new info is appreciated, refreshing and gives some idea as to what's next out in Liberty Lake: Lots of retail.
We counted 11 retail storefronts, 3 restaurants, one structure for hospitality, and multiple pads. Makes us wish another "rail-themed development" was as forthcoming with details...or at least an update to the website.
- Telido Station at Liberty Lake [Official website]
I'm pretty stoked to come home and see this some day. And Greenstone's ever-more-explicit symbolic light rail lobbying is totally fascinating on a strategic level. Any guesses on whether or not it will have an impact on the political discussion?
But I have to say. Damn, those are some huge parking lots. Maybe it's unavoidable in the Spokane area, but... boo.
Posted by: Kate | June 18, 2008 at 04:25 AM
I've been trying to console myself regarding the parking lots to think of them as land banks for the day when we're less auto-dependent. I'm working to eliminate the minimum parking requirements in Liberty Lake. That way, as our society reacts to high energy prices, the spare parking lots can be converted to useful spaces.
Reducing regulation which results in a better support for walkable communities? You gotta embrace that!
Liberty Lake residents are heavily in favor of rail redevelopment. Ironically, Telido Station is on the far side of the freeway from the proposed regional light rail system.
Posted by: Brian A. Sayrs | June 18, 2008 at 05:36 AM
Land banks. I like that idea, Brian. However, this portion of their overall project still leaves a typical "big box development" taste in my mouth. Even given that their little main street product just north (on an extension of Indiana Avenue) is one of the pilot projects for LEED Neighborhood Design, I still can't think that their LEED-ND project offsets this nastly little clone of every big box retail center I've seen. Coupled with what looks like boring, typical residential development everywhere else in their project, I'm not too happy about Greenstone's efforts thus far.
Posted by: Silent Bahb | June 18, 2008 at 07:38 AM
Bryan: Telido Station is on the wrong side of the freeway for light rail?
Color me utterly disoriented as to the branding of this project as "train themed" then. I figured it was supposed to be a snappy little retail center that could be converted into a station in a pinch - hence it being called a station.
Or is it like University City Mall, which was called "University" though it had nothing to do with institutes of higher learning?
My current mental picture of Telido Station involves a mom sailing into the parking lot in her SUV with her kid in the front seat. Kid points at the little stone marker tastefully engraved with the train logo and asks, "Mommy, why is that tugboat on stilts?"
Posted by: Kate | June 18, 2008 at 08:07 AM
Land banks? More like bad design. Once that huge parking lot is splatted out on the landscape and all the dinky trees are installed it will be terrible. I'm sorry, but I have to say this is just clever marketing and not quality development. Chalk one up for the McSprawl team.
Posted by: spencer | June 18, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Give me a break! This is big-box style development at its best. So they throw in some trees in their parking lots and dress up the strip mall. I am so sick of Greenstone heralded as the savior for Spokane development. They build strip malls and subdivisions just like everyone else! The only thing they are different at is how they market and brand themselves. Telido Station is a clever name, nothing else. Greenstone is a fraud!
Posted by: John | June 20, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Sadly, John, I have seen very little from them to keep me from agreeing with you. Even the preliminary plans for their little LEED development to the north didn't wow me. I applaud them for trying, but they need to try harder.
Posted by: Silent Bahb | June 20, 2008 at 05:16 PM
The weird thing is, when I (very briefly) interned for them, it was really obvious that at least the people I worked for directly were very ambitious and well-educated. They had so much hope for the River District and were really excited about it. Seriously, these were not scheming, evil developer types. They care about LL a lot.
I wonder what happened. Are things like minimum parking requirements cramping Greenstone's style?
Posted by: Kate | June 22, 2008 at 07:34 AM
Well, the best intentions are often sent astray by the desires of the customer. No matter their good intentions, they must still cater to the needs and desires of their client. The sad fact is, big box retailers can't imagine any other way to build their stores. They can't conceive that a different concept may actually work.
That being said, my personal opinion is that 90% of the really bad devleopers believe in their hearts that they are good. And that, my friends, is truly sad.
Posted by: Silent Bahb | June 25, 2008 at 12:27 PM