I totally understand the sentiment, but I don't believe in its practicality in this case. If the townhomes here had instead been a much denser multi-use complex built with an LRT tunnel integrated into a couple of the underground levels, then yes, there should have been retail at grade here.
In places where the density and the form just don't lend themselves to successful retail, however, I see no point in forcing into the plans. Unleased stores are a blight on the streetscape, and that's what I believe you'd have here because on their own, adding stores at street level do not automatically equal walkability and successful commercial spaces. A variety of factors are at play, and none of them have been addressed here.
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