The Howard Hughes Corp. signs retail tenants at The Metropolitan Downtown Columbia

Columbia, Md. – The Howard Hughes Corp. has signed several retail and restaurant leases for the public promenade at The Metropolitan Downtown Columbia, a new luxury apartment community located in Columbia, Maryland. As part of the transformation, The Howard Hughes Corp. recently completed the renovation of the historic Rouse Building into a flagship Whole Foods Market and a 27,000-sq.-ft.luxury spa and wellness center, as well as kicked off a multi-stage renovation of Merriweather Post Pavilion.



The promenade at “The Metropolitan” is a nearly one-acre park that sits alongside the residential community and includes shops and restaurants, an interactive playground, art sculptures and outdoor seating for al fresco dining. The line-up of tenants features first-to-market restaurants Corner Bakery Café and MOD Pizza. These fast casual restaurants will be complemented with service merchants such as hipster salon Floyd’s 99 Barbershop, European Wax Center and Village Nails Bar.



The Metropolitan Downtown Columbia, developed jointly by The Howard Hughes Corp. and Kettler Inc., offers 380 luxury apartment homes with amenities such as a movie theater, gaming lounge, gym and modern outdoor living spaces with a pool, grilling stations, fireplaces and green spaces. Designed to achieve LEED Silver Certification, the community features environmentally friendly finishes, including Energy Star appliances and energy efficient systems and lighting as well as advanced storm water bio-retention systems. The community also includes the promenade and 14,000-sq.-ft. of retail and restaurant space.



The Metropolitan Downtown Columbia is the first new building completed as part of Howard County’s and The Howard Hughes Corporation’s 30-year vision for up to 13 million-sq.-ft. of mixed-use space. At full build out, plans for Downtown Columbia include 5,500 residences, 640 hotel rooms, more than four million sq.-ft. of office and medical space, more than one million sq.-ft. of retail and restaurant space and more than 20 acres of park, civic and cultural space.