An early look at redevelopment of the Hickory Village Center in Columbia was met with mixed responses Wednesday as property owner Kimco Realty discussed a mixed-use concept with residential and retail space.

At a pre-submission meeting at Atholton High School, one of the steps in the county's review process, Kimco vice president Greg Reed said the company wants to incorporate retail and residential space into the 14.16-acre center's design, a move he said provide the center with a solid customer base.

“We're trying to be proactive in our approach,” he said.

The plan calls for demolishing the original retail space and replacing it with a parking lot and green space, then adding between 280 and 300 residential units in a five-story apartment building in the parking lot between the Giant and Cedar Lane, along with a parking garage.

Residential space in Hickory Ridge Village Center would act as an anchor alongside the Giant, Reed said.

Three new retail buildings — each approximately 8,000 square feet — are proposed near the village center's edges, with the current 30,000 square feet of retail space across from the Giant relocating to the new structures.

“That would include an additional 10,000 square feet of retail on the first floor,” Reed said.

Roger Lawson, who with his wife, Mary, has lived in Hickory Ridge for 25 years, said he's concerned with parking for the residential units.

“Where is the parking going to be? They said there will be a parking level above the commercial floor,” Lawson said. “Well, there are going to be 270 apartments. You're going to put all those parking spaces on one level? I don't think so.”

Caroline Sherman said that while the existing Hickory Ridge Village Center isn't perfect, she shops at Giant and other local businesses.

“I think the apartments are good for something to come to and people will live there,” Sherman said. “It doesn't matter to me one iota. There is still plenty of traffic there, and I don't think any apartments would detract from that.”

Jessamine Duvall, Hickory Ridge village manager, said Kimco agreed last month with aspects of the Village Center Community Plan — a document created by the center to guide future recommendations and goals.

The plan includes a more visible village center, Duvall said, with an interest in maintaining retail space.

“In our plan, it states that residential could be considered, but the thought was that that would be on the outer part of the village center and secondary to retail,” she said. “[The Kimco] plan, as it stands now, does not match with our village center community plan in a few significant ways. My hope is that as the plan changes and evolves, it will come more in line with that plan.”

Several meetings have been scheduled before the next pre-submission meeting, Reed said, where groups of 10 or fewer will meet with Kimco and village board representatives to share questions and concerns.

“Our goal will be to be in harmony with the village plan as much as we possibly can be,” Reed said. “There are a lot of different voices being heard right now. In redevelopment, you can never make everybody happy. The goal is to make as many people happy as possible.”

The county's Design Advisory Panel, Department of Planning and Zoning and Zoning Board must approve the project prior to construction. More details are available at hickoryridgevillage.org.

In addition to Wilde Lake, other Kimco properties include Dorsey's Search, Harper's Choice, Kings Contrivance, River Hill and Columbia Crossing, according to the company's website.