With renovated restrooms and concessions, Merriweather Post Pavilion would be expanded into the cultural center of a redeveloped downtown Columbia.
Nearby, what is now parking space near the mall?s food court entrance would be transformed into a public square surrounded by retail stores and extending to Lake Kittamaqundi with a pedestrian- and eco-friendly design.
The first phase of Town Center redevelopment, which landowner General Growth Properties Inc. unveiled Monday, would connect Merriweather, the surrounding Symphony Woods, The Mall in Columbia and the lakefront.
“We?re striving to do something of lasting value here,” Greg Hamm, GGP?s general managerfor Columbia, told about 500 residents and community leaders at GGP headquarters.
Merriweather would receive a higher roof, more covered seating and upgraded back-of-the-house facilities for touring bands.
The land around the pavilion could include a new center for the study of small cities, an enhanced library and a new Columbia Association headquarters, but the exact uses haven?t been defined, Hamm said. There may also be a restaurant and a children?s theater.
The area near the mall, dubbed Market Square, would be an elevated public gathering space that would double as a market in the fall and an ice skating rink in the summer.
The first phase would include 300,000 square feet of retail space, 150,000 square feet of office space and a 300-room hotel, which would be built around Market Square in an area called Symphony Overlook, Hamm said.
Hamm did not present details on future phases or indicate the number of phases.
The company also plans to restore the Town Center watersheds and improve the pathways to neighboring villages.
The proposal, intended to be a 30-year plan, could be funded by a partnership with Howard County government, such as a special taxing district, that would allow the company to take advantage of future-generated taxes up front, Hamm said.
A similar district, which covers some of the expenses, has been set up in Savage to finance development around the MARC station.
Several residents and community leaders agreed the plan was a reasonable beginning.
“I?m thrilled with the direction,” County Executive Ken Ulman said. “They listened and they are showing a … commitment to the environment and culture.”
Lin Eagan, a Columbia business owner and member of advocacy group Bring Back the Vision, called the plan “innovative and quite practical.”
“It?s certainly a wonderful beginning,” she said.
