It Takes 10 Villages: Columbia’s Unique Blueprint Faces Test of Time

When Columbia was developed 44 years ago, its 10 village centers were intended to be its hallmark, with each being the gathering place for shopping and for community interaction for the surrounding neighborhoods.

In Part Two of Patch’s interview with Columbia Association President Phil Nelson, Nelson talked about the village center concept and whether it is fundamentally changing. Following is an edited excerpt.

Patch: When it comes the village centers, there appears to be a transition both in the philosophy and the business model of what worked in Columbia. What are your thoughts?

Nelson: “I’m not sure if the same concept—with grocery store, barbershop and dry cleaners—will work with the difference in types of housing and travel patterns.”

Patch: I know brought up the topic of themed village centers. Could you see that for Columbia, with the centers not just a destination for people in that village, but for people traveling there for specific purposes?

Nelson: “I think that’s going to have to be it. And I think two or three villages might have to stand together to say, ‘Okay, we’ll do this and provide this function and somebody else will provide a different function.’ But who knows right now what the market is going to be?

“It may be everything is online shopping in terms of retail. But I think there’s always going to be a need to go see your doctor, to have service-type functions that may be more dominant than just the commercial retail that’s there now.”

Patch: What are your thoughts on ? Do you have a certain ideal?

Nelson: “It’s so different from what people are used to. But I think the developer has gone through a lot of study and a lot of analysis as to what will fit there and what will work. I’m not sure that he would present something that he knew wouldn’t be used by the people that live in Wilde Lake.

“I know there’s still a lot of desire for a grocery store there. You kind of have to ask the developer, ‘Did you look at the grocery store concept, and if not, why not, and if so, why wouldn’t it work?’ I think just the idea of there being so many grocery stores in the vicinity, it would be difficult for one to really make it.

“There is a specialty grocery store there with David’s [Natural] Market. Maybe people could work with them to try to see if it could expand a product line or change a product line to meet more needs.”

Patch: Do you have an opinion on the alternative proposal for Wilde Lake Village Center that was put forth by Cy Paumier and a few others?

“No.”

Patch: Are there other village centers in need of getting ahead of the situation?

Nelson: “I think areas that are kind of away from mainstream areas, like Long Reach, they’re going to have to start looking at a master planning process.

“I think every village has people who are really committed to maintaining the original vision of Mr. [James] Rouse, but it’s probably going to have to be a lot of realistic thinking as to what’s going to make it based on changes in population and travel patterns and those kinds of things.”

Patch: When you say away from mainstream areas, what do you mean?

Nelson: “With Long Reach, there’s probably one other village that would have the capability of walking to get to the village center.”

Patch: There have been other village centers where grocery stores have closed and then other grocery stores have come in.

Nelson: “I don’t think anyone can just be complacent as to ‘We’ve got this, there’s never any chance of it going away.’ I think you have to, again, stay ahead of the curve, to look at changes in the area, changes in age categories or groupings, see if the fit now is the fit for the future.”

This is the second in a three-part series. , Nelson discussed the redevelopment of downtown Columbia and Columbia Association’s role in the process.

Part 3, Friday: Nelson how Columbia Association will look at possibly adjusting its services as Columbia ltself changes. Columbia Association offers recreational, cultural and community services and facilities.