Lutherville Station redevelopment clears major hurdle
This property has long been viewed as an opportunity for reinvestment, and this designation can make additional state financing and other incentives available to help support future redevelopment.
September 24, 2026
The long-planned, $300 million Lutherville Station redevelopment cleared a major hurdle this week, winning a designation that will open the project to potential state funding.
The Baltimore County Council voted unanimously Tuesday evening to endorse a transit-oriented development (TOD) designation for the project at York and Ridgely roads, next to the Lutherville light rail station. Developer Mark Renbaum hailed the council's vote as a major step forward for the controversial project, which was first proposed nearly a decade ago and has weathered debate and protest from some neighboring residents.
The designation now heads to the Maryland Department of Transportation for further review, said David Zaidain, chief of TOD projects for the agency. The project must also make its way through a county planning and zoning process.
Zaidain said the council's vote will clear the way for Lutherville Station to pursue state and local funding opportunities like tax credits, grants and loans as part of its financing stack. A sub-cabinet headed by Maryland Secretary of Planning Rebecca L. Flora will oversee the TOD request for Lutherville Station, which could take several months to review, Zaidain said. He was not sure whether public input would be allowed by the sub-committee.
At the county level, The TOD at Lutherville Station will be part of a new planned unit development, or PUD. The tool is a land-use planning process that crafts a master plan to guide the project as it moves ahead.
Renbaum's initial plans for Lutherville Station called for 600 apartments built into a cul-de-sac bordered by the light rail station. The scope of the project has since been revised to hold 325 apartments and about 120,000 square feet of retail and office space. The aging Lutherville Station retail center is currently home to some national retailers, a church and a new Barnes & Noble preparing to open next year in the footprint of a former Overstock Outlet.
Renbaum, principal of MLR Partners, has sought redevelopment of the 13-acre site for eight years, and said he is optimistic moving forward.
"Lutherville Station is a logical location for a mixed-use, transit-oriented development that supports housing, economic development, retail and community activities," he told the Baltimore Business Journal on Wednesday. "We look forward to continuing to engage with the community through the planned unit development process."
Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier backed the push for a vote on the TOD for Lutherville Station in order to clear the way for a fresh start at the property, said Dakari Turner, a spokesman for the county executive.
"This property has long been viewed as an opportunity for reinvestment, and this designation can make additional state financing and other incentives available to help support future redevelopment,” Turner said on Wednesday. “Redevelopment could bring much-needed housing, new business opportunities, walkable public spaces and stronger connections to transit. This is an important step forward, and the administration will continue working toward an outcome that benefits the surrounding community and Baltimore County as a whole."
If it clears all hurdles, Lutherville Station would be the second TOD in Baltimore County. The other is Metro Centre at Owings Mills, developed by David S. Brown Enterprises Ltd. along the Metro subway line.
Read the article on Baltimore Business Journal.
