It will be about as large as three Wal-Mart stores, have excellent access to the busiest MARC train station in the county and is being heralded as the core of the Odenton Town Center.

The Village at Odenton Station, the 400,000-square-foot project that broke ground on 10 acres of land Thursday, will be the first major development in the town center.

Its supporters say it will be the essence of transit-oriented development. And with its proximity to the MARC station and its blend of homes and shops, many say it will be a lot like the overall, 1,600-acre town center: A high-density, mixed-use development centered on the train...