Land Cleared, New Tenant Eyed for Spot in North Odenton

A two-acre property along a main stretch of Odenton that was home to an abandoned Chinese restaurant has been cleared to make way for a possible new tenant. 

Frank Dimick, who owns the lot once used by the China Plus restaurant on the 1600 block of Annapolis Road, decided to level the property after a previous leaseholder, Eastern Petroleum, backed out of plans to build a BP gas station and convenience store.

“I know that more than anything, it’s been an eyesore to the community,” Dimick said. “I decided to clear it, and have been working with a couple of potential tenants.”

Dimick declined to reveal who he is speaking with, but said one potential use would involve a gas station and separate car wash, and another possible tenant was a retailer. The lot is comprised of about 1.98 acres, and is an assemblage of three properties that Dimick acquired over the years.

According to Dimick, Eastern Petroleum signed a lease on the property that began in 2005, and he was left with the impression that the company would move quickly to develop the property. But the company began having financial problems and never moved forward, Dimick said.

The Wilson Bros. Blog first reported on the new plans for the property last week.

Dimick resides in Ocean City, MD and Palm Springs, CA, but owns properties throughout the state including in Pasadena. He said he visited the Odenton site last month and expects to put a fence around the property unless he is able to secure a new tenant quickly.

“I’m aggressive, usually, and if there’s a deal to be made there, I’ll be making it,” Dimick said.

The leveling of the property caught many people in Odenton by surprise, as they had been waiting eagerly for Eastern Petroleum to move forward with their plans with BP. Members of the county office of planning and zoning and other business leaders had made repeated attempts to reach out to the company to get an update on their plans, but received no reply.

“I think it’s progress to take the abandoned buildings down, because it improves the look of the area,” said Claire Louder, president and CEO of the West Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Odenton Town Center Plan Oversight Committee. “And I would agree that it will be easier to market the site. That is a fine site, on a corner, directly across from Fort Meade, and it’s been a great frustration to all of us to have it just sitting.”

Louder said there are several uses that would be appropriate for the site, including fast food restaurants or a bank.

“It’s too prime a location to just let it go,” Louder said.