Howard Hughes names new Md. president to lead Downtown Columbia project

Howard Hughes Holdings announced Monday that veteran development executive Kristi Smith will become president of the company’s Maryland region, where she will oversee its $5 billion, 30-year Downtown Columbia redevelopment project.

Smith takes over from Greg Fitchitt, who will assume a new role as the company’s executive vice president of government affairs and business development, providing strategic insights at the corporate level.

Smith has more than 20 years experience in commercial real estate development, with a focus on the Washington, D.C. metro region.

She previously served as executive vice president in charge of development for JBG SMITH, a publicly traded, multifamily and office real estate investment trust in the D.C. market. She oversaw the company’s mixed-use multifamily and commercial projects in top submarkets, including the development of Amazon’s HQ2 in Arlington, Virginia.  She earned a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia, and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

“I am thrilled to join Howard Hughes at this significant point in the trajectory of Downtown Columbia, as the community is uniquely positioned to meet today’s renewed demand for a walkable, high-quality work environment with short commutes, in a location continually ranked as one of the best places to live in the country,” said Smith.

Fitchitt, who has been with Howard Hughes since 2013, became regional president in 2018. During his tenure, Columbia saw the emergence of the Merriweather District as a leading mixed-use destination in the region.

Columbia is one of the first master planned communities in the U.S., founded by developer James Rouse in 1967 as a “city in a garden.” Howard Hughes is embarking on the rebirth of the lakefront as part of the 2010 Downtown Columbia Plan, including a premier medical office building that broke ground at the end of 2022 and is expected to be delivered in spring of 2024. Also recently approved was the Lakefront North development plan, which will bring over 700 apartments, additional retail, two community parks, and below-grade parking.