Although a health club can be a fine anchor for a small strip, the developer should weigh the economics of such a deal in advance of construction. Equally important, the developer should take great pains to scrutinize the financial and operating history of the health club. All things considered, developers who are in the planning stage are best advised to design centers with not more than 70 feet of depth. If possible, all of the stores should face the street. The Center With Too Little Parking.
Different centers require different parking ratios.
It would be safe to say, however, that an appropriate rule of thumb would be that five spaces should be provided for every 1,000 square feet of retail space. Four of these five spaces should be directly in front of the store, as opposed to around the sides or in the back. Small strip centers that are convenience-oriented can usually work well if four rows of parking are provided between the storefront and the street. This scenario creates a setback of about 160 feet, however, sometimes only two rows of parking are necessary. Although exposure considerations may override parking considerations, a configuration with only one row of parking across the front, and the a balance of parking at the sides and the rear, should always be avoided unless the center is a home-furnishings center, for example, where a very low parking requirement is necessary.