click to enlargeI had lunch with Tim Sosinski yesterday to talk about his push for “full spectrum” housing in Columbia Town Center. Tim believes that the affordable housing component of General Growths Town Center redevelopment plans does not go far enough to address the real housing needs in Howard County. He would like to see the company do more.
I like Tim. He is smart and passionate about his cause. I also agree with him that the need exists to provide housing for all segments of our population. We just disagree on how to get there.
The redevelopment program for Columbia Town Center will face some formidable competition from other area mixed used developments that are not being asked to do what he’d like GGP to do. In my opinion, if the county forces GGP to increase the proportion of affordable housing in Town Center beyond what is proposed, it will put the project at a competitive disadvantage. This project does not exist in a vacuum.
What exactly does the competitive landscape look like?
Here’s a quick summary:
Aerotropolis at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport: A 10 million square foot development that includes Merritt Properties, Heffner Weber, Liberty Property Trust and Archon that is underway in the Stony Run area west of the airport. It will include office, retail, hotels and multifamily housing.
Arundel Preserve: A 268 mixed used development by Somerset Construction that includes 2 million square feet of office space, 250,000 square feet of retail space, 47 single family homes, 390 townhomes and 738 apartments. It is located along the Baltimore Washington Parkway near Arundel Mills mall.
Buckingham: A 32 acre mixed use development by Merritt Properties at Route 100 and Telegraph Road.
Arundel Gateway: A 300 acre mixed use development by Ribera Development and Greenberg Gibbons Commercial on Route 198 just outside Fort Meade.
Odenton Town Center: A 1,600 acre mixed used development on the east side of Fort Meade that includes office development by Capital CREAG and residential development by the Halle Companies and Stonebridge Carras.
Konterra Town Center: A 741 acre mixed use development in Laurel by Konterra Realty. This project will include 1,500,000 square feet of retail, 3,800,000 square feet of office space, and 4,500 residential units.
Maple Lawn: A 600 acre mixed use development by Greenebaum & Rose at the intersection of Route 29 and Route 216. The project will include 1,300 homes and 1.8 million square feet of commercial space.
I like Tim. He is smart and passionate about his cause. I also agree with him that the need exists to provide housing for all segments of our population. We just disagree on how to get there.
The redevelopment program for Columbia Town Center will face some formidable competition from other area mixed used developments that are not being asked to do what he’d like GGP to do. In my opinion, if the county forces GGP to increase the proportion of affordable housing in Town Center beyond what is proposed, it will put the project at a competitive disadvantage. This project does not exist in a vacuum.
What exactly does the competitive landscape look like?
Here’s a quick summary:
Aerotropolis at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport: A 10 million square foot development that includes Merritt Properties, Heffner Weber, Liberty Property Trust and Archon that is underway in the Stony Run area west of the airport. It will include office, retail, hotels and multifamily housing.
Arundel Preserve: A 268 mixed used development by Somerset Construction that includes 2 million square feet of office space, 250,000 square feet of retail space, 47 single family homes, 390 townhomes and 738 apartments. It is located along the Baltimore Washington Parkway near Arundel Mills mall.
Buckingham: A 32 acre mixed use development by Merritt Properties at Route 100 and Telegraph Road.
Arundel Gateway: A 300 acre mixed use development by Ribera Development and Greenberg Gibbons Commercial on Route 198 just outside Fort Meade.
Odenton Town Center: A 1,600 acre mixed used development on the east side of Fort Meade that includes office development by Capital CREAG and residential development by the Halle Companies and Stonebridge Carras.
Konterra Town Center: A 741 acre mixed use development in Laurel by Konterra Realty. This project will include 1,500,000 square feet of retail, 3,800,000 square feet of office space, and 4,500 residential units.
Maple Lawn: A 600 acre mixed use development by Greenebaum & Rose at the intersection of Route 29 and Route 216. The project will include 1,300 homes and 1.8 million square feet of commercial space.
