Annapolis got its long-awaited federal funding for City Dock. What’s next?

With $35 million finally secured from the federal government, Annapolis Mayor Jared Littmann is considering the long-awaited City Dock redevelopment project fully funded — “full stop.”

When the work is done, the historic waterfront will be protected from flooding by a physically elevated park and a movable flood barrier system.

Flooding along Ego Alley, the spit of water that runs into downtown Annapolis, has become more of a problem for area businesses, as well as for residents and visitors.

The final piece of the $87.8 million funding puzzle for the project, which aims to limit the effects of climate change and rising sea levels, was a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant that officials said was committed last week. Littmann and other officials said they were relieved the money came through.

Littmann said he got a call from a member of Maryland’s congressional delegation who asked: “Are you sitting down?”

“And it was just an incredible sense of relief that this was going to be resolved,” the mayor said in an interview.

What’s the construction timeline?

Construction officially broke ground in November, and the project remains in its first phase, according to the city’s website.

Lower Dock Street is closed for the work and access to the site. That means some parking spaces along the waterfront are gone, but the city added more than 165 spaces to the nearby Mills Hillman Parking Garage when it was expanded in 2023.

The garage is a block off Main Street, just a short walk from the waterfront. This month, the city extended its free Magenta Shuttle to Dock Street.

In the next three months, Littmann said, people will see “significant activity” at the site, including on the flood wall and foundation work for the Maritime Welcome Center.

If all goes according to plan, construction will be done by March 2028.

Are any businesses closed because of construction?

No.

However, some owners have said the work has hurt foot traffic or caused visitors not to realize they remain open.

Alderman Harry Huntley, who represents downtown Annapolis, said he empathizes with those businesses.

“It’s always hard to run a small business, especially when you rely on foot traffic,” Huntley said.

In addition to the expansion of the shuttle route, Huntley said, the city is erecting more signs to encourage people to travel from nearby parking garages to the water and to make it clearer that businesses behind the construction fencing are open.

How much is the project supposed to cost?

The City Dock project is budgeted at $87.8 million, according to city officials. In addition to the FEMA money, funding is coming from Anne Arundel County, the state, city bonds and a concession agreement between the operators of a municipal parking garage and the city.

Separate flood mitigation work continues along Compromise Street and is projected to cost about $21 million. It includes building a new bulkhead and adding a deployable barrier on top of existing bulkhead. The city is managing and budgeting that work separately from the City Dock project.

What is City Dock going to look like?

The plan calls for a raised park at the end of Dock Street, next to Ego Alley, a new Maritime Welcome Center and a refurbished and preserved Burtis House, the last surviving watermen’s cottage along the waterfront.

Renderings show two large, grassy lawns, plenty of seating and shade trees. The redeveloped City Dock plan won’t reintroduce parking to the area.

Though a section of the wharf is blocked off by construction fencing, the waterfront remains accessible. A visitor can walk, for example, from stores on Main Street to a local shop for ice cream or a snack and then stroll along the water.

Officials seem excited. Does anyone disagree?

Oh yeah. Some business owners are frustrated, and a lawsuit was brought that would have stymied the project.

A judge dismissed a lawsuit from Historic Annapolis challenging part of the project in September 2025, though at the time the nonprofit, which is dedicated to preserving the city’s past, said it might appeal the ruling.

In an emailed statement, spokesperson Corey Ruth said Historic Annapolis applauds the city securing money from FEMA for flood mitigation.

“We oppose a part of the plan unrelated to resiliency: the size and location of the proposed Maritime Welcome Center,” he wrote.

He said the proposed 32-foot-tall welcome center is too large for the location and the organization continues to “pursue a legal challenge to the City’s decision to approve” the current design. It is seeking a smaller redesign.

A recent City Council meeting included a closed session for councilmembers to hear from the acting city attorney on multiple topics, including possible legal challenges to City Dock, according to the meeting’s agenda.

Littmann said he could not discuss specifics but there was nothing he learned in the briefing “that makes me think the timeline can’t be kept.”