City Dock Project Accelerates: On Budget and Ahead of Schedule

News

City Dock Park on Track to Reopen as Early as July 2027; Plan for Limited Impact for Phase Two

ANNAPOLIS, MD  — Annapolis Mayor Jared Littmann announced at a press conference and construction tour that the City Dock project is proceeding on budget and ahead of schedule. Once completed, the City Dock project will serve as a critical defense system, safeguarding downtown from flooding. 

At the briefing, the Mayor highlighted revised project timelines, including: 

  • December 2026: The US Naval Academy is expected to reopen Barry Gate, restoring foot traffic to the Dock Street business corridor.
  • March 2027: Reopening the boardwalk along Ego Alley to pedestrians, which also allows Watermark to return to their berth at Susan Campbell Park and boater access to the slips on Ego Alley.
  • July 2027: The opening of City Dock Park and the completion and Grand Opening of the Maritime Welcome Center (the Annapolis Harbormaster headquarters and Annapolis and Anne Arundel County City Dock Visitor Center).
  • Summer 2027 to Spring 2028: a revised Phase Two plan that limits closures along Upper Dock Street, the top of Ego Alley, and on Compromise Street.

During the press conference, livestreamed to the City’s YouTube Channel, Mayor Littmann addressed rumors about project finances. He reiterated that funding from FEMA, along with previously announced grant and bond allocations, ensures all necessary financing is in place to complete the project. 

The announcements were made during a press briefing and tour to provide updates on construction timelines, business support initiatives, environmental compliance, and engineering systems used for temporary stormwater management. 

"From the beginning, this project has been planned and executed to provide solutions to flooding on historic City Dock. We are doing this to protect downtown from the regular impacts of both tidal and stormwater, or rain, flooding events. That will be good for businesses in the long term,” said Mayor Littmann. “I am a business owner, so probably more than most, I am sympathetic to the concerns of the business community. Protecting these businesses from flooding is at the heart of this project. In the meantime, we have heard that some, not all, of the Dock Street businesses are struggling. The City has invested in this project to support their long-term success, and the work to date has already helped mitigate some tidal flooding events. The remaining construction will complete that progress and address stormwater flooding. My office and City staff have been engaged with the City Dock businesses since the first days of my administration, and we will continue responding directly to their requests.” 

Mayor Littmann expressed that operating a business comes with challenges, even in the best of times. He implored the public to continue supporting downtown businesses. “More than any grant or loan program can do, sustained sales will help these businesses survive and thrive,” he said. 

While the spring and summer seasons have represented the peak of heavy construction at the site, relief is on the horizon. By next summer, City Dock Park will reopen to the public, drawing thousands of residents and visitors even as localized Phase 2 work continues. 

While the work is progressing slightly ahead of schedule, and the full flood protection benefits will not be realized until every phase is finished, construction is far enough along that tidal flooding events have already been significantly reduced. The remaining work to protect downtown will build on that progress and fully address flooding from rain events when complete. 

Key points shared at the briefing: 

Business Supports: Through listening sessions, direct meetings, and ongoing exchanges with Dock Street businesses, the City has worked with business owners to tailor support, including: 

  • Transit: After a February meeting with Dock Street businesses, they asked for transit support to bring customers to the corridor. The City obliged. In March, the City rerouted the free Magenta Shuttle to add a dedicated stop on Dock Street and dedicated all in-bus advertising exclusively to Dock Street businesses. Additionally, in early summer, the City deployed electric carts from Mills Hillman Garage to Dock Street on weekends (weather permitting). 
  • Wayfinding: At the request of those businesses, the City created and installed custom wayfinding banners and decorative wraps on construction fencing along Upper Dock Street. 
  • Traffic and Loading Zones: In consultation with Dock Street businesses, the City altered traffic flow on City Dock, reconfigured remaining parking spaces, and created loading zones for deliveries and customers.
  • Business Strategy and Finance: The City directed merchants to programs through the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation, including low-interest loans and free business counseling. 
  • Parking Expansion: Before the City Dock work began, the rebuilt downtown garage’s capacity was expanded, adding 165 extra spaces to the newly rebuilt Mills Hillman Garage, overcorrecting for the nearly 100 spaces removed for flood mitigation infrastructure. 

Environmental Compliance and Stormwater Infrastructure: As the project moves forward adjacent to a vital waterway, the City and partners are committed to environmental stewardship and regulatory compliance. 

Filter Liners: As required by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) since June of 2025, the City and contractor Whiting Turner have maintained filter liners in storm drains to keep sediment out of Ego Alley and Spa Creek. 

Inspection Results: As recently as August 6, 2026, MDE confirmed that standing water around storm drains was significantly below pollution benchmarks, verifying that construction site prevention measures are working correctly. MDE observed zero violations. 

Pumps and Drainage: At this time, pooling around storm drains is heavily driven by intense summer storms combined with inadequate pumping infrastructure. Temporary pumps are operated by gas-powered generators, with DPW utilities crews working at all hours (including overnight and during storms) to keep them operational. 

The Real Fix: The City Dock Resilience Project includes a massive upgrade to both defenses against tidal flooding and the underground pumping system, which is designed to clear standing water 100 times faster than current temporary systems. 

For ongoing updates, maps, and timeline details, visit accessannapolis.com.