On September 14, MARC posted an alert saying that part of the parking lot at the Odenton MARC station would close once garage construction got underway. That lot sits on state-owned land that Maryland plans to turn into a garage, apartments, shops and walking paths. The fenced-off spaces closest to the southbound platform are where that plan starts. Penn Line riders who park there each morning will see the station's west side rebuilt one phase at a time, and the parking routine they use today will change more than once before it settles.
The new garage is scheduled for mid-2028. That leaves roughly 20 months of parking around a project. Here is how the early stages work and why they come in this order.
What Has Closed, and the Two Counts Floating Around
Two official sources describe this fall's closure, and their numbers don't match.
On September 1, Patch reported that a representative from the Anne Arundel County Executive's Office said part of the lot would close starting September 14 and stay closed for three to four months, affecting 107 spaces. The county said the closure would make room for replacement ADA-compliant spaces before garage construction begins.
MARC's own service alert, which runs from September 14 through November 6, calls the work "Phase 1 of garage construction." It says about 120 spaces will close in Lot B, in the section nearest the southbound platform. The alert also says the construction team reported a delayed start and expected work to begin later that week.
Neither source explains the gap between 107 and 120. For a driver, the practical picture is the same either way. Once work begins, roughly a hundred-plus spaces in the most convenient part of Lot B will be cordoned off. MARC has warned that it will tow cars parked in closed or No Parking areas. If you counted on finding a spot near the southbound platform at 7:15, plan on parking farther out.
Using the county's three-to-four-month estimate from September 14, this first closure would last until about mid-December 2026 or mid-January 2027. That is an estimate from early September. The delayed start in MARC's alert could push the dates later.
Getting to the North Lot
MARC's alert says there is "ample parking available in the overflow lot on the north side of Route 175." The county told Patch the entire north-side lot will stay open throughout construction and connects to the platform through a walkway under MD 175.
MARC's directions to the north lot:
- Cross Route 175 on Town Center Boulevard.
- Turn right on Hale Street.
- Continue straight into the MARC overflow lot.
If you use GPS, enter Hale Street & Lokus Road, Odenton, MD.
Hale Street is also part of the county's longer-term plans for the area. The county's Odenton Grid Streets project covers roadway improvements on Hale Street between Town Center Boulevard and Baldwin Road, along with Duckens, Dare, Nevada, Baldwin and Berger streets. That project is in the right-of-way acquisition stage. So the route to the overflow lot runs along streets that are slated for rebuilding.
Your Options During the Project
The plans described so far give commuters three places to park, each available at a different point in the project.
| Option | What the sources say | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Remaining Lot B spaces | Open, apart from the cordoned section near the southbound platform | Now |
| North lot via Hale Street | County says it stays open throughout construction; reached by the walkway under MD 175 | Now, and through the full project |
| Odenton Volunteer Fire Company lot with free shuttle | County says marked parking and a free shuttle will be provided | Once the southern part of the existing lot closes for the garage |
The third option was announced as a plan. In September, the county told Patch that once garage construction begins, the southern portion of the existing lot will close. "At that time, additional parking will be marked and available on the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company property, and a free shuttle will be provided for users to and from that lot." The fire company is at 1425 Annapolis Road, the same grounds that hosted Odenton Day and the open house on October 3. We have not found a notice confirming the shuttle is running yet. Check MARC's service alerts before planning a morning around it.
Why the Lot Shrinks First
The order of the work makes sense once you look at what the land is for.
In November 2025, the Maryland Department of Transportation chose a joint venture of Homes for America and Questar Properties to develop 10 acres on the west side of the station. Their proposal includes 585 multifamily homes, more than 30,000 square feet of retail, over 180,000 square feet of public amenities, and walking and biking connections. MDOT lists the homes as 130 affordable, 20 workforce and 435 market-rate units. It describes the garage as the first phase supporting that development.
That is the mechanism. When Patch covered the developer selection, it put the existing west lot at about 800 spaces. The county describes a structured garage of about 1,000 cars on the "West Lot" next to the platform and Kiss & Ride. Other reports put it at 1,000 to 1,100 spaces. Stacking cars on a smaller footprint is what frees ground for homes and storefronts. The garage has to be built before anything else can go up, and building it requires closing some of the surface parking it will replace.
The county frames the garage as "the first phase of a multi-phase development approach to the larger transit-oriented development site/s surrounding the Odenton MARC train station." One MDOT official, quoted in the Capital Gazette's September 21 coverage, said it "is exactly the kind of development that we and the governor's administration want to see closer to transit."
Where the Garage Stands Now
Here are the dated milestones, in order:
- August 18, 2026: The county's capital projects page, updated that day, said the garage was expected to break ground by the end of 2026 and that a temporary lot would be available during construction.
- September 14, 2026: MARC's alert took effect, noting a delayed start to Phase 1.
- September 21 and 22, 2026: The Capital Gazette ran the headline "$56M Odenton MARC parking garage project to begin Monday." A Citybiz state news roundup published the next morning, September 22, said preconstruction work "will begin today." Citing MDOT Director of Development Derek Davies, it reported 1,000 to 1,100 spots and completion expected in mid-2028.
- Mid-2028: Target completion for the garage.
Preconstruction work and a formal groundbreaking can be separate milestones. As of early October, we have not seen a later notice confirming which stage the site has reached. MARC's alert page is the most direct source for current lot status.
Cost is the other question commuters raise. MARC currently lists Odenton parking as free. In November 2025, Patch reported that the new garage would also be free. That comes from reporting nearly a year old. We have not found a 2026 statement repeating it, so treat it as the plan as last reported.
The Walk to the Platform Is Changing Too
The garage is one of several county projects going on around the station. According to the county's August update, construction is underway on a shared-use path along Bluewater Boulevard from MD 175 to Portland Station Lane and along Milestone Parkway from MD 175 to Clark Road. The west-side plan adds a pedestrian and bicycle path meant to improve access to the station. Next to the Odenton Regional Library, the first phase of a community park is under construction and expected in early 2027. Planned features include a dog park, amphitheater, playground, sport courts and trails.
Put together, these projects point toward a station you can reach on foot or by bike, with homes and shops next to the platform. To get there, the surface lot most commuters use today has to give up ground first. For the next few months, that means a walk from the north lot through the tunnel under MD 175, or a shuttle from the fire company once it is in service.
If you are weighing how the Odenton MARC commute fits into a move, or how the station-area changes might affect a home you own nearby, the team at Chesapeake Home Team is glad to go over the details for your street. You can find more local coverage on our Odenton / Gambrills neighborhood page, and when you're ready, let's connect.
