True, it is an eye catching headline. Gilded Age to build $80 million Supervalu project. Read a little further and it sounds even more promising. “It will be an urban design concept store called City Market.” And there is the hint of experience, “Goodson said he partnered with Koman Properties…because of its experience with urban retail development.” But when I looked up other developments by Koman Properties all I saw were big box developments with acres of asphalt parking lots with the exception of the Wildwood Town Center.

The Gist

What: Georgian Square, a retail development with 12-15 stores including a grocery and WalGreens

Where: Directly across from the Georgian condominiums, the old city hospital

Who: Gilded Age and Koman Properties

Why: Needed Amenities

When: Coming Soon

The article is inspiring; the words are exactly what I want to hear, “the retail center will be designed to fit into the neighborhood…the developers will seek input from the neighborhood organizations about the design.” But that aerial rendering in the article leaves much to be desired. Is that really the highest and best use of the 6 acres across the street from the Georgian? A strip mall with a tree-lined parking lot?

Aren’t there already vacant boxes on Jefferson between Lafayette and Park with a parking lot? The rendering in the article doesn’t look much different from this. Just add a couple boxes and a row of trees in the center of the asphalt.

But wait, the Georgian Square retail project will have a masonry exterior! Lovely.