Reaching the Full Potential of Large Sites with Existing Buildings

How do you take a large site with aging buildings and unused air rights and transform it into something that reflects its full potential?

It’s a question we’re asked often. And there’s rarely one clear answer.

At Meltzer/Mandl, we work with owners and developers at the earliest stages of complex urban projects. When a site already has structures in place and a large amount of unused zoning floor area, it becomes a strategic design challenge.

We typically explore three key approaches:

🔹 Build Around What Exists

Preserve and work around the existing buildings. This minimizes disruption, keeps tenants in place, and allows creative infill but may limit how much new development fits on-site.

🔹 Design Backward from the Ideal End State

We start by asking: What should this site become? Then we explore what changes are needed to achieve that vision, which might include reconfiguring or removing existing structures to make way for smarter, denser, more livable design.

🔹 Pursue a Rezoning

Rezoning is the most time- and resource-intensive path, but it also holds the greatest potential for long-term value. By redefining what’s allowed on the site, rezoning can significantly increase density, improve site flexibility, and unlock opportunities that simply aren’t possible under current zoning.

The right path depends on many factors: existing tenants, neighborhood context, political climate, and market demand. But the first step is always the same - a team that can see the possibilities and shape them into real options.

Proposed residential infill (green) within an existing 6-acre housing complex, maximizing zoning potential while preserving much of the original layout.