Rosewood Hills Master Plan

In 2003, the Columbia Housing Authority retained Urban Collage/Lord Aeck Sargent to produce a market-based development plan along the lines of the HOPE VI model for the 19-acre Hendley Homes public housing site.

The plan emphasized public involvement and architectural compatibility to rally the adjoining neighborhoods around a new vision for the area. The plan and public involvement process sought to position the project not only as public housing redevelopment but also as a traditional neighborhood plan, a unique combination that drew on UC/LAS' diverse skill set.

UC/LAS built on the consensual vision of four participatory workshops, the continuing involvement of key stakeholders and the Columbia Housing Authority to develop a plan that significantly reworks existing infrastructure to result in a new series of public open spaces. No unit of the diverse mix of housing is more than one block away from a neighborhood park; and the greenway that unites them is anchored on either end by revitalizing commercial and cultural nodes. The plan subsequently became the basis for a successful HUD 2004 HOPE VI application. Since then, UC/LAS has gone on to create sets of design guidelines for both the mixed-use and senior living components of the plan, as well as consulting on the detailed design of the infrastructure.

Implementation Highlights:

• Project awarded $10.5 million dollars as part of a successful 2004 HOPE VI Grant Application
• $4 million dollar infrastructure improvements package funded by the City; streets and public spaces complete
• Design guidelines completed for solicitation of development partners
• Final Phase of development, with the senior complex slated for occupancy late 2009 and a future mixed-use building awaiting final design

Practice Areas