Tenable will move to Columbia's Merriweather District, part of the redevelopment of the 391-acre core of Columbia being redeveloped by The Howard Hughes Corp.

WASHINGTON — Maryland cyber security firm Tenable will move its company headquarters to downtown Columbia, a big win for developers with grand plans for redeveloping the core business district in Columbia.

Tenable, whose current headquarters is nearby on Columbia Gateway Drive, will move to Columbia’s Merriweather District, part of the redevelopment of the 391-acre core of Columbia being redeveloped by The Howard Hughes Corp

Tenable and its 900 headquarters employees will make the move in the third quarter of 2019, when the new building is completed, and occupy 150,000 square feet on six floors in a new, 350,000-square-foot, 12-story glass tower.

To date, 10 percent of the redevelopment plan is either under construction or complete. At full build-out, the Downtown Columbia Revitalization will include 14 million square feet of mixed-use development, including 4.3 million square feet of commercial office space, 1.25 million square feet of retail, more than 6,200 residential units and 640 hotel rooms.

“We are proud to join Downtown Columbia’s new Merriweather District as it continues to grow as a vibrant destination and to reaffirm our long-standing commitment to the State of Maryland that has fostered Tenable’s growth since the very beginning,” said Steve Vintz, chief financial officer of Tenable.

“Our move to downtown Columbia will provide a live-work-play environment for employees, accommodate future growth and allow our company to be part of the area’s exciting transformation.”

Howard County’s Columbia is one of the nation’s oldest planned communities — 50 years old this year — and is often ranked as one of the best places in the U.S. to live.

Howard Hughes began construction a couple of years ago, although its grand, final build-out is still about 20 years away.

Columbia’s underdeveloped core was the subject of a five-year study that culminated with the passage of the Downtown Columbia Plan in 2010.

Recent new additions have included a Whole Foods Market, three new apartment buildings and two office buildings.

The whole of Columbia was founded by legendary developer James Rouse in 1967.