Captain of the Dream Team

In the sixties, as Columbia began to take form in the farm fields of HoCo, Cy Paumier joined The Rouse Company as part of the Columbia design team. He was hired to master plan Symphony Woods but soon found himself working on The Mall instead. Forty some years later, he’s getting the chance to finish what he never really got started. The Columbia Association has engaged him and his former Rouse colleagues, Bob Tennenbaum, Jervis Dorton, Mike Reimer and Monk Askew, to remake Columbia’s central park.

Some have called this the “dream team” of planners. Some have criticized CA for not bringing in new blood.

It’s a moot point. The Dream Team is “weeks away” from unveiling their master plan for Symphony Woods. What many don’t know is that Howard Hughes has also been busy with Merriweather Post Pavilion. HHC has retained Sasaki & Associates to develop a new master plan for the outdoor theatre. They have been working closely with CA to make sure both efforts are complimentary and the two parties may have found the formula to make the café in the woods concept work.

Cy says they want to emulate the Pavilion café in the sculpture garden at the Smithsonian.

He also weighed in on Kimcos plans for Wilde Lake Village Center. He's not a fan. He even questions the viability of the new retail they've proposed. 

Actually, Cy doesn't think there is much market for any new retail or office development in Town Center either. He thinks the only thing that can be built right now is housing.

I happen to disagree with him on that score. Apparently GGP does too.

You can listen to the latest episode of “and then there’s that…” here.