COLUMBIA, Md. — Howard County is one step closer to redeveloping the aging Long Reach Village Center in Columbia—more than a decade after purchasing the property.
County Executive Calvin Ball announced the milestone at a press conference yesterday, outlining the next phases of the ambitious redevelopment project.
Columbia Concepts has proposed transforming the site into a mixed-use development anchored by an athletic facility. The 100,000-square-foot center would include volleyball, basketball, and pickleball courts, as well as a rock-climbing wall. Plans also call for retail space, a grocery store, townhomes, and senior housing, all connected by pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly pathways with ample parking.
"We will build a Long Reach Village Center that is vibrant, inclusive, and alive with possibility," Ball said. "It will be a place where athletics, arts, dining, and community come together in a way that honors the past and embraces the future."
The redevelopment effort began in 2014 when Howard County acquired two parcels in the village center, two years after the anchor Safeway grocery store shuttered.
The project has faced setbacks. After an extensive developer selection process, the zoning board approved plans in 2018, only to see the developer withdraw the following year.
In 2023, the county solicited proposals again. Columbia Concepts submitted the only response and was selected as the developer.
Progress resumed when the Howard County Council approved an early concept plan—the Urban Renewal Plan—in February. The Long Reach Village Association has since published its response to Columbia Concepts' Preliminary Development Plan Amendment.
The planning board will present its recommendation to the County Council on December 18. If approved by the zoning board, construction could begin as early as 2028.
