Whole Foods Entry into Downtown a 'Home Run'

Howard County Executive Ken Ulman said Whole Foods’ entry into  Columbia is a symbol that the redevelopment of downtown is happening.

“It’s real,” said Ulman, who called the agreement between the development company Howard Hughes and Whole Foods to lease the former Rouse building on the Columbia Lakefront a “home run” to kick off the development of downtown.

“You could have had a moonwalk announced today and this would have been a bigger deal,” said John DeWolf, vice president of Howard Hughes, at an announcement of the agreement at the former Rouse building.

DeWolf said Howard Hughes would be doing the base work to renovate the historic, iconic former Rouse Company headquarters. He said the work would take about a year and cost upwards of $20 million.

The building, which sits right on the lakefront, was designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry and opened in 1974. Currently, only 13 Howard Hughes employees use the building on a daily basis.

Whole Foods announced in a news release on Wednesday evening .

DeWolf made a number of significant points during the announcement.

He said the building would likely be renamed the James W. Rouse Building, that Frank Gehry may be involved with the renovation and that Howard Hughes will follow strict preservation guidelines to maintain the iconic exterior as the building is renovated.

“We met with [Gehry] about six to seven months ago to talk about the Whole Foods store,” said DeWolf, who noted Gehry is a Howard Hughes board member. “He expresses an interest in coming back to Columbia.”

Barbara Kellner, directore of the Columbia Archives, said members of the historic community were excited about Whole Foods using the important and historical community building.

“Adaptive reuse is a really good form of historic preservation,” said Kellner. “It keeps the look of the building intact, but it’s economically sound.”

“This building really speaks to an awesome opportunity to be somewhere that expresses something important in the community,” said Jill McCarthy, coordinator of mission and purpose for Whole Foods. McCarthy said the store expects to hire about 150 employees.

The Renovation

DeWolf said once the second floor is removed, the building will be reduced in size from 160,000 square feet to 130,000. Whole Foods reported their store would be approximately 45,000 square feet in size. Their café will be situated at the back of the building, allowing shoppers to enjoy their food with a view of Lake Kittamaqundi.

DeWolf said Howard Hughes envisions also placing a fitness center on the first floor and renovating the Spear Center, an entertainment venue on the fourth floor. He said Howard Hughes intends to continue to make the Spear Center available for public use.

The aging white stucco on the exterior of the building will be replaced with fresh stucco, according to DeWolf, who said demolition is scheduled to begin by the end of the year.

The Whole Foods Effect

County officials have been looking into the positive effect Whole Foods reportedly has on area property values.

“We know there’s been a lot of studies that shows Whole Foods adds dramatically to property values in the area,” said Ulman. “We’re already getting calls from people asking where can I rent a condo and walk to Whole Foods.”

It was reported in a May Salon article that Whole Foods may either be good at picking up-and-coming areas or, in fact, has a positive effect on the community.

“This ‘seal of approval’ quality is Whole Foods’ Midas touch; as with streetcar tracks, potential gentrifiers see it as something tangible that certifies a neighborhood as a quality buy. And not just residents; businesses, too, look to Whole Foods as a disciplined pioneer that does its homework,” reported Will Doig of Salon.

“We’re very excited that you’re bringing that to my hometown, our hometown,” said Mary Kay Sigaty, the chair of the Howard County Council and Town Center representative. “This points to, along with the other developments, the start we need to see.”

Recent announcements of the , and represent the start of a real downtown for Columbia, according to local officials.

“I have a hope that our young people can say ‘This is our downtown. [We] don’t have to go to Baltimore,’ ” said Sigaty.

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