City dock overhaul nearly complete

A mere six months ago, boardwalks and brick were ripped from Annapolis' City Dock in an effort to revamp the popular landmark.

And now an end is finally in sight for the $9 million project, which replaced the dock's nearly 1,000-feet of bulkheads, boardwalk and brick.

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Crews have been pretty much working around the clock in double shifts to complete the job by the April 15 wrap-up date.

Replacement of the wooden boardwalk and paving of the portion of street in front of Susan B. Campbell Park were finished up this week, with only the electrical wiring and clean-up left to be completed, said Harry Sandrouni, a city civil engineer heading the project.

With warmer weather typically comes cranes and construction work, but Annapolis opted to complete the work in the wintertime during the lull between the annual boat shows and the busy tourist season.

There also was concern that it be complete in time for the Maritime Heritage Festival, scheduled for City Dock in May as part of the city's Charter 300 celebration

"It was sheer determination getting this done," Mr. Sandrouni said. "We had to work with the tide, Mother Nature, compact space and no time. This was done in the worst time of the year in the shortest time possible."

Crews from the Annapolis Junction-based Corman Construction have been working "practically 20-7" in shifts from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 3 to 10 p.m., including weekends and holidays in order for tourists and the city's 300th anniversary celebration events can be enjoyed at Spa Creek, Mr. Sandrouni said.

Once the chain-link fences come down from the site, visitors will be privy to a new boardwalk and upgraded park overlooking the creek. Susan B. Campbell Park will have it's own stage, ready for the Navy Band and other performers as well as upgraded landscaping and seating.

"It was obvious the improvements have been needed for a long time," said Ray Weaver, a city spokesman. "It's the focal point of the city when people come here."

Mr. Weaver said the park was "developing some safety issues" and there also were "serious underwater infrastructure" issues popping up.

The money for the project came largely from state funds and from the Department of Natural Resources. Other funding sources have been bond sales, the city operating funds and a federal grant.

This is the first major overhaul City Dock has had since 1970, when workers last replaced the boardwalk and bulkheads. The city spent about $500,000 in 1981 to widen the harbor and replace rotting timbers with steel and concrete pilings.

"It adds a nice sense of aesthetic as we get more pressure from edge city development that we have this attraction," Mr. Weaver said. "It's a showpiece to get people to come downtown, walk around and visit the shops that make the city what it is."

Also included in the new construction at City Dock are three rain gardens, which will replace cement parking islands and help manage stormwater runoff from the parking lot into the creek.

City officials said the park had been showing signs of age, called the dock's electrical service deficient and noted the piers had reached their life expectancy.

Mr. Sandrouni said the new the steel bulkheads are nearly an inch thick and were driven 45 to 80 feet into the ground below the waterline.

"These babies are here for a long time," he said.

The dock is set to include 20 slips to accommodate Ego Alley boaters and will be outfitted with Comcast cable and telephone hook-ups in addition to increased electrical output.

"These days boaters are getting more and more sophisticated with air conditioning, washers and dryers, etc., upping electricity consumption," Mr. Sandrouni said. "This is really a big upgrade."