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Plans for the redevelopment of central Columbia will be unveiled during presentations Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the Howard County Board of Education offices, beginning at 7 o'clock each night.
General Growth Properties, Columbia's master developer, has crafted two separate bills in recent months that will be introduced to the public this week and voted upon by the County Council later this year.
According to council Chairwoman Mary Kay Sigaty, a West Columbia Democrat who represents the area most affected by the plan, the council is hopeful that the bills will be introduced for a vote in November. The language and content of the bills - including a Zoning Regulation Amendment - were still being finalized Monday. "Literally as we speak," Sigaty said.
Because the bills represent what Sigaty called "a significant project" for Columbia, the public is encouraged to attend this week's meetings, held at 10910 Route 108, as well as those held in the future. "We want to ensure that everyone who would like to speak about this project will get that opportunity," Sigaty said.
Gregory F. Hamm, GGP's general manager for Columbia and a company vice president, was not available for comment Monday.
The plans' unveiling follows five years of talks, proposals and hearings, but their coming to fruition might take just as long or longer. If approved by the council, the first phase of the plan is still at least two years away, depending on the economic climate at that time. GGP currently is under bankruptcy-law protection.
The original plan, submitted a year ago, calls for up to 5,500 new residential units, 4.3 million square feet of office space, 1.25 million square feet of new retail space, as well as cultural buildings, plaza walkways and other amenities that would create a more urban, downtown feel to Columbia's central shopping mall. According to Sigaty, some changes have been made after recommendations by the planning board, as well as from the technical staff.
While GGP's plans for central Columbia will be the focal point of the county council's monthly meeting Tuesday night, they will not be the only hot-button topic for the public this week. Along with the economic impact of GGP's plans that will be presented Wednesday by the county's Economic Development office, a recommendation by the Columbia Association for the revitalization of Symphony Woods Park will be on the agenda.
General Growth Properties, Columbia's master developer, has crafted two separate bills in recent months that will be introduced to the public this week and voted upon by the County Council later this year.
According to council Chairwoman Mary Kay Sigaty, a West Columbia Democrat who represents the area most affected by the plan, the council is hopeful that the bills will be introduced for a vote in November. The language and content of the bills - including a Zoning Regulation Amendment - were still being finalized Monday. "Literally as we speak," Sigaty said.
Because the bills represent what Sigaty called "a significant project" for Columbia, the public is encouraged to attend this week's meetings, held at 10910 Route 108, as well as those held in the future. "We want to ensure that everyone who would like to speak about this project will get that opportunity," Sigaty said.
Gregory F. Hamm, GGP's general manager for Columbia and a company vice president, was not available for comment Monday.
The plans' unveiling follows five years of talks, proposals and hearings, but their coming to fruition might take just as long or longer. If approved by the council, the first phase of the plan is still at least two years away, depending on the economic climate at that time. GGP currently is under bankruptcy-law protection.
The original plan, submitted a year ago, calls for up to 5,500 new residential units, 4.3 million square feet of office space, 1.25 million square feet of new retail space, as well as cultural buildings, plaza walkways and other amenities that would create a more urban, downtown feel to Columbia's central shopping mall. According to Sigaty, some changes have been made after recommendations by the planning board, as well as from the technical staff.
While GGP's plans for central Columbia will be the focal point of the county council's monthly meeting Tuesday night, they will not be the only hot-button topic for the public this week. Along with the economic impact of GGP's plans that will be presented Wednesday by the county's Economic Development office, a recommendation by the Columbia Association for the revitalization of Symphony Woods Park will be on the agenda.
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