The Warfield neighborhood is imagined as a busy area with shoppers, office workers and the many who call it home.
The neighborhood, in the northwestern section of Town Center, is planned to be a traditional, mixed-use residential neighborhood for families, said Greg Hamm, General Growth Property Inc.?s regional vice president and general manager of Columbia.
The neighborhood will extend below Governor Warfield Parkway and surround part of The Mall in Columbia.
“We envision this to be predominantly residential in use, with carefully integrated retail, while all pedestrian-friendly,” Hamm said.
For instance, people may be living above the planned shops, he said.
No towering buildings will be erected in the neighborhood, with buildings mostly ranging from four to six stories tall, he added.
Because retail, office and residential spaces will be balanced throughout the neighborhood, parking will be an issue.
“Where they put [parking garages] and how they?ll serve the areas will be crucial,” said Jaquelin Robertson, an architect with Cooper, Robertson & Partners in New York City aiding in the project.
Planners say the goal will be to locate them in the least obtrusive manner possible.
An important element of the neighborhood will be connecting it to the Lakefront, the planned neighborhood to the northeast of The Mall.
Warfield?s main street will lead to a plaza, then to an interior walkway, to a fountain terrace, channel gardens and then to a promenade, officials said.
These amenity areas will serve as gathering places, along with a planned playground.
With all the people coming, some residents acknowledged the redevelopment would bring more traffic, but they welcomed the changes.
“We?re going to have more traffic, but more traffic is wonderful,” said Emily Lincoln, a Columbia resident for more than 30 years.
“Because where there?s traffic, there?s more people, and that?s good.”
Transportation plans for the project include shuttles within the downtown and villages, new parking structures and new streets, according to GGP officials.
AT A GLANCE
Proposed use of the Warfield neighborhood:
- Retail: 340,720 square feet
- Offices: 117,400 square feet
- Residential units: 1,648 square feet
Source: General Growth Properties Inc.
Editor?s note: The Examiner will feature the Merriweather neighborhood next Sunday.
