Howard County’s Wellness Center will offer variety

When people want to get a bite to eat, new clothes and an iPod all in one trip, they go to a shopping mall. But imagine a mall that catered exclusively to health and wellness, where you could visit a doctor, do some yoga and get a massage without needing to park your car more than once.

That’s exactly what The Wellness Center of Howard County, which is under construction in Elkridge and scheduled to open in December, is meant to be.

“It’ll be a one-stop shop for health and wellness,” said Don Reuwer, who owns Ellicott City-based Land Design & Development Inc., the developer of the center.

Reuwer said that what sets this project apart from other medical and wellness centers is that it doesn’t focus exclusively on either scientific or alternative medicine, but will include both.

Reuwer has been a developer in Howard County since 1981, when he founded Land Design & Development, and is responsible for such projects as the Waverly Woods golf course community in Marriottsville, and the Turf Valley Overlook community in Ellicott City. Reuwer is also building Forest Green, a commercial/residential space in Ellicott City.

The 40,000-square-foot two-story wellness center is being built on Meadowridge Road, just past where it intersects with Route 100.

So far, only 16,000 square feet are spoken for, with 10,000 feet dedicated to Select Eye Care, an ophthalmology practice that will be one of only two in Maryland equipped to perform laser cataract surgery.

Reuwer declined to name the other businesses that have signed a letter of intent to move into the building. But he did say that there will be a pharmacy, a dentist, a yoga and massage therapy center and a health food restaurant. Reuwer also said he is in talks to get a primary care physician and an acupuncturist.

“I’m a big believer in prevention, and that’s what I really want this thing to focus on,” Reuwer said. “Not just dealing with sick people but helping to keep people well.”

Rental space in the facility is going for $26 per square foot for the top floor and $18 per square foot on the bottom floor, plus a $5 per square foot common-area maintenance fee that could change annually.

The real estate firm handling the property is Waverly Real Estate Group LLC.