ANNAPOLIS, Md. — “How many of you have been stopped in your tracks by flooding on Compromise Street been turned around at the Eastport Bridge?” said Mayor Gavin Buckley.
Many people in Annapolis gathered at the Waterfront Hotel to hear about a project that will not only fight flooding at the docks but breathe new life into the city’s downtown area.
James Brianas says a lot of people are excited about the plans.
Brianas lives across the street from the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel and says the constant flooding is hard to deal with.
“There I go at my age, picking up the wet sand bags, bringing them up to my garage, and the water was lapping at my garage door,” said Brianas.
The plan, called the City Dock Park Resiliency Project, will add a park to the dock. The city plans to install deployable flood barriers, which will help keep nearby businesses and homes from flooding.
“Not only are we going to stop sea level rise and the next catastrophic wave event, but we’re also going to have the opportunity to create a world-class park,” said Mayor Buckley.
The park will also be used as a barrier from flood waters. They plan to elevate a section of it which will make it a natural defense.
Other than that, people say they are also excited about the economic impact the park will bring to the area.
“A venue for not only Anapolitans, but for people from the state and, as a matter of fact, the country, and I think the world will come to know Annapolis better once we revitalize it,” said Brianas.
Brianas says he is worried about how long a project like this will take, especially since the city has not yet secured all of the funding it needs to begin.
“Ensure it’s executed in the proper fashion and in a timely fashion because if it keeps on, you know the execution takes a long time; it’s going to rub I think a lot of the neighborhood wrong,” he said.
But he says he is proud city and state leaders are moving forward with it.
As of now, the entire project is estimated to cost about $59 million.
They say they are close to that but are still working to get the rest.
No matter what, they say they are planning to begin construction on the project in the spring.
