What's the True Demand for Retail in Odenton?

Planners and business officials in Odenton have long pushed to attract more retail in town. In fact, there are strict retail requirements in the Master Plan guiding development in the 1,600-acre town center.

But now officials are seeking hard data on the actual demand for retail in Odenton, after developers said such requirements are too onerous. 

The Anne Arundel County Economic Development Corp. has commissioned a study to determine the true market for retail in Odenton. The results of the study will be used as a guide for the upcoming revision of the Odenton Town Center Master Plan. 

"It's about finding out what is supportable," said Claire Louder, the President and CEO of the West Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce, which has supported the study. "If the retail is not supportable, but we require it, that's not good for us and it's not good for the town center."

The study is expected to take into account current market conditions, but also consider future population and development growth in the area. 

The study is being carried out by Joe Cronyn of Columbia-based Valbridge Property Advisors, who did not respond to a request for comment.  

Retail and the Master Plan

The current version of the Odenton Town Center Master Plan requires some component of retail with nearly every project, though those requirements vary by location. The goal behind the rules, officials said, was to encourage mixed-used developments throughout the town. But in recent years, developers have said the demand for retail in Odenton lags behind that of other uses, and have sought waivers or adjustments to the retail requirements. 

According to Louder, the retail requirements were well-intentioned, but may have been too agressive given the growth of retail in other nearby communities, including the Waugh Chapel Towne Centre and the area near Arundel Mills. 

"We have to understand that impact before we can require retail," she said. "The [Odenton] town center is still going to be a mixed-use vision, but it may not be at every single parcel in 1,600 acres."

The study is expected to be completed later this year and will be used as a guide for the revised version of the town center plan, due out in 2014. 

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