Howard County has released an updated request for proposal for the purchase of the 35,000-square-foot former Columbia Flier building and property, which is located at 10750 Little Patuxent Parkway, in Columbia.

The building is situated on an approximately 2.16-acre site that fronts to Little Patuxent Parkway. This property is intended to be part the continued redevelopment of Downtown Columbia. Constructed in 1978, for 33 years it was home to the Flier, a local newspaper.

In 2014, the Howard County government purchased the structure. Its goals with the RFP are to:
● Facilitate the redevelopment and/or use of the building and property through new ownership;
● Generate revenue for the county through the sale of the property and collection of future real property taxes on the property; and
● Conduct a competitive solicitation process to sell the property to an entity that will consider community input and address market demand, which does not include housing.

Howard County engaged the community in recent years to discuss the sale and repurposing of the building and property. The community’s feedback to the survey included:
● Providing benefits to the community such as retail, food service, educational use and office use, among other uses.
● Valuing the history of the building and its original use and communicating a desire to see the history memorialized in the repurposing of the property.
● Prioritizing sustainability such as the development of a LEED-certified building, as well as the preservation of the healthy, mature trees on site and use of solar panels.

Howard County has retained the services of Chartwell Enterprises, a commercial real estate services firm, to advise and represent the county throughout the process. It will be the buyer’s risk and responsibility to take its proposed development plan through the redevelopment process, as required. It is important for a buyer to offer its most competitive purchase price with its initial offer as the county may select a buyer from initial offers.

A restrictive covenant in the deed will ensure the buyer delivers a use acceptable to the county. Closing will occur within 21 days following the completion of the 45-day due diligence period. Deadline to submit proposals is 11:59 p.m. on May 26.