Howard County is set to receive $6 million in federal funding for a trio of local priorities, county officials say. The money is earmarked for mixed‑income housing at the former Toby’s Dinner Theatre site in Downtown Columbia, a bike path along Guilford Road, and a STEM education program run by the Chinese American Parent Association of Howard County. County leaders say the cash will be folded into existing budgets for long‑planned efforts in the Merriweather district.
“At Artist Flats, 87 of the 174 apartments will be affordable, serving individuals and families across a broad range of income,” Howard County Housing Commissioner Jacqueline West‑Spencer said, according to WBAL‑TV. The station reported the $6 million allocation on Monday.
Artist Flats and the New Cultural Center
Artist Flats is the residential component of the county’s New Cultural Center project on the Toby’s site, a high‑profile redevelopment next to Merriweather Park. According to the county, the building will include 174 units across several mixed‑income price points and will be paired with new arts spaces, including a 340‑seat dinner theater. The county expects the project to be complete by spring 2028. Project details and timelines are available from Orchard Development.
Other Projects Funded
Officials told reporters that a portion of the award will go toward building a safer bike route along Guilford Road and expanding an after‑school STEM program run by the Chinese American Parent Association of Howard County. Those projects were among the items highlighted in local coverage of the funding announcement, and WBAL‑TV noted the list of recipients.
Funding Mechanics and Next Steps
Artist Flats and other Downtown Columbia improvements have been advanced using a mix of tax increment financing, low‑income housing tax credits, and grant dollars, records from the Columbia Downtown Housing Corporation show. County and project officials will now need to incorporate the new federal allocation into formal budgets and report details at upcoming planning and Housing Commission meetings. Columbia Downtown Housing Corporation maintains the project documents and covenants related to the development.
Local leaders have framed the federal award as a welcome boost for long‑running downtown projects, while advocates caution that larger, sustained investments will still be needed to meet housing and transit goals. County staff did not immediately provide a detailed line‑item breakdown but said they will present formal acceptances and budget updates at public meetings in the coming weeks.
