Annapolis Gallery To Close Over City Dock Headaches

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The Annapolis Marine Art Gallery will close after nearly 50 years in the downtown area due to the ongoing City Dock construction.

Launched in 2025, the Annapolis City Dock project was undertaken as a way to prevent flooding in the downtown area.

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However, since the multimillion-dollar project broke ground, it's caused endless headaches for local businesses impacted by the construction. For some, like Storm Bros Ice Cream, the flooding has worsened.

To date, businesses along Dock Street have seen their revenues plummet in step with their loss of foot traffic in the area. Some business owners have even gone to the lengths of suing the city to make things right.

Now, the Annapolis Marine Art Gallery says it will close up its downtown location at 110 Dock St. by the end of the year.

The decision comes after the gallery was given a project timeline that has only continued to balloon, keeping even more parking areas blocked off for an extended period.

Although AMAG was initially planned to lose its Upper Dock Street parking access between September 2026 and May 2027, an updated timeline shows the second phase of the project won't be starting until May 2027.

It's a change the gallery says was "never actually communicated to us."

"We were also promised we would still get the parades coming down this way. They rerouted them. We were also told that Whiting Turner would set up pumps so flooding wouldn't be an issue during construction. It's still flooding," reads a post by the gallery.

"We stood up at city council, we pushed back, we had a meeting with the mayor that led to nothing. We've watched stores close around us and we are next."

Samantha Wilkerson, a co-owner of the gallery, told The Banner that the AMAG saw revenue drop by 20% in 2025 and by 70% this year.

"Small businesses can't afford to lose so much foot traffic and parking," she told the outlet. "It felt like we were being kicked out."

From social media ads to banners along the construction site and even a mural highlighting sidewalk access to blocked-off businesses, efforts to encourage foot traffic remain overshadowed by the construction.

After closing its doors for the last time, Annapolis Marine Art Gallery will shift to an online-only format at annapolismarineart.com.

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