MDOT selects development partners for Odenton MARC transit-oriented development

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) has selected a joint development partner to advance a major transit-oriented development (TOD) near the Odenton MARC Station. The selected team is made up of Homes for America and Questar Properties. The group will work alongside MDOT, the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) and Anne Arundel County to renovate a 10-acre parking lot on the west side of the Odenton MARC Station into a connected development featuring new housing, retail and public spaces centered around accessible transit.

“This is an exciting step forward to utilize state-owned property by transit stations to our advantage and create new, affordable housing units and retail space that will grow our economy,” said Maryland Transportation Acting Secretary Samantha Biddle. “The proposal by the selected joint development partner best aligns with the department’s and the community’s vision for the future of Odenton.”

The Odenton MARC Station TOD project marks the first step of MDOT’s implementation of the 2024 MARC Penn Line Strategy. The redevelopment of the station area is projected to generate $270 million in tax revenue for the state and Anne Arundel County over 30 years. Further, it’s projected to support up to 117,000 annual MARC trips once it’s fully built out. Once complete, the department hopes the mixed-use development creates a dynamic town center.

The Homes for America-Questar Properties joint venture aims to bring that vision to life on the west side of the Odenton MARC Station, proposing:

• 585 multifamily units—including 130 affordable, 20 workforce and 435 market-rate homes.
• More than 30,000 square feet of retail.
• More than 180,000 square feet of public amenity space.
• Integrated pedestrian and bicycle pathways that substantially improve access to the MARC Station and surrounding community.

“At Homes for America, our mission is to expand access to high-quality, affordable housing and create opportunities for residents to thrive. We are proud to help fulfill that mission by bringing affordable homes to this new mixed-use, mixed-income community with incredible transit access. We are especially pleased to continue our long-standing commitment to Anne Arundel County, where we have been headquartered for 30 years, and to partner with the State of Maryland and Questar to bring this vision to life,” said Homes for America, Inc. CEO and President Dana Johnson.

The development will also replace the parking that is being torn up, creating a 1,100-space commuter parking garage adjacent to the site. This facility is projected to cost $56 million and is being financed by Anne Arundel County and delivered in partnership with the Maryland Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO). The project received $4 million in federal funding and $750,000 in the first round of awards from the MDOT TOD Capital Grant program. Groundbreaking is expected to take place in 2026.

“We’re honored and excited to partner with Homes for America and MDOT to deliver a unique mixed-use development in one of Maryland’s most connected locations,” said Questar Properties, Inc. Executive Vice President Zachary Gorn. “We look forward to building on Questar’s long tradition of developing residential and mixed-use communities of the highest quality in Anne Arundel County and throughout the state of Maryland.”

Located two miles from Fort Meade, Maryland’s largest employment center, the Odenton MARC Station is centrally located and offers regional access along the MARC Penn Line between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The collaboration between MDOT, Anne Arundel County and the development team will also align with the county’s Plan 2040 and the Odenton Town Center Master Plan.

“I brought Wes Moore to the Odenton MARC Station when he was still a candidate for governor," said Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman. "We discussed smart growth, transit-oriented development and the prospect of housing for our essential workers. His team has moved forward more rapidly than I imagined, and I am thrilled that Anne Arundel-based Homes for America and Questar have been selected to get this done.”

Next steps in design and public engagement activities will be announced in coordination with MDOT, MTA and the selected joint development team as planning advances.