Bonita Commons is a 61,000 square foot specialty shopping center. The building consists of three large regional retail anchors connected by smaller, local retail shops. From a design standpoint, it was important that the large anchors read as individual stores, but that they would not overpower the image of the entire center. This was accomplished through the use of contrasting building forms, connecting tower elements, and material and pattern usage.One of the biggest design challenges was found in positioning a linear building, that required maximum frontage on Tamiami Trail, on a difficult wedge-shaped site, while maintaining traffic flow and meeting parking requirements. The design solution met and exceeded both the countys legal requirements and the developers identified purposes and needs.
