A property on a busy Ellicott City road that currently holds an auto shop will soon be transformed into a retail hub after the site sold for $2.6 million last month. BNP Developers LLC bought 9438 Baltimore National Pike on July 17 with plans to double the building’s footprint by adding roughly 5,000 square feet of retail space along the high-traffic corridor. Brody Tennant, a principal at Dominion, said about 40 businesses are interested in the new retail space, though no deals will be signed until construction begins. He expects the strip will have a mix of casual and takeout restaurants, along with service-based businesses. READ MORE:Sale leads to plans for Ellicott City retail strip on Route 40CHECK OUT WBAL:Get all the latest Baltimore news, weather and sports.