DC-based developer among those selected to transform nearly 100 acres of Bowie land

The Bowie State University MARC station is one step closer to a big transformation.

State and local officials announced their selections on Tuesday for development groups that will turn nearly 100 acres of land near the transportation hub into a dense housing and commercial area.

Under the master vision, out are the station’s big surface parking lots and some of the nearby wooded area; in are multifamily, single-family and senior housing units, as well as new retail and commercial spaces, with a focus on walkability and connectivity to the train station.

BSU MARC Community Partners, led by D.C.-based firm Gragg Cardona Souadi, will lead development on about 93 acres of county-owned land adjacent to the station. The company has been involved in several transit-oriented development projects at Washington Metro stations.

The Maryland Department of Transportation, which owns a smaller, nearly 5-acre chunk immediately surrounding the station area, selected Mosaic Development Partners JV and Campus Apartments for their section of the project. The joint development will include MARC station upgrades to accommodate an increase in ridership in addition to new housing.

The selection comes as Maryland eyes land surrounding major public transit stations as a ticket out of a housing affordability crisis. Statewide, construction of new homes is lagging, helping to drive up costs of the existing supply for purchase or rent.

Building such transit-oriented developments, or TODs, is a way to create denser communities where people can walk or take public transit for most daily tasks instead of relying on cars.

“Transit-oriented development is about access. Access to jobs, housing, education, healthcare, and the opportunities that help people build better lives,’’ said Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, a former transportation engineer, in an emailed statement.

”When we create vibrant, walkable communities connected by reliable transit, we make it easier for Marylanders to reach opportunity and for opportunity to reach every Maryland community,” she wrote.

Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy called the site “another example of how my administration is laser focused on economic development.

“From the Sphere to Six Flags to the Blue Line Corridor to New Carrollton to Suitland and beyond, we are elevating the quality of development throughout the County to bring the much-needed retail, housing and entertainment our residents deserve,” Braveboy wrote.

The Bowie State University MARC station and nearby Odenton are the first of six stations along the MARC Penn Line, the busiest of the Maryland Transit Administration’s three commuter train lines, that the state is eyeing for more development.

State transportation officials saw the two sites as low-hanging fruit based on current zoning, location — roughly halfway between Washington and Baltimore — and buy-in from local leaders. The state named a developer for the Odenton site in November.

MDOT has allocated $1.5 million for initial planning of the site. A development timeline wasn’t immediately clear.