Commission approves major site plan for 1400 block of Assembly Street; developer to provide hundreds of units and parking

The City of Columbia Planning Commission voted to approve the major site plan for a mixed‑use development on the 1400 block of Assembly Street, the commission heard at its July meeting.

Applicant representatives said the project would total about 725 housing units, including 240 market‑rate apartments and student housing units, with roughly 1,600–1,650 parking stalls in a multi‑level garage, amenity space and about 2,200 square feet of retail along Main Street. Developer representatives described the site as roughly 2.62–3 acres and said the project will replace a decades‑old surface parking lot.

Doug Titchener, representing the applicant, told the commission the proposal has been reviewed by the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Design/Development Review Committee and that staff and the applicants had worked collaboratively on exterior design and setbacks. “It’s about 725 units in total, 240 of which will be market rate, in a 26 story tower and then a 22 story component,” Titchener said. He said the project aims to activate Main Street with a plaza and retail and to reduce existing multiple curb cuts to two centralized vehicle access points.

Project architect and civil engineer presenters described setbacks, coordinated utilities, a park/plaza condition at Main Street, and an arrangement to back the parking structure off property lines near the county library to create more green space. The applicant said water and sewer capacity has been addressed via a precapacity agreement with the city and that a traffic study is under review by the Department of Transportation.

Commissioners asked technical questions about loading, access points and how the design steps down to surrounding development; the applicant said the design includes at‑grade access on Washington and Assembly and intentional six‑foot setbacks to provide green buffer areas. Staff recommended approval based on findings that the site plan meets the requirements of the Unified Development Ordinance (section 17‑2.5.j.6) and urged the commission to condition approval on resolution of remaining staff comments.

A motion to approve the major site plan passed on a voice vote; the motion directed that all staff comments be addressed before final administrative approvals. The transcript does not contain a roll‑call tally.

The applicant said the parking allocation includes dedicated stalls for the city (about 450) and for a neighboring office building (about 250–300), with the balance for residents. The project will proceed through remaining permitting and site plan decision standards before construction.