Columbia Market Study
Columbia Market Study Analysis
Partnership Approach:
Columbia Association, in collaboration with the Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning and the Howard County Economic Development Authority jointly conducted the Columbia Market Study.
Final Report:
The result of a year-long study and public process, view the Columbia Market Study which is a final report that identifies current market conditions and future potential opportunities for Columbia’s village centers, and the relationship of the centers to other areas in Columbia.
The report includes recommended implementing strategies that can help to strengthen, revitalize or reposition Columbia’s village centers and includes specific recommendations for each village center. It also addresses the former GE Appliance site, and portions of the Dobbin Road and Snowden River Parkway areas—abbreviated as “GEDS” in the report—and provides valuable information about development and redevelopment potential for these areas that can be used in future Howard County planning and policy-making.
Readers Guide
For those with an interest in a particular village center, it is recommended that review begin with the final report, which includes the overall study findings and village by village recommendations in the context of the study. For those seeking detailed analysis, the village specific appendix provides additional information.
Columbia Market Study Final Report
Appendices: These supplemental reports include extensive data analysis and documentation of market conditions.
- Dorsey’s Search Appendix: Detailed Market Analysis
- Harpers Choice Appendix: Detailed Market Analysis
- Hickory Ridge Appendix: Detailed Market Analysis
- Kings Contrivance Appendix: Detailed Market
- Long Reach Appendix: Detailed Market Analysis
- Oakland Mills Appendix: Detailed Market Analysis
- Owen Brown Appendix: Detailed Market Analysis
- River Hill Appendix: Detailed Market Analysis
- GE, Dobbin Road, Snowden River Parkway (“GEDS”) Area Appendix: Detailed Market Analysis
News & Events:
- CA Board of Directors Presentation – August 14, 2014
- Kick-off Public Meeting Video – Dec. 5
- Kick-off Public Meeting Presentation – Dec. 5
- Second Public Meeting PowerPoint – March 25
- Second Public Meeting Video- March 25
- Third Public Meeting Presentation – April 23
- Third Public Meeting Video- April 23
- Fourth Public Meeting Presentation – May 29
- Study Initiation Press Release, October 2013
Goals:
The primary goal of the study is to better understand the market potential for each village center and the relationship of the centers to other competing commercial areas. This knowledge base will be key to identifying strategies and tools that can help revitalize and reposition the village centers, particularly some of the older centers.
For the GE Appliance, Snowden River Parkway and Dobbin Road corridors, the market study will provide valuable information about development and redevelopment potential in this area that can be used by Howard County government in the future to plan for the corridors long-term success. That plan, to be developed as a separate and future effort, would guide development so that it is consistent with a well-planned evolution of Columbia and avoids adverse impacts on Columbia’s village centers.
Timeline:
The study began in Fall 2013 and was completed in November 2014.
About Our Consultants
The study was conducted by Retail and Development Strategies LLC (RDS), and led by its Managing Principal, Tom Moriarity. Moriarty was CA’s first speaker in CA’s successful Community Building Speakers Series, and addressed the community on Minding the Store: Retail Realities in Commercial Centers. Moriarty has over 30 years of experience in mixed-use development, commercial area management, downtown revitalization strategies, retail programming and historic preservation. He has a special focus on redevelopment/revitalization of commercial districts. The RDS consulting team and Folan Consulting.
General Information:
Contact Jessica bellah via email: jessica.bellah@columbiaassociation.org