After serving as a community newspaper headquarters for over three decades, a building near Downtown Columbia could soon be getting new life.
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball on Wednesday released a request for proposals for developers to reimagine the former Columbia Flier headquarters at 10640 Little Patuxent Parkway, just south of Wilde Lake Middle School and High School and less than half a mile from Columbia’s main business district.
The 15-page RFP invites ideas that would redevelop the building and overall 2.16-acre property, generate new revenue for the county through its sale and future real estate taxes, and “will consider community input and address market demand,” which the county noted “does not include housing.”
The RFP points to the surrounding area’s relatively high median household income — nearly $106,000 within a three-mile radius — and education level, with roughly two-thirds of the nearby population holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. It also specifically says proposals that include gas stations and housing will both “not be evaluated favorably.”
