On today’s show we are talking about whether mixed use projects are worth the complexity.

This is one of those cases where the product design is designed for specific customers. A mixed use project has the benefit of animating a property and bringing additional amenities to the property at a community level.

When we’re talking about mixed use, we’re talking about a residential building with a ground floor commercial. Whether this is a plus or a minus depends on your perspective. The goals of the resident and the goals of the building owner might not be perfectly aligned.

A mixed use building is rarely the product of choice for a building owner. It adds complexity. The lender looks at the building like two distinct properties. There is a residential property that follows one set of underwriting guidelines and a second property that follows a different set of financial metrics. The property management for a NNN commercial space is going to be different from residential property management.

So why would you do it? In many cases, it’s a requirement of the zoning which requires ground floor commercial on arterial main streets. Cities need to maintain a balance between commercial and residential and there is a growing desire to return to the old world walkable city living that you find in virtually every European city or town. In Europe, very few people drive to a big box store to get their groceries.

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