Designed by Columbia resident and architect Bob Moon, the
Columbia Flier Building has been a striking building along the streetscape of Little Patuxent Parkway since its construction in 1978. For 33 years the
building was home to the Columbia Flier which ceased its operations there in
2011. The property was purchased in 2014 by Howard County due in part to its
close proximity to Downtown Columbia. The building is situated near
an array of corporate office headquarters, high-end merchants,
entertainment venues, educational facilities, and mixed-use high-density
residential units.
The Flier Building was selected as a location for the Maryland
Center for Entrepreneurship, which was to be operated by the Howard County
Economic Development Authority. In 2015, the newly branded Innovation Center was
instead located in the Columbia Gateway Park (a designated "Innovation
District") due in part to the estimated $7.2 million price tag required to
renovate the Flier Building.
Today,
County Executive Ball is initiating community input meetings in March to
hear from the public about the sale of the former Columbia Flier Building. The
meetings in March will provide the public an opportunity to give input on the
future use
of the site. Following these
meetings, the County Executive will begin requesting proposals for the site
that align with the sentiments received from the public.