Tank district
MERIAM PARK UNVEILED Within the overall impressive nature of the Meriam Park project, Dan Gonzales believes the speed at which the Tank District evolves and activates will surprise people. “We have many exciting announcements to make over the next six months and a feverish pace of construction being planned along with that”. Dan, the ever-ready ambassador of the entire massive project, points out, “there is an underlying goal for the entire Tank District which defines the uses, which drives the tenant mix”. Although he is nearly done with the final planning, he has left room for new concepts which are in alignment with the goal. As he simply puts it, “The Tank District will someday be an interconnected community of businesses with a focus on quality food, products, wellness and places of social interaction for both businesses and people”. He understands the importance of diverse and interesting architecture to create a place for people to feel comfortable and want to visit and live and work. These buildings provide the framework for developing a sense of community, but it is the curated uses and people which are the threads that create it. 40
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“Plan on creative architecture and in uses the Tank District and in Meriam Park overall”. Dan’s inspiration for the planning and design of the Tank District, both architecturally and programming, is a culmination of over 20 years of travel and “paying attention to successful community spaces” as he puts it. The common ingredients were safe gathering spaces, good food, and beverage and the right architecture, amongst many more. The Tank District accomplishes this with the mixing of old and new architecture and combination of uses. Dan claims the fact, “We are trying to create a community here from nothing.” Four years ago, with the help of their Master Planner, Barry Long from Urban Design Associates, they designed a roadmap for the vision of Meriam Park. “We focused on getting our commercial phasing started and now are full steam ahead on the food and beverage Tank District and our housing”. The Tank District, with its multi-use emphasis, will act as the social and fitness hub of Meriam Park. With “uses” at the ever present forefront, the merging of people with their needs and wants
becomes paramount. The neighborhood offers ample choices for living, combined with food and beverage, health and wellness, and the consideration of services. The interior of the District reveals the consolidation and solutions with a current reveal and spotlight on these five structures: The Andrés Building, Deco Flats, the Clerestory Retail Building, The Market Building, and the Meridian Barn. Dan refers to the Andrés Building as “ impressive and substantial” and believes it will serve as a prominent anchor for the Tank District visibly located on a major corner. The three story, mixed-use structure, with its contemporary design, is currently under construction. The building is named after Dan’s dad who he says, has been an “anchor” in his life. Each of the three floors is a different use and designed to complement the uses in the other floors. The first floor will house a tap house on one end and a “small plate restaurant concept” on the other, with small retail businesses between them. Extended patios at each end reach out in a connective fashion to the surrounding