The decision on who will get to redevelop Baltimore's Penn Station is just months away.

An Amtrak spokeswoman said the agency is on track to choose a master developer to redevelop the historic train station this summer. Amtrak issued a request for qualifications in October and selected three development teams for its short list in November.

Spokeswoman Chelsea Kopta said that the schedule, project costs and details about the initial phases will be decided after Amtrak chooses the master developer. The project includes the station and several properties that Amtrak owns in the surrounding area.

Baltimore's Penn Station is the eighth-busiest Amtrak station in the nation, according to the agency, but has not received the same status as a place to hang out, unlike some train stations in other parts of the country, notably Union Station 40 miles south.

Pinkard Properties president Katherine Pinkard told attendees at last week's Bisnow's State of the Market event that placemaking would help brand an identity for the station. Pinkard and Brandywine Realty Trust combine to form one of the three development teams competing for the project.