THE HOWARD HUGHES CORPORATION® BREAKS GROUND ON MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING LAUNCHING REJUVENATION OF LAKEFRONT DISTRICT IN DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA®

The Howard Hughes Corporation® (NYSE: HHC) has broken ground on a four-story, $45.8 million medical office building in the Lakefront District in Downtown Columbia®, Maryland, signifying the next phase in the revitalization of the city's urban core. The groundbreaking marks the first major milestone in HHC's rejuvenation of the Lakefront District, which is poised to serve as the heart of the transformative $5 billion, 30-year plan for Downtown Columbia. Future development planned for the Lakefront District also includes two new community parks, three new residential buildings, and a wide variety of retail offerings.

The four-story, 86,000-square-foot medical office building will rise along the south shore of Lake Kittamaqundi at 10285 Little Patuxent Parkway, adjacent to the iconic former headquarters of The Rouse Company, now the home of Whole Foods. The striking new building is set in a picturesque, wooded landscape and will feature outdoor gathering spaces, a permanent public art installation, and a boardwalk-style public terrace offering expansive lake views.

"This state-of-the-art medical office building will be a significant addition to Downtown Columbia and the Lakefront District," said Greg Fitchitt, President, Columbia Region at The Howard Hughes Corporation. "As we welcome notable partners including the Orthopaedic Associates of Central Maryland, we continue to see the vision for the rejuvenation of the Lakefront District take hold and deliver a community anchor for all who will live, work and shop in the area."

Orthopaedic Associates of Central Maryland will occupy 25 percent of the new building, joining the growing list of Lakefront District tenants including The 3rd, a recently opened non-profit incubator space and café supporting women-of-color entrepreneurs, and the locally-owned unique dining and entertainment concept The Collective, which will open this winter. In contrast with larger national trends showing a decline in tenant leasing and profitability since the onset of the pandemic, Downtown Columbia's retail market has continued to experience strong momentum. In 2023, HHC will welcome over a dozen new restaurants and retailers to Downtown Columbia including Bark Social, Toastique, Banditos, Medium Rare, Blackwall Barn & Lodge, Mighty Quinn's Barbeque, Smashing Grapes, Jrip Coffee & Croissanterie, and Gyusan.

Columbia, MD, was founded by James Rouse as a "city in a garden," a vibrant urban destination surrounded by expansive green open space. The Howard Hughes Corporation's plans for the medical office building and surrounding area are designed to further enhance inclusivity and connectivity, reflecting Rouse's early vision for the Lakefront District as a community gathering space. Rouse commissioned the Frank Gehry-designed Rouse headquarters building in 1969, envisioning it as the future center of the city. For this project, HHC has worked with Studio Red Architects to complement Gehry's architecture in alignment with preservation guidelines.  

HHC's development plans for the Lakefront District include up to 3 million square feet of overall redevelopment—1.3 million square feet of office, 281,000 square feet of retail and 1,284 residential units. The groundbreaking follows the recent completion of Marlow, a premier 510,000-square-foot, 472-unit apartment community in the heart of the Merriweather District®. Marlow will be anchored by Smashing Grapes, a favorite Maryland restaurant offering a fusion of Mediterranean and California coastal cuisines paired with world-class wines.

At full buildout, the redevelopment of Downtown Columbia will include three neighborhoods— Lakefront District, Merriweather District and Central District—and will feature more than 14 million square feet of residential, office, hotel, retail, cultural, and public uses including public parks, trails and more.

The new medical office building is expected to open in 2024.

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