ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE MAKING HISTORY

Protecting the past, present, and future of Annapolis City Dock

Construction on resiliency work at Annapolis City Dock will begin in Spring of 2024. 

This $59 million infrastructure project, funded through federal and state grants and the concession payment from the rebuild of Hillman Garage, will help protect Historic Downtown from the impacts of flooding for the next century.

It will also create a hub that brings people together. It will honor our rich history and the water that flows through it. 

The new Annapolis City Dock will be a beacon to the rest of the world that resiliency infrastructure work can be both practical and beautiful (and achievable!)

The Vision


We see the need for a better city dock

RESILIENCY

Annapolis sits at the convergence of two simultaneous phenomena. We have both more frequent and more intense flooding, especially in low-lying areas like City Dock. At the same time, land subsidence has caused the ground under Annapolis to sink. These two problems have made the issue of resiliency both real and urgent.

TRANSFORMATIVE

Annapolis has long needed a backyard – one that is welcoming for everyone, and that’s what we’re building here. We want to improve the downtown experience for our residents, businesses and visitors. We’re looking to build one of the best parks in the country – a vibrant fusion of energy, light, and of course, plenty of water.

ACCESS

Annapolis is surrounded by water, but access to the water is often limited. The new City Dock Park will offer access to the water for everyone. We’re building a hub that will allow more equitable access to the water. And with free ferry service made possible by a $3 million federal grant, we’re looking to connect disadvantaged communities to the water and to downtown amenities. 

HISTORY

Annapolis has a long history by American standards. In the colonial era and during the Revolutionary period, America’s Founding Fathers gathered in Annapolis to strategize on the war effort and plan for America’s future. Sorrowfully, Annapolis City Dock was once a stop along the Middle Passages, where human cargo was sold just steps from the harbor. Our City has also been a bustling waterman’s port, a parking lot, a fuel depot, a residential neighborhood, a park, a retail and commercial area, and more. One thing City Dock has always been is a place that adapts to ever-changing needs. 

Stages of Construction


  1. Spring 2019 to Fall 2023

    The City Dock Action Committee (CDAC), a group of 100 resident, business and subject expert stakeholders, were convened in early 2019 to help the City come up with a plan to address flooding and resiliency challenges at Annapolis’ historic downtown City Dock. After scores of meetings, the consensus plan was approved in 2021 and phase one (Hillman Garage rebuild) began in Spring 2022. The final City Dock Park and resilience plan will go before the Annapolis Planning Commission in December 2023.

  2. Spring 2024

    In Spring 2024, Phase I work will begin. This seven-month phase involves electrical work along Dock Street, specifically the section of parking lot from Craig Street to (and including) Susan Campbell Park. There will be no road closures or parking restrictions during this time EXCEPT for intermittent closures (for trenching, high voltage work, etc.). This work will conclude by Oct. 2024, in time for the Fall Boat Shows.

  3. Fall 2024

    After the Fall Boat Shows, work will commence on Phase II: City Dock Park. The area of Dock Street (from Craig Street to Susan Campbell Park) will be closed and fenced off. Detours will be posted. Watermark Tours will continue their operations out of the docks in front of Burtis House. This work will take approximately 12 months to complete and will be finalized in time for the Fall 2025 boat shows. Parking will remain available from Randall Street to Craig Street (with some temporary closures due to the need to move equipment in and out of the construction site). Parkers will be redirected to Hillman Garage.

  4. Fall 2025

    Dock Street parking between Randall Street and Craig Street will close for Phase III, which involves the installation of flood gates along Ego Alley and the realignment of storm drains below the roadway on the upper Dock Street parking lot. The area at the top of Ego Alley (around Alex Haley statue) will be closed to foot traffic, and the Donner parking lot on Compromise Street will close. City Dock Park and Susan Campbell Park will be open to the public with access via Prince George Street. Watermark Tours will resume operations from their berth at Susan Campbell Park. Phase III will be complete in time for the Fall 2026 boat shows. Also during this time, work will commence on the new Harbormaster Headquarters and the refurbishment work at historic Burtis House.

  5. Fall 2026

    The final phases (IV-VI) of the project involve the Compromise Street side where flood control pumps will be installed and a pump house will be built behind the Guardians of the First Amendment Memorial (Newman Street at Compromise Street).

FAQ’s


You ask. We Answer

When is the City Dock project set to start?

Construction will begin in Spring 2024. Parking restrictions and road closures will begin in Fall 2024.

How is City Dock Being Funded?

The City earned a $24 million concession payment from the rebuild and 30-year operations advance for Hillman Garage (a public-private partnership). Additional funding came from the federal government in the form of earmarks (directed congressional allocation), FEMA grants and directed state funding from the Maryland legislature and governor.

What benefit is this going to have on the community?

City Dock experiences regular flooding that impacts residents, commerce and infrastructure. For that reason, one benefit will be to protect those downtown assets from the frequent and regular impacts of flooding. In addition, the downtown visitor experience will be drastically improved.

Why not raise the bulkhead/seawall instead of having deployable flood gates? 

Raising the bulkhead would block the view to the water and destroy the character of City Dock Park. In addition, putting a 6-8 foot tall seawall in a built maritime environment could create a hazard to boaters.  

What will the end result be?

The end result will be a world-class park that will serve residents, businesses and visitors. The park will be a bulwark to protect assets further up City Dock from the impacts of more frequent and more intense flooding events.

What will the process look like?

The work will be conducted in phases. This will limit the impact on downtown overall, but will also help to scale of the project to make it more manageable in scope.

How will this project impact parking?

About 90 parking spaces from Dock Street will be eliminated. Those spaces have been more than offset by additional parking spaces being added at the rebuilt Hillman Garage (+165). The loss of parking will also eliminate a good amount of impervious surface in an area immediately adjacent to Spa Creek, helping with stormwater runoff which heats and pollutes the waterway.

Why don’t you just close all of the storm drains if that is one of the points of intrustion?

Currently, the storm drains are closed. The plan is to realign the storm drains to allow gravity to do the work that the temporary pumps are doing. 

What can residents and visitors expect during construction?

The initial phase of construction will have minimal impact on the day-to-day lives of downtown residents and businesses. Phase II will have a more significant impact due to the loss of parking and limited access to Ego Alley and Susan Campbell Park. Please note that all of these inconveniences are temporary.

How will we remain informed?

Updates about the construction will be available by signing up for the City Dock newsletter.

What is being done to keep interest in downtown high?

Construction will be conducted in phases to limit overall disruption. In addition, a marketing campaign has been deployed to help educate residents, visitors and businesses to the work and the phasing of the project. We all understand that an infrastructure of this magnitude will cause disruption. But the prize at the end will be worth it! We can all look forward to a resilient, protected and historic City Dock that is prepared for the future!

What will happen to the boat show, the singer-songwriter festival, the Kunte Kinte Festival and other events that take place at City Dock?

The park has been designed in consultation with the most popular special events and the design will not only protect these events from flood events, but should also improve accommodations for special events.

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