Almost since Columbia’s founding, its residents and officials have debated how to improve its downtown core and realize Rouse’s original vision for this central neighborhood. The Downtown Columbia Plan (link is dead, just remove it), an amendment to the Howard County General Plan, is a 30-year plan for the revitalization and redevelopment of Downtown Columbia. It was approved by the Howard County Council in 2010 and subsequently amended in 2016. It provides land use, design, transportation, environmental, and housing recommendations as well as a phasing and implementation framework for reinvestment and redevelopment of Downtown properties.

CA was a major stakeholder and participant in the initial discussion, creation and adoption of the Downtown Columbia Plan. A is also a major landholder of crucial public space amenities located in the Downtown area and we work closely with adjacent property owners to coordinate reinvestment and improvement of these holdings. This includes processing easement requests and working with adjacent property owners as well as Howard County Government on use of CA land for infrastructure and amenities to fulfill the Downtown Columbia Plan’s vision.

Please click here to visit the Howard County website and learn more about the County’s planning efforts, monitoring reports, and mapping applications associated with Downtown Columbia.