Doing It Right: How Davis, California Worked With Target

Target Store planned for Davis, California

Further exploration of the Target development described at the City of Davis, California website is a real eye opener, and rather startling in contrast to how the city of Franklin seems to have capitulated for a standard-issue Target.

Let's talk about what could have been. This is an excerpt from an article in the Davis Enterprise, Sunday, October 8, 2006, via targetindavis.com:

From the outset, the City of Davis had a series of very specific conditions for the project:

• First, that there was only one suitable location in the City for a store such as Target, on Second Street near Mace Boulevard, next to an existing EPA Superfund site;
• Second, the store would have to be a registered "green"
  building, incorporating energy and water conservation features, other
  landscaping and environmental features, and a new bus stop, making it
  one of only 10 LEED® (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) registered
  environmental retail buildings in the world;
• Third, the City worked with Target to create a 110-foot setback
  from the commercial property line, rather than the 25-foot setback
  currently allowed by zoning.

Target not only agreed to the conditions but went even further to create a store that is a design fit for Davis. The Target Second Street Crossing project also includes:

• A 3-acre greenbelt planted with trees to provide a natural buffer around the project and reduce noise from I-80 and the rail corridor;
• Trees to shade at least 50% of the parking lot;
• Covered bike parking and bike accessibility;
• Recharge stations for electric-powered vehicles;
• Landscaping and run-off control methods, and;
• The use of wood, stone and other design features to make the store unique to Davis.

Very different from the attitude in Franklin, Wisconsin: "We're just lucky to get a Target."

Target is very receptive to green development and community design issues when it works with a city that can make green development and community design a priority. See the Target environmental philosophy here.