Mixed use faces engineering challenges

The January 2007 issue of Southeast Real Estate Business (not online yet) has a Page One story by Daniel Beaird about the unforeseen engineering challenges that face builders of mixed-use communities. The article discusses issues related to traffic, storm drains, power lines, and the like. Frankly, although the article is interesting, I found that it relied too heavily on the experience of one engineering firm, Highland Engineering of Atlanta. I am sure that this is a fine firm and I have no client or other issues in this connection, but I would normally expect a feature article to quote folks from three or four different engineering firms, not just one.

Still, I must share the following first few sentences of the article with all of you readers:

"It seems like you can't speak with a developer or a city planner today without discussing the next mixed-use project. Mixed-use has gone from a buzzword to an evolving trend in the commercial real estate industry during the past few years, and it shows no signs of slowing down as more people move back into urban areas. Cities are drawing the masses back throught hese mixed-use developments that offer the opportunity to live, work and play without stepping a foot inside an automobile."

Mixed use is not a fad; it "shows no signs of slowing down" in the Southeast and across the country. Real estate attorneys, developers, engineers, planners, and others need to know this.

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