St. John Properties Completes $3.3 Million Renovation at Lisbon Center in Howard County, Maryland

Developer employs strategic placemaking to deliver contemporary architectural upgrades and new amenity areas to the 52,700 square foot neighborhood shopping center

St. John Properties, Inc. has finalized the $3.3 million renovation of Lisbon Center, a comprehensive revitalization which incorporates contemporary retail architecture and a placemaking approach to the 52,700 square foot retail center located in the Woodbine section of Howard County, Maryland. Positioned at 702-712 Lisbon Center Drive at the intersection of MD Route 94 and Old Frederick Road in Lisbon, Maryland, the shopping center is anchored by Food Lion and features a mix of approximately 15 complimentary restaurants, services, and retailers.

Highlights of the renovation include an exterior facelift, a new roof, new decorative finishes, modernized lighting and tenant signage, new wood soffits, and significant landscaping and hardscaping upgrades. In an effort to improve safety and connectivity throughout Lisbon Center, site work enhancements featured the addition of ADA accessible pedestrian walkways, resurfaced parking lots, and traffic-calming speed bumps. The entire center was also repainted, and a new roadside pylon sign will be installed.

St. John Properties also created two new amenity areas designed to function as central gathering spaces for community members, and placemaking elements were incorporated to improve the experience of visitors at Lisbon Center. A new 12,000 square foot pocket park is equipped with public-sheltered dining and seating areas, open green space, and upgraded landscaping including new shade trees. In addition, an asphalt driveway between two of the buildings was converted to a second public gathering area with two new dining patios, connecting bistro lights, Adirondack chairs and landscaping features.

“The retail environment remains extremely competitive, and it is incumbent upon owners to maintain relevancy at its properties, keep assets performing at the highest possible level, and incorporate new elements that add interest and draw consumers,” explained Bill Holzman, Vice President of Retail Leasing at St. John Properties. “This starts with generating and maintaining a diversified tenant mix that meets the retail and dining needs of area residents. Given the accelerated popularity and ease of online shopping, retail property owners and managers need to be especially creative in finding ways to appeal to a diverse array of audiences.”

“Two tenets of our mission are to put our clients’ needs first, and act as long-term investors in the communities we serve,” added Holzman. “We have owned and managed Lisbon Center for 36 years and wanted to modernize the appearance of the shopping center and make it more welcoming. Each improvement and upgrade furthered our objective to drive a higher volume of traffic to the center and encourage new consumer visitations which, in turn, creates higher value to our clients,”

Lisbon Center is adjacent to Interstate 70 and serves a consumer audience extending into Carroll and Montgomery Counties. Nearly 20,000 consumers reside within a five-mile radius including more than 6,000 households with an average household income approaching $175,000.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for Saturday, May 3

To celebrate the recently completed renovations, St. John Properties has scheduled a community grand re-opening and ribbon-cutting event for Saturday, May 3 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The program will include participation from Dr. Calvin Ball Howard County Executive and Jennifer Jones CEO of Howard County Economic Development Authority. The event will also feature tenant sidewalk sales as well as free giveaways, face painting, balloon art and popcorn. Appearances will be made by Lisbon area community partners the Howard County Police Department and the Lisbon Volunteer Fire Department. Days End Farm Horse Rescue will offer kids activities and the opportunity to pet a mini-horse. Glenwood Middle School and the Roberson School of Music will contribute live musical performances.

Founded in 1971, St. John Properties, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest and most successful privately held commercial real estate firms. The company is distinguished by its commitment to customer service, achievements in green building, and top-rated workplace culture. Throughout St. John Properties’ 54-year history, the company has developed more than 24 million square feet of flex/R&D, office, retail, and warehouse space and has investments in over 3,000 residential units. The company proudly serves more than 2,600 clients in Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Utah, and Wisconsin. For more information about the company, visit www.sjpi.com.