Columbia/Howard County Development News

[hpal3]

Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Plaza Residences Site Sold...Again

Eight years ago, a group called Renaissance Centro Columbia paid General Growth Properties $5,250,000 for a 1.1 acre parcel in Columbia Town Center. They intended to build a luxury condo building on the site where an office building and Bennigans restaurant once stood.


Five years later, in a “non-arms length” transaction, WCI Communties gained control of the site and soon announced plans to build a twenty three story high rise luxury condo project dubbed “The Plaza Residences at Columbia Town Center.”


A lawsuit seeking to block the project soon followed and by the time the final verdict was rendered, the real estate bubble burst and WCI Communities sought protection of the bankruptcy courts. The project was scrapped and the property was put up for sale.


Yesterday, it was sold again to a group identified as LPP Investors for $3,500,000.


Even though the sales price was almost two million less than it was eight years ago, it is still a very impressive number for a little over an acre of land.

http://writing-the-wrongs.blogspot.c...soldagain.html

[hpal3]

Mason, it is official. Maybe we will have better luck with the new developers...

[hpal3]

Proposed town center development expected to add more than 1,400 residents


By Edward Gunts, The Baltimore Sun

4:00 p.m. EDT, March 22, 2012

When developer James W. Rouse revealed plans in 1963 to build a "new city" in Howard County, he predicted that it would have more than 100,000 residents by 1980.

Nearly five decades later, Rouse's planned community — named Columbia in 1964 — still hasn't officially crossed that numerical threshold, federal and local planners say. But it appears poised to do so within the next
According to both the U. S. Census Bureau and Howard County's Department of Planning and Zoning, Columbia had between 99,000 and 100,000 residents as of December 2011, and that number has essentially held steady for the past several years because of a lack of housing construction.
An 817-unit development planned for Columbia's town center is expected finally to bring Columbia's population above 100,000, possibly within 18 months to two years.

"That will do it," said Jeff Bronow, chief of the research division of the county's Department of Planning and Zoning. "That will push it over the 100,000 mark."

What's important is not only that Columbia is finally reaching the mark but that the next wave of development will bring more residents after the population had been relatively constant for the past decade, said Jessie Newburn, director of communications and community engagement for the Columbia Association.

"Reaching 100,000 is a pivot point," she said. "It's not just the number. It's the phenomenon of having more residents. It's literally the closing of one phase of development and the launching of a new chapter."

Representatives for the Howard Hughes Corp., the Dallas-based company that now serves as the master developer of Columbia's town center, are scheduled to appear before Howard County's planning board April 12 as part of an effort to gain approval to build up to 817 housing units and retail space on land next to The Mall in Columbia.

The meeting comes two years after the Howard County Council adopted a redevelopment plan that calls for construction of up to 5,500 additional residences in Columbia's town center. The Howard Hughes team, which also includes Kettler and Orchard Development Corp, is the first group to seek permission to build housing in Columbia's town center since the redevelopment plan won approval.

If each new dwelling in Howard Hughes' as-yet-unnamed project contained 1.8 residents, developers and planners say, that would add more than 1,400 residents. That figure, on top of the 99,000 people who live in Columbia today, would bring the population above 100,000.

"We are very excited to begin the new development of downtown Columbia," said Howard Hughes' senior vice president, John E. DeWolf. "This is the initial step of a comprehensive plan to revitalize the town center, and one that has been highly anticipated by the community."

Bronow said Columbia's population can be difficult to determine because its geography does not neatly follow U. S. Census Bureau geography, largely because it has numerous "outparcels" that were never acquired by the Rouse Co. Some of those outparcels nevertheless have residents who live within the general boundaries of Columbia, and both the Census Bureau and the county include residents of the outparcels in their figures.

The county does not include all of the residents of one of Columbia's 10 villages, Dorsey's Search, in its population figures for the Columbia regional planning district, Bronow said. Instead, Howard County splits Dorsey's Search between its Columbia regional planning district and its Ellicott City regional planning district, he said.

Planners say the last time Columbia saw a substantial increase in population was when its newest and final village, River Hill, was completed about 10 years ago.

If 5,500 residences are built in the redeveloped town center over the next several decades, and each one houses an average of 1.8 people, Columbia would gain about 9,900 residents, planners say. That would put Columbia's population close to 110,000.

Columbia already accounts for more than one-third of all the residents in Howard County, which had a population of 292,997 as of December 2011, according to county figures. The county's second-largest population center is the Ellicott City regional planning district, with about 63,500 residents as of December 2011, according to county figures.

ed.gunts@baltsun.com

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/mar...0,163300.story

[shakman]

If Columbia were an incorporated entity, it would be the second largest city in Maryland... by far. I wonder if the thought of being an incorporated municipality crossed the minds of Columbia's residences. Does anyone know if the thought has been tossed around?

[hpal3]

I've never heard of Columbia possibly incorporating. Mason aka rockin baltimorean may be able to speak to that.

[hpal3]

By David Greisman, dgreisman@tribune.com

May 16, 2012 | 4:22 p.m.
The first new building in what will become a significant investment in downtown Columbia is itself a sizable investment — an estimated $100 million project that will bring 380 apartments and about 14,000 square feet of retail and a public promenade to land near the Columbia mall.

"A lot of people have been waiting a long time to see Columbia become what's envisioned for downtown," said L. Earl Armiger, president of Orchard Development, one of three developers behind the project. "This is going to get the ball rolling. It's going to be a 'wow' project, more upscale than anything Howard County has seen ever."

Officials with Orchard, Kettler and Howard Hughes Corp. will hold a pre-submission community meeting on Tuesday, May 22 at 6:30 p.m. in Room 400 of The Rouse Company Foundation Student Services Hall at Howard Community College. The developers spoke with the Howard County Times in advance of the meeting.

The meeting will kick off the site development plan process for the project. Developers are looking to move quickly, hoping to begin site preparation work before the end of this year, start construction early next year, and move in the building's first residents by the second quarter of 2014.


More projects on other downtown land would soon follow, on property near the mall, near Lake Kittamaqundi, and around Merriweather Post Pavilion and Symphony Woods, according to John DeWolf, senior vice president for Howard Hughes.

But the first is a building, named The Metropolitan Downtown Columbia, that would include luxury apartments, including loft, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, ranging in size from about 600 square feet to about 1,400 square feet, and ranging in monthly rents from about $1,500 all the way up to $2,800.

The demand is there for these kind of high-end urban residences, said Asheel Shah, Kettler's senior vice president of real estate investments.

"We feel this area is not underserved — it's just not served [at all] for high-end multi-family residences," Shah said. "Overall Columbia and Howard County is incredibly attractive. The demographics in this area are fantastic. The school system is outstanding. And the wave of homeownership is changing. More and more people are looking to rent their home.

"We really embrace the urban model. It will represent some change for what's historically been here in Columbia, but we think that it will catch on, and catch on fast," he said.

Creating an 'urban space'

The building itself will be five or six stories, with "more luxurious finishes" throughout and with numerous amenities both inside and outside, Shah said, including a large promenade to the east of the building that will be open to the public, and that eventually will run in a line with other green spaces by other proposed buildings.

"This is one of the only places in downtown Columbia where kids can run around outside while people shop or have a cup of coffee," he said. "We are absolutely trying to create an urban space that is vibrant. Ultimately those types of things attract more people, and continue to attract more people to want to be at your project."

There will also be multiple courtyards, a swimming pool, a fire pit, a fitness center, and a space outside for projecting movies, he said.

A portion of the first floor will be dedicated to three or four retail establishments, which could include businesses such as a coffee shop, convenience store, dry cleaner or restaurant.

"It's pedestrian-friendly, within walking distance to amenities," Shah said. "I don't know how much better you can get here than walking to the shopping and dining."

Parking for the building would be fully contained within the southern side of the building.

"We don't want to be dependent on any adjacent owner for any of our parking needs," Shah said.

More on tap

Meanwhile, more projects are in the works nearby.

Howard Hughes is planning to put two mixed-use buildings on land just to the north of this project. Those buildings could be open as soon as 2015, DeWolf said, though the company is first seeking to set up a partnership with other developers, possibly the same companies working on the first project.

Bob Jenkins, vice president of engineering for Howard Hughes, accentuated that the company will remain involved in the development of downtown Columbia, and will not merely build projects and then seek to sell them to others.

"We're long-term holders of the property," he said. "We have a vested interest in making sure the whole thing happens."

Projects near Lake Kittamaqundi and the "Crescent" land near Merriweather Post Pavilion and Symphony Woods could soon follow.

All the while, more development could be going on in downtown Columbia, including the Columbia Association's plans to turn Symphony Woods into a more vibrant park, and General Growth Properties' desire to open up part of the Columbia mall and make it more pedestrian-friendly and better integrated with the surrounding redevelopment.

"We want people to live in these apartments. We want them to park in the parking deck, walk to the mall, to the waterfront, to the amphitheater, and then when they need to leave Columbia they go back to their car," DeWolf said.

This is the first new building, but this is just the beginning, he said, of a place where people live, eat, shop and work downtown, and possibly go to college classes or medical facilities.

"This will be a bit of a snowball going down a hill," he said. "This is the start, but there will be some critical mass that happens, too.

"It won't just be the residential. I'll be a re-envisioning of Merriweather. It'll be the adding of things, like a great grocery store, some more great restaurants, redoing the restaurants here.






http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/...,1274976.story

[sdeclue]

I'd like to see more density than that, especially when they start referencing wanting to make Columbia more like Bethesda. That said, it still seems like a quality project.

[rockin'.baltimorean]

all this planning is driving me c-r-a-z-y, hpal!! it's time to see action!!

[shakman]

Originally Posted by sdeclue

I'd like to see more density than that, especially when they start referencing wanting to make Columbia more like Bethesda. That said, it still seems like a quality project.

It would be nice to see a signature tower or two in downtown Columbia. Hopefully the success of this first development would equate to future developments more significant in size.

[hpal3]

By Lindsey McPherson, lmcpherson@patuxent.com

June 28, 2012 | 6:32 p.m.



The Howard County Council Thursday prefiled 11 different amendments to legislation that would form a Downtown Columbia Partnership, including proposed changes to the partnership's leadership structure and the entity administering funds collected for affordable housing.

The partnership is intended to be the entity conducting marketing, maintenance, security, transportation and other services in downtown Columbia.

The bill, as introduced by County Executive Ken Ulman's administration, sets up a seven-member Board of Directors, which is responsible for managing the partnership and overseeing its budget. Four of the board members would be representatives from the major stakeholders — Ulman, Howard Hughes senior vice president John DeWolf, Mall in Columbia General Manager Katie Essing and Columbia Association President Phil Nelson

Read more here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/...,6847934.story

[hpal3]

Originally Posted by shakman

It would be nice to see a signature tower or two in downtown Columbia. Hopefully the success of this first development would equate to future developments more significant in size.

Under the 30 year master plan, building heights of up to 20 storys have been approved for the area near Rt 29 and Broken Land Pkwy.

[rockin'.baltimorean]

awesome!!!

[rockin'.baltimorean]

Plan would add 51 miles of pathways in Columbia
By Luke Lavoie, llavoie@tribune.com
Wed Oct 10 2012 11:39 AM



The Columbia Association board is reviewing a plan that would add more than 50 miles of hiking and walking pathways to the current 93 in Columbia's system.

The proposal, made by a task force, also would widen pathways, add signs and mile markers, and even name the pathways.

Jane Dembner, CA Director of Community Building and Sustainability, said the 58-page plan aims to create a more active, healthier Columbia.

"The pathway system is such a distinguishing feature in our community," said Dembner, who worked with a 16-member community task force to put the report together. "From the beginning, Jim Rouse imagined Columbia as a system that allows people to walk and cycle throughout the community. We're taking that and expanding it for the 21st century."

Dembner said the process that resulted in the project, known as Connecting Columbia, began last October with the selection of the task force.

Now, one year and eight meetings later, the task force has presented a list of recommendations and prioritized projects that members believe will address the major issues currently facing Columbia's pathway system.

"We have in opportunity in downtown Columbia to build active transportation, to take it and to make it part of the culture," task force Chairman Christopher Tsien said to members of the Columbia Association board at a meeting last month. "Build into the capital budget the necessary funding to maintain and to upgrade the pathway system so it becomes an active transportation piece."

Members of the task force implored board members to accept the report's 17 recommendations, saying they will increase activity throughout Columbia.

"It lays out things that can be done tomorrow, a few years from now, and a decade from now. It's very comprehensive," said Dave Forester, a task force member and 35-year resident of Columbia. "There are things you can do in the next budget cycle, and I encourage you to take the next steps and keep this going."

For task force member Russ Swatek, the purpose of the Active Transportation Agenda is to encourage spontaneous activity among Columbia residents, especially children.

"You need things that are spur of the moment. " Swatek said. "Think about how you can make activity part of everybody's day."

Town Center representative and CA board member Suzanne Waller said she occasionally drives around Columbia to gauge what residents are up to, and that recently the results of those trips have frustrated her.

"Where are the people? Why are they not outside?" Waller said. "Has the way we've structured ourselves made us a car city, and are there other ways to do it?"

The board is scheduled to consider the report at its meeting on Thursday, Oct. 11.

County involved

Although the agenda is a CA-sponsored proposal, only 11.7 of the proposed 51 additional miles would be built by CA.

About 38 of the remaining miles in additions would be handled by Howard County, 34 of those miles alongside roadways.

Dembner said CA has had discussions with the county regarding the plan and is working with county officials to ensure there are no overlaps between CA's active transportation agenda and the county's bicycle master plan, which began in June of 2012.

Dembner, who is CA's representative on the bicycle master plan's technical advisory committee, said the two plans compliment each other by addressing different areas and types of Columbia pathways.

"Most of their study is focused on the roadways and the pathways beside them," Dembner said. "CA is focused more on the pathways."

[hpal3]

By Luke Lavoie, llavoie@tribune.com

12:43 p.m. EDT, September 25, 2012


Howard County's Downtown Columbia master plan was recognized with a downtown merit award by the International Downtown Agency (IDA) at its annual conference this weekend, according to a County government news release.

“Howard County Government’s project received the IDA Merit Award for delivering excellence in downtown management,” said David Downey, IDA President and CEO. “Each year the IDA Awards Jury recognizes organizations that utilize best practices in our industry. The Downtown Columbia Master Plan is a shining example of excellent downtown management that delivers real results.”

The Downtown Master Plan, submitted by the County's Planning department, was one of 10 qualified entries in the Planning category.


more:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/mar...,5511661.story

[hpal3]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/business...,5323483.story

Lorraine Mirabella

3:36 p.m. EST, January 11, 2013


Construction will start next week on a planned expansion at The Mall in Columbia. Plans call for a 70,000-square-foot Main Street-style addition featuring an open-air plaza with two restaurants, two cafes and eight to 10 stores.

Mall managers plan to break ground on the project Tuesday. Mall owner General Growth Properties has not announced any retail or restaurant tenants.

The Howard County Planning Board approved plans in December to demolish the mall’s free-standing L.L. Bean store to make way for the expansion, which will add 40,000 square feet to the 1.6 million square-foot-center.

The Sun reported in December that L.L. Bean is scheduled to close in May, with the bulk of construction starting in June.

The expansion will be one of the first new projects under the recently approved Downtown Columbia 30-year Master Plan. That plan calls fro 13 million square feet of new development, including shops, offices, housing, hotels and cultural attractions.

Lorraine.mirabella@baltsun.com

[rockin'.baltimorean]

awesome...

[shakman]

The expansion would have been better if mutli-story residential, commercial and /or hotel were to be added above the retail.

[hpal3]

Originally Posted by shakman

The expansion would have been better if mutli-story residential, commercial and /or hotel were to be added above the retail.

Agreed. There is residential going in on the outer ring that is limited to about 5 floors I think and is the first of the 30 year master plan. I would like to see more height with the infill around the mall that is currently on the boards..

[Tricia_Lvs_Baltimore]

Mall Groundbreaking Signals Beginning of Columbia's Downtown Construction
After a few swings of golden sledgehammers, construction will soon begin on the expansion of the Mall in Columbia.
By Andrew Metcalf
Email the author
January 15, 2013

It was May of 2005 when about 500 residents gathered with representatives of General Growth Properties to begin creating a plan to develop Downtown Columbia.

On Tuesday, officials from GGP and Howard County swung golden sledgehammers through a wall at the Mall in Columbia, the loud thunks officially ringing in the beginning of the construction process.

"This starts a series of groundbreaking and activity after years of discussion," said Howard County Executive Ken Ulman.

The Mall is planning to construct a new 75,000 square foot retail and restaurant center in the current location of L.L. Bean. When finished, there will be three new buildings and a new walkway that connects the mall with the Columbia lakefront.

"Today marks the beginning of the next phase of the Mall in Columbia," said Jim Whitcome, vice president of development for General Growth Properties.

Construction will begin in the next few weeks, according to Katie Essing, the mall's general manager.

This May, L.L. Bean will close, and demolition on that building will begin, said Essing. After that, major construction of the buildings will begin, which are expected to be finished by the fall of this year, according to Whitcome.

Essing said most retail stores and restaurants will be open by mid-2014. GGP officials would not comment on what stores or restaurants will be moving into the new space, citing negotiations. Essing said store announcements will be made in the next few months as businesses sign leases.

Many residents have expressed concern about the lack of parking at the mall, and in community meetings multiple residents asked developers for additional parking to be added during the mall's redevelopment.

However, Essing said parking at the mall is more than adequate earlier this month.

"Even with the additional retail space, the number of parking spaces available now at The Mall in Columbia far exceed what Howard County requires," said Essing, in an email. "Also, we foresee our parking decks being better utilized since it will be more efficient for shoppers to park there, walk through the mall and out the reopened mall entrance to access the new retailers on the Plaza rather than the majority of surface spaces.”

The next big events scheduled for Downtown are a groundbreaking for the Metroplitan Downtown Columbia in the Warfield area next month; Clyde's redevelopment in February; construction beginning in earnest at the former Rouse Company headquarters building during the spring to make way for Whole Foods; a new Columbia Association gym; and development of the Wilde Lake Village Center later this year.

"To see the realization of the plan, it's really exciting," said Howard County Council member Calvin Ball.

Mary Kay Sigaty, the County Council representative for Town Center, said the beginning of development was exciting.

"It's my neighborhood and I can hardly wait," said Sigaty.

[hpal3]

Originally Posted by Tricia_Lvs_Baltimore

Mall Groundbreaking Signals Beginning of Columbia's Downtown Construction
After a few swings of golden sledgehammers, construction will soon begin on the expansion of the Mall in Columbia.
By Andrew Metcalf
Email the author
January 15, 2013

It was May of 2005 when about 500 residents gathered with representatives of General Growth Properties to begin creating a plan to develop Downtown Columbia.

This is good news for Downtown Columbia. Here is a link for all the development: http://www.columbiamd.com/news-2/