ODENTON, MD — A state and local partnership more than 20 years in the making is finally moving forward at the Odenton MARC Station.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore joined local officials Monday to break ground on a new mixed-use development at one of the busiest train stops in the state.
"This is the first transit-oriented development groundbreaking of our administration, this is what it means to actually have a vision and get things done, this is what it means to have promises made and promises kept," Moore said.
The project will transform what is currently a surface parking lot into a walkable, mixed-use community. Construction will begin with a new 1,100-space parking garage, followed by residential and commercial development.
Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller said the project reflects a broader shift in how communities think about transportation and housing.
"We spend so much time figuring out where to put our cars that we've forgotten to think about how people want to live and where they want to live," Miller said.
When complete, the development will include more than 30,000 square feet of shops and restaurants, 585 new homes ,more than 150 of which will be designated affordable or workforce housing, as well as new sidewalks, trails, and bike paths connecting surrounding neighborhoods to the station.
Sam Snead, director of the Office of Transportation, said the transformation will go far beyond adding parking.
"This is no longer going to be an asphalt desert. It's going to be a vibrant urban-suburban nexus where people can come and commune, they can have events it's not just going to be an unused quiet lot throughout the day," Snead said.
"When you do transit-oriented development, it's so popular, everybody wants to live there," said Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman.
The new garage is expected to be complete in mid-2028.
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