On Monday, April 28, 2008, almost 500 members of the Columbia and Howard County community turned out for “Many Voices; One Vision,” the presentation of General Growth Properties' draft Master Plan for Columbia Town Center.
Highlights included plans for the following:
- Connecting The Mall in Columbia with new community-focused amenities, including an outdoor "Market Square," which will contain outdoor concert space, restaurants, shops and gathering areas and will be part of a new Symphony Overlook district.
- Creating “Steps to the Lake,” a series of tree-lined terraces that descend from
the new Symphony Overlook district and Little Patuxent Parkway to Lake Kittamaqundi.
- Enhancing the pedestrian and bicycle-friendly pathway system to connect Town Center with the Columbia villages and Howard Community College.
- Restoring the environmental health of the two Town Center watersheds and creating an integrated storm water management plan.
Click here to watch the video (WMV 157 MB)
Click here to download the transcript (PDF 234K)
Click here to download the Master Plan powerpoint presentation (PDF 19.4 MB)
The first draft of the master plan will be followed by a sustained collaboration, village-by-village, focusing on each concern and the collective determination for a better Columbia.
Opportunities to participate in the planning process will continue. GGP will host a "Vision in Focus" series as a continuation of the April 28 presentation of the "Many Voices, One Vision" draft master plan. Specific elements of the draft plan, including sustainability/environment, transit/traffic and culture will be presented by the consultants engaged on the project.
GGP will also be hosting a "Community Discussion Series" in all 10 Columbia villages. These discussions are designed to gather comments and ideas from the community about the draft master plan.
Details about time and location of upcoming meetings can be found online here. Check back regularly for news about these events or sign up to receive email alerts.
In addition to encouraging residents to attend these meetings, GGP urges everyone interested in the formation of this plan to offer feedback here.
