Parking to Be Removed at Rouse Building to Make Way for Whole Foods

The Planning Board approved the company's plan on Thursday.

Nearly 100 Parking Spots To Be Removed at Lakefront Rouse Building

The plan to remove the spots was approved on Thursday.

UPDATE - March 8 - At their meeting on March 7, the Howard County Planning Board approved Howard Hughes Co's plan to remove the parking spots and redevelop the site at the former Rouse Building which is slated to be a Whole Foods and Columbia Association Gym. Original Story - March 5 The big changes shown in Howard Hughes Co.'s plan to develop the Rouse Building downtown to make way for a Whole Foods and Columbia Association Gym largely has to do with parking. One of the most noticeable developments for most residents will be a traffic signal on Little Patuxent Parkway leading into the lakefront lot. A traffic study by the county deemed the signal necessary, according to a staff report written by the the Department of Planning and Zoning. …

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Danny

11:20 am on Tuesday, March 12, 2013

what a ridiculous comment! who's the "we all" that you speak of? and if everyone avoids the area, driving won't be difficult at all in downtown columbia, now will it?   more ›

Renowned Architect Frank Gehry Visits Columbia

The architect tours the planned community on the cusp of reinventing its downtown, but doesn't commit to designing anything.

  When John DeWolf, senior vice president of Howard Hughes Corp., announced Whole Foods' new lease at the former Rouse Company building in downtown, he hinted that renowned architect Frank Gehry may play a role in redesigning that building, the Merriweather Post Pavilion or another building downtown. On Thursday, it appeared even more possible Gehry is going to get involved, as DeWolf and the architect spent the day touring downtown, according to a report in the Baltimore Sun. According to the article, DeWolf stated again Howard Hughes' desire to use the architect once again in Columbia. Gehry, 83, who is based in California, said he was interested, but made no commitments, according to the Sun. Gehry, who designed such iconic buildings as…

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Map: Groceries in Columbia

Whole Foods is entering a competitive market.

Last week's announcement that Whole Foods has signed a lease at the former Rouse building in Town Center was called, "The worst kept secret in Howard County," by Howard Hughes Vice President John DeWolf. But what isn't a secret is the competitive market it will be entering. While development is expected in downtown Columbia that will likely increase the food market, there already are 15 groceries within or close to Columbia. There's the newly opened Wegmans off of Snowden River. Across from it is a BJ's Wholesale Club. Just across the Columbia/ Elkridge border is Trader Joe's and Costco. There are three Giant's in the city, a Food Lion and the Harper's Choice Safeway. And then there's the speciality stores like Nazar Market, David's …

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PHOTOS: The Rouse Building - Past, Present and Future

See what the Rouse Building looked like in preliminary designs, how it looks today and renderings of its potential future.

With the big news of Whole Foods leasing out space in the former Rouse Building, we felt it was time to show off some of these historical photos of the building. The photos in this gallery contain drawings from renowned architect Frank Gehry's original design phases, as well as current photos of the historic building and a rendering of what the completed Whole Foods may look like. Have any photos of yourself by the Rouse Building today or in the past? Add them by clicking on the green button below the photo gallery. The building officially opened in 1974 and at its height housed more than 600 Rouse Company employees as they developed the city of Columbia. In 2014, Whole Foods is scheduled to open a grocery store in the building, a move …

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Whole Foods To Locate in Downtown Columbia

Find out when the store is expected to open.

Whole Foods has signed a lease with Howard Hughes to open a store at the former Rouse Company Headquarters in Downtown Columbia. Store officials note the Columbia market will offer "the highest quality natural and organic products." The Whole Foods Market will occupy 45,000 square feet of the 151,000 square foot building on the level adjacent to the parking lot on Little Patuxent Parkway, according to a press release. "Opening in Columbia is an excellent opportunity for us to plant solid roots, encourage economic growth, job creation and community engagement," wrote Scott Allshouse, Mid-Atlantic region president for Whole Foods. The announcement of the entrance of Whole Foods into the Columbia market, first reported on the food blog …

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Report: Howard Hughes Negotiating with Whole Foods, Again

The development company is reportedly once again talking to the upscale grocery chain about leasing the Howard Hughes building.

  The former Rouse Company headquarters is back in the news again. And again, it's about Howard Hughes trying to lure Whole Foods into the aging, iconic building. On Thursday, Howard Hughes senior vice president John DeWolf said before the Columbia Association board of directors that Howard Hughes was negotiating with a number of potential tenants for the Rouse building and mentioned Whole Foods as a possibility. However, the Howard County Times reported in March that negotiations between Whole Foods and Howard Hughes had stalled. The Howard County Times reported on Tuesday the building would need $25 million in renovations to be ready for a retail tenant. A Whole Foods spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. In …

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Poll: What's the Best Use of the Howard Hughes Building?

Whole Foods is reportedly not interested in the iconic Columbia building.

The future of the Howard Hughes building is once again unclear. The iconic former headquarters of the Rouse Company, designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry, was rumored to be a future home of a Whole Foods supermarket. But last week, an unidentified Howard Hughes official said negotiations between the company and Whole Foods ended without a deal, according to an article in Explore Howard. The article noted just 13 employees currently use the three-level building, which is 150,00-square-feet and can hold up to 650 people. So it begs the question, how could the building be used? With Wegmans opening this summer, is a grocery store still a reality? Would standard offices be too ho-hum for the unique structure? Duane St. Clair at HoCo …

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Whole Foods Not Committed to Rouse Building

A spokesperson for the company said there are no firm plans to open a store in Columbia.

The rumors abound in Columbia about Whole Foods moving into the former Rouse office building, now Howard Hughes Corp., located downtown. However, the company has made no definitive plans to do so, according to Whole Foods spokesperson Defausha Hampton. “We don’t have any firm plans to open a store in Columbia, MD,” wrote Hampton in an email on Monday, “But we are always seeking new locations.” Hampton said that new store locations are announced four times per year, during Whole Foods’ quarterly earnings calls with investors. The last earnings call took place on Feb. 8. During that call, Whole Foods announced they plan on opening between 24 and 27 new stores in fiscal 2012 and 28 to 32 new stores in fiscal 2013, but made no mention of …

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