The future of Downtown Columbia’s Lakefront District became more clear Tuesday with details of a $325 million investment to bring new office, retail and residential to the area around scenic Lake Kittamaqundi.
The district’s redevelopment has been in the works for years, but now developer the Howard Hughes Corp. has confirmed plans will include a new medical office building, 675 apartment units, a music venue, a restaurant and a minority-owned business incubator. And that’s just to start.
The announcement represents a shift of focus for Howard Hughes, which is leading a sweeping $5 billion, 30-year redevelopment of all of Downtown Columbia. Since at least 2016, most of the developer’s physical work has focused on building out retail and residential near the Mall in Columbia and in the emerging Merriweather District around Merriweather Post Pavilion. In recent months, more attention has been paid to the Lakefront District and Corporate Row, a seven-building office complex off Little Patuxent Parkway.
To date, most work at Lakefront has comprised of the demolition of existing buildings and the opening of a small park.
