Plans Advance For Long Reach Village Center

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Officials have taken the next step toward bringing the Long Reach Village Center to fruition.

Howard County’s planning board voted unanimously four to zero to approve the center's preliminary development plan at its Dec. 18 public meeting where board members received the county department of planning and zoning’s technical staff report of the project and regulatory requirements, Columbia Concept’s petitioner’s presentation and public testimony.

“The vision for the Long Reach Village Center presented by Columbia Concepts will deliver the much-needed reinvestment this neighborhood hub deserves while lifting the surrounding community and setting a new bar for what a village center can be,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “I want to thank the members of the Planning Board for their thoughtful consideration of this proposal and for their service to our community. Together, we will build a Long Reach Village Center that is vibrant, inclusive and alive with possibility.”

Columbia Concept’s vision for the Long Reach Village Center, known as “Destination Long Reach,” includes:

• Townhomes and senior housing for a wide range of incomes;
• A senior center and community gathering spaces;
• A grocery store and engaging retail;
• Safe pedestrian and bike connections;
• Sustainable green design; and
• Arts woven throughout the entire campus.

At the heart of the project is a 100,000-plus square foot indoor athletic facility with volleyball, basketball and pickleball courts, and a rock-climbing wall. There also will be retail and commercial space spread out across multiple buildings, and improvements to the current site that include the installation of additional parking, bike and pedestrian facilities for multi-modal options.

Related: New Plans For Long Reach Village Center Unveiled

“The Howard County Planning Board heard loud and clear from the greater Long Reach community how this redevelopment proposal will reinvigorate the Village Center. The planning board's unanimous vote to recommend amending the Columbia Preliminary Development Plan in favor of redevelopment is another crucial step toward realizing this goal,” said Brian Kim, president of Columbia Concepts.

Once the plans are approved by the county zoning board and negotiations with neighboring parcel owners are complete, additional site plans will need to be approved. Construction should start in an estimated 24 months, leaders stated.

In 2014, Howard County leaders bought the second of two parcels that comprise the Long Reach project totaling 7.71 acres. In 2017, officials sought proposals for the redevelopment and the zoning board approved the chosen developer's plan in 2018. But that plan was withdrawn in 2019, putting the brakes on the project.

In February 2020, Ball unveiled his “Long Reach Rising” strategy to stabilize and clean up the village center. However, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic just a month later, the commercial real estate market turned upside down and plans were again put on hold. In 2023, developers were sought again but only one group stepped up - Columbia Concepts.