Study: Commercial development trending toward flex space, smaller stores

Commercial real estate in the Rocky Mountain West is moving away from the traditional mall and toward more flexible spaces with smaller store sizes, according to a new report by The Sonoran Institute, an organization that researches issues in western North America.

In the Rocky Mountain West, the report states, attitudes are changing about where to live, work, shop and play. Analysis of home sale prices in six western communities revealed an 18.5 percent price premium for homes in compact, walkable neighborhoods, according to the study, titled Restore: Commercial and Mixed-Use Development Trends in the Rocky Mountain West.

The two largest generational…