$45.8M Medical Office Building Breaks Ground In Howard County

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The Howard Hughes Corporation has broken ground on a four-story, $45.8 million medical office building located in the Lakefront District in downtown Columbia. The groundbreaking marks the first major milestone in HHC’s rejuvenation of the Lakefront District, which will 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 stand 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 new building 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 of the 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 dining and entertainment concept The Collective, which will open this winter.

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.

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