Odenton garage frees land for 585 homes and a walkable district

More than 30,000 square feet of paved surface parking will be replaced by a 1,100-space commuter garage in Odenton, Maryland. Governor Moore attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the project on Wednesday, marking the start of construction on the first phase of the station’s transit-oriented development plan.

The initiative began in November 2025 when the Maryland Department of Transportation selected joint development partners. Homes for America and Questar Properties were chosen to work with state and county agencies to redevelop the site. The project is part of the 2024 MARC Penn Line Strategy, which aims to build mixed-use communities along the commuter rail corridor.

The new garage will sit on a nearly 13-acre site. Once completed, the structure will free up land for a walkable district. This area is planned to include 585 multifamily housing units. Of those, 130 will be affordable, 20 will be workforce housing, and 435 will be market-rate homes. The development will also add 180,000 square feet of public amenity space and integrated pedestrian and bicycle pathways.

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman is financing the project in partnership with the Maryland Economic Development Corporation. The total cost is approximately $56 million. U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representative Steny Hoyer secured $4 million in federal funding for the effort. The Maryland Department of Transportation provided an additional $750,000 through its Transit-Oriented Development Capital Grant program and donated the state-owned land for the parcel.

Katie Thomson, the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation, noted that Odenton is the busiest intermediate station on the Penn Line. It ranks as the third busiest overall in the system, behind Washington Union Station and Baltimore Penn Station. Thomson stated that the investment uses state transportation infrastructure to advance economic development in the region.

Aruna Miller, Lieutenant Governor and a transportation engineer by training, emphasized that the goal is to connect housing with transit. She said the project will transform underutilized land into homes, businesses, and public spaces. This approach is intended to make life more affordable for residents by placing them closer to jobs and education.

The project is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2028. Full redevelopment of all three existing surface lots along the rail corridor is projected to generate over $270 million in new tax revenue for the state and Anne Arundel County over the next 30 years. Karen Henry, Director of the Anne Arundel Department of Public Works, said the partnership aligns long-term goals for the regional transit network.