In the News...Metropolitan Downtown Columbia signs first wave of retail tenants

By: Sara Salinas

The Metropolitan Downtown Columbia is seeing new tenants moving in, but they’re not occupying apartments.

The Howard Hughes Corp., the Dallas-based developer of the Downtown Columbia revamp, announced leases at the Metropolitan with restaurants and retailers including Corner Bakery Café, MOD Pizza, Floyd’s 99 Barbershop, European Wax Center and Village Nails Bar. The Metropolitan includes 380 luxury apartments and is one of two apartment complexes included in the massive Downtown Columbia rebuild.
 
“The Metropolitan is fast becoming a highly desirable, amenity-packed place to live,” said Greg Fitchitt, vice president of development for the Howard Hughes Corp. “Adding this mix of restaurants and services along with an inspired neighborhood park, will make this an even more popular location for both residents and visitors.”

The 13-million-square-foot Downtown Columbia project aims to re-imagine the mostly suburban hub of Howard County as a pseudo-city. The completed 30-year project will feature corporate space, public parks, retail and restaurant space, and luxury apartments like those at the Metropolitan.

Builders are hoping to surround the already successful Merriweather Post Pavilion, consistently ranked as one of the top outdoor music venues in the country, with more retail, residential and entertainment space to draw visitors to Columbia year round.

The project has already seen the completed renovation of the historic Rouse Building into a Whole Foods Market and a 27,000 square-foot luxury spa and wellness center. Upgrades to Merriweather Post Pavilion are also underway.

http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/blog/real-estate/2015/05/metropolitan-signs-first-wave-of-retail-tenants.html