Clematis Street was the original retail-shopping street in West Palm Beach. Due to the growth of mega-malls along the I-95 corridor, the area fell into decline. Wanting to reestablish the district, the City of West Palm Beach invited developers to reposition existing buildings and redevelop abandoned blocks. Engaged as part of the Rendina development team, Cooper Carry realized that in order to revitalize the commercial aspect of Clematis Street it had to paradoxically make it more residential. Thanks in part to flexible building codes, we were able to create residential living above a retail-driven street development.

In place of an old bus station, Cooper Carry masterplanned a corridor of mixed-use retail, office and residential plus a public-private parking garage. The primary structures in the masterplan, a major office/retail building and a residential/retail building have been built. The office building was leased eight months prior to completion, illustrating the appeal of mixed-use environments to nearby corporate business. With restaurants, retail and residential spaces within an easy walk, businesses keep employees “close to campus” in an attractive neighborhood. Cooper Carry oriented each building to Library Square, a large, fountained public plaza, creating an "outside room" for the community. This is the focal point for “Clematis Street at Night,” a weekly outdoor festival featuring live music and an outdoor market.

With a strong combination of Mediterranean and craftsmanship styles, including small scale mosaics and architectural details in public areas, the Clematis Street development has rejuvenated retail and residential life in this part of West Palm Beach.

Bethesda Row, Bethesda, Maryland

An excellent example of Cooper Carry's ability to bridge the public and private, Bethesda Row has rejuvenated downtown Bethesda, a transition district just outside Washington D.C. Set between a commercial core and several single-family neighborhoods, Cooper Carry undertook the redevelopment of an under-performing six-block district and masterplanned it for retail, office and residential mixed-use developments.

The masterplan was designed around an existing public parking garage. Thanks to a local tax innovation, local businesses pay parking taxes that the county uses to build parking garages and create Business Improvement Districts (BID). This created opportunities to add greater retail and entertainment spaces, including a multiplex arts theater.

Two office buildings anchor the Bethesda project. The Jennings building is a single loaded, Class A office space built alongside the parking garage. By placing the garage adjacent to the office building, Cooper Carry was able to build half of a full floor plate and enable the developer to create a market-competitive premium corporate office environment.

The Woodmont East office building offers four floors of Class A corporate space over street retail and underground entertainment facilities. The attractive mixed-use environment was an immediate draw for corporate business. A major corporate technology tenant occupies three of the four office floors.

Successfully targeting a mix of local and national retailers and small businesses, the firm achieved its goal of drawing people into the neighborhood who might make it their home, not just their office. The result was the creation of a remarkably pedestrian-friendly environment that attracts people from each neighboring community. Wide sidewalks cut through a tree-lined corridor of outdoor cafes, shops, restaurants, offices, apartments and entertainment venues. The unique urban character of the new buildings mirrors that of the older buildings in Bethesda, and fountains and public art have helped create an inviting pedestrian environment and colorful, bustling center of urban life.