Several Howard County residents hoping to develop the next generation of county leaders have formed a new group they hope will have some clout in the redevelopment of downtown Columbia.

The group, called "Columbia 2.0," has about 40 members who support making Columbia a pedestrian-friendly social, cultural and economic hub, according to the group's Web site, www.columbia2point0.com.

Members of the group said they plan to contribute to upcoming public discussions about the redevelopment project led by county officials and those from Columbia developer General Growth Properties Inc.

The group also hopes to encourage more young people in the county to voice their opinions, according to the group's Web site.

Group leaders David Yungmann, 41, and Katie Dunn, 26, announced the group's formation at a press conference July 28.

"This is a great town. But after 40 years, we all realize it's starting to get a little frayed around the edges and diversity is suffering," Yungmann said in a statement released by the group this week. "As our community discusses how Columbia will evolve over the next 30 years, our generation -- those of us who will live, raise our children and work here -- need to start to take responsibility."

As part of a 30-year master plan, Chicago-based General Growth Properties plans to add 5,500 residences, a million square feet of retail space, nearly five million square feet of office space, 640 hotel rooms and 265,000 square feet of cultural and civic space to downtown.

The company intends to submit the master plan to the county for approval in August, said Gregory Hamm, the company's general manager for Columbia.

user comments (0)