Howard Hughes Groundbreaking Part Of Columbia's Ambitous Master Plan
More luxury apartments and office buildings are headed to downtown Columbia, the latest in the suburban town’s revitalization.
Howard Hughes and Kettler will break ground within the next two months on m.flats, two new apartment buildings totaling 437 units, says Howard Hughes VP Greg Fitchitt. The developers expect to deliver the residential complex summer 2017 with 45k SF of retail, including fast casual dining, fitness and financial services. The units will range from studios to three-bedrooms.
M.flats will open next to The Metropolitan, a 380-unit apartment building whose amenities include a game room, courtyard and playground. Also developed by Kettler and Howard Hughes, the building houses four new retailers: Corner Bakery Café, Floyd’s 99 Barbershop, MOD Pizza and European Wax Center. CaliBurger will open March 1 and Village Nails will open at the end of March.
One Merriweather, a 200k SF office building, will wrap up construction in a few weeks with a yet-unnamed anchor tenant arriving by the end of the year, Greg says. The 15k SF of retail will include a white tablecloth restaurant and a deli.
A second office building, Two Merriweather, will begin construction late 2017 and total 130k to 150k SF. The new projects are part of Columbia’s transformation under a new master plan unveiled in 2010. The plan calls for 5,500 new residences, 5M SF of office and up to 640 hotel rooms. The vision also includes adding more Main Street-type retail, walkable spaces, recreation and entertainment to give the suburban destination more urban flair.
