One-stop-shopping will be back in action soon at the Kings Contrivance village center.

Located at the intersection of Guilford Road and Eden Brook Drive in Columbia, it’s hoped the neighborhood’s new Harris Teeter supermarket will draw business to the village center hub, appeasing concerns from local merchants and residents.

“It's a long awaited, overdue boost to the economy of the entire village center,” said Dick Story, Chief Executive Officer of the Howard County Economic Development Authority.

Since the Safeway grocery store left Kings Contrivance in June 2006, residents have shopped elsewhere, cutting down on village traffic, said Anne Brinker, Kings Contrivance village manager.

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“It's been a real strain on the village merchants,” said Brinker.

The shopping center’s limited visibility, as it is not located off a major highway, and the trend towards larger grocery stores, may have negatively affectedSafeway’s success since its original development in the early 1990s, said Marcia Mclaughlin, director of planning and zoning for Howard County.

But the new 55,000-square feet Harris Teeter should help solve that.

“It will be a larger destination [than the Safeway], and will attract curious grocery shoppers from farther afield, drawing from Howard County and even outside,” said McLaughlin.

“We're hoping business will pick up when it [the Harris Teeter] comes because it's been slow for everyone in the village center since the anchor store, Safeway, left,” said Marie Jones, manager of Bagel Bin and Deli.

“Business is terrible,” said David Palk, owner of Kings Contrivance Cleaners.

But despite complaints from local merchants, the affluence of the neighborhood anchored the smaller businesses through tougher times. There is a total population of 182,094 residents in a 5 mile radius from Kings Contrivance and the soon-to-be-open Harris Teeter, with an average household income in the area is $89,402 reported KIMCO Realty Corporation, developers of the property.

“Everyone is very excited that we’re getting a whole new store,” said McLaughlin. “It should do a lot to bring shoppers back to that center.”
Harris Teeter is expected to open Winter of 2008.

ekrupp@baltimoreexaminer.com