Lutherville Station, an abandoned shopping center in Baltimore County, stands with empty lots and empty retail space, but one developer wants to change that.
“We have a dilapidated property. It was built during the Lyndon Johnson administration. It’s time to redevelop the property,” said Mark Renbaum, principal of MLR Partners and developer of Lutherville Station.
He said an original application was submitted in 2022. It proposed creating a mix of residential and commercial space on the site.
They submitted an amended application to the county with significant changes due to House Bill 538. This bill creates incentives for developers to incorporate affordable housing units into future projects by removing zoning restrictions.
“The only thing happening right now is that the county executive is submitting this project in a priority letter to MDOT to specifically recommend that the state take it up as a transit-oriented development project,” Renbaum said.
He said the TOD at Lutherville Station will include more than 2 acres of open space, an event lawn, retail and office space, and an expected 560 apartments, but there could be more.
Improvements to an existing transportation hub for the state and Baltimore County are also planned, but there is opposition.
“The concern is that there are simply too many housing units for this site,” said Eric Rockel, vice president of the Greater Timonium Community Council.
Rockel said overcrowded schools and increasing traffic were a cause for concern for people in the community, as was the change in the character of the immediate area. He said the number of apartments needed to be reduced.
“I would say a little under 300,” Rockel said. He also explained that he is asking the district to be open and honest when reviewing the applications.
“Hopefully there will be transparency and open meetings in this process. We did not see that in his last proposal. So it would be the job of the Olszewski government to create an open and transparent process,” Rockel said.
House Bill 538 will take effect on January 1 of next year.
