Write Creative Words Speech Writing Copywriting Architectural Narratives Example 1

Example #1: Posner Place

This is an executive summary of an architectural narrative for a multi-use community:

Posner Place
The Right Place...The Right Time

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Overview

Five hundred years ago, the Spanish Conquistadors marching through the idyllic wooded wilderness of this newly discovered peninsula could never have envisioned that Central Florida would one day become a thriving center of industry and culture, a semi-tropical paradise combining sublime natural beauty with exciting, man-made attractions.

In the past thirty-five years, this region has rocketed from complete obscurity to international prominence as the world's premiere tourist and business destination. With that reputation has come tremendous growth. In the last decade alone, Central Florida's population has jumped a whopping 29%, making it the second highest growth market in the nation. Projections for 2010 predict a growth rate of 21%. Central Florida's prospects look bright, as more people arrive to enjoy the area's prosperity and sunny climate. Their demands for housing, retail, office and convention space, hotel rooms, and expanded entertainment and recreation options, will drive the local economy far into the future.

Posner Place is an important part of that bright future.

Located in northeastern Polk County, Posner Place is in the center of an area that has enjoyed a tremendous growth rate in the past decade. Most of the development has been in housing tracts and a small number of scattered commercial strips. Clearly, the area needs a community focus, a mixed-use development that meets demands for retail and office space, entertainment venues and recreational activities, while integrating those needs with great architecture, a mix of residential offerings and world-class hotel space.

Posner Place fits that bill perfectly.

Investment Highlights

Location, Location, Location: Ideally situated at the intersection of Interstate 4 and US Highway 27, Posner Place is midway between Tampa and Daytona Beach, just minutes from all major tourist attractions. Its location on the busy Interstate 4 corridor provides superb accessibility and remarkable business traffic potential.

Excellent Design and Layout: The human scale of the Center's architectural plan has a comfortable, welcoming feel, while the compact, high-density layout encourages pedestrian traffic. A gracious town square invites lingering conversation among neighbors and visitors alike. It's a modern translation of "small-town America", augmented for today's sophisticated tastes.

Unique Topography: Stretching down a gently tiered slope, woodlands, wetlands, and municipal parks will provide residents and visitors with relaxing, pristine views. The city plan calls for ample green space with manicured buffer areas. These transitional areas would be perfect for hiking/biking trails and other recreational uses, while more rustic paths and boardwalks could link woodlands and wetlands.

Unparalleled Business Opportunities: Posner Park is positioned at the center of Florida's business universe, Polk County, the geographic center of the state. With Tampa a mere 35 miles west, and Orlando a short 20 miles east, any business with an office at Posner Park enjoys an accessible market of more than 7.5 million within 100 miles. Polk's low impact fees, employable labor, and vast fiber-optic network, in addition to its unparalleled access to Florida markets, makes it a prime location for business.

Future Economic Growth: Two large vacation-oriented resorts, Reunion and ChampionsGate, under construction just over the Polk County line in Osceola, are poised to tap into the second-home investor market. On the relatively undeveloped southwest side of Disney World, investors, many foreign, have been buying thousands of single-family homes in northwest Osceola and northeast Polk County in recent years. The trend is so strong in Polk County, that 30 percent of the county's $3.8 million in resort taxes last year came from rentals of single-family vacation homes instead of hotels.

Property and Land Use Summary

Of the 366 acres included in the Posner Park development, about 34.37 acres are designated for general/specialty retail and office use, while 24.38 acres are set aside for business park and mixed use. 1,991 townhouses and multifamily residences are planned to accommodate up to 4,500 residents by the development's completion. By 2020, 2,600 hotel rooms will be available for business travelers and tourists. However, the majority of the property -- 126 acres -- is either recreational, wetland or greenbelt, making Posner Park a truly unique development project. By integrating innovative design, lavish landscaping, and inviting public spaces with a wide array of retailers, restaurants, and entertainment venues, Posner Park will create a new synergy in mixed-use development.

Polk County Economy

According to the U.S. Census, the population of Polk County increased by 78,542 from 1990 to 2000, making it the 75th fastest-growing out of 3,141 counties nationwide. Polk's current population of just over one half million is projected to be well over 644,000 by the year 2020. The U.S. Census also reports that Polk County's average annual income rose by 30% in the last ten years, outpacing inflation levels, indicating an improving standard of living. These improving income levels correlate with an improving educational attainment level of the population and workforce.

Summary

Posner Place will provide northeast Polk County with a community focus, a mixed-use development that meets demands for retail and office space, entertainment venues and recreational activities, while integrating those needs with great architecture, a mix of residential offerings and world-class hotel space.

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