Annapolis Parking Garage Rebuild Begins, Structure Closes Later This Month

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Work is officially underway on the rebuilding of a downtown Annapolis parking garage.

The city will soon demolish the Noah Hillman Garage. Crews will then replace it with a bigger, $28 million parking structure on the same site.

The 14-month project began on Monday. Early work has included staging safety equipment, installing construction fencing, surveying and starting the removal process.

Construction will close the current garage, which is more than 40 years old, in a few weeks.

Leaders did not list an exact closure date, but they expect the garage to close sometime in April. The garage will stay open through the end of Maryland's legislative session, which wraps up next Monday.

Downtown businesses and major roadways will remain open throughout the rebuild.

This is all part of the town's $63 million plan to revitalize aging infrastructure and eventually build a park at City Dock to battle climate change. Read Patch's explainer to learn how Annapolis will pay for these projects and how the park will combat sea-level rise.

“When the garage is complete, it will be an amazing asset with more parking spaces, stormwater controls and environmental features," Mayor Gavin Buckley said in a press release. "This will be a structure that takes Annapolis into the future.”

RELATED: Private Companies Will Build Garage, Park To Fight Climate Change

The New Garage

The five-story garage is scheduled to open at 150 Gorman Street around May 2023. It will house 590 parking spaces, which will be 165 more than its predecessor.

The city said the garage will offer easier entry and exit payments. It will also have functioning elevators, which has been an issue for the current garage.

Solar panels on the roof will shade cars and generate electricity. Similarly, the structure will feature electric vehicle charging stations, bicycle parking and improved lighting.

“Getting to the start of construction is a great achievement," City Manager David Jarrell said, pointing to years of stakeholder meetings. "We appreciate everyone’s patience as we have worked through the inevitable issues associated with this large, important project."

The Construction

The project managers will consider the sensitivity of the site's location in the Annapolis Historic District, leaders said.

Demolition will mostly happen between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Crews will focus on minimizing dust, noise and vibrations. There will be vibration monitors to protect neighboring buildings. The worksite will also implement dust mitigation measures.

Parking Options During Construction

Gorman Street, a one-block road parallel to Main Street, will be closed to general traffic. There will be a single lane open for delivery access. Businesses must coordinate these deliveries with the contractor.

The project won't affect residential parking.

The city will transfer all monthly passes at Noah Hillman to either the Gotts Court or Knighton garages. Permit holders can call (443) 648-3087 or visit annapolisparking.com for more details.

Officials said there will still be 3,400 garage and lot spaces for downtown visitors during the project.

The city recently launched accessannapolis.com, a new website to help guests plan their downtown trips. The webpage lists parking options and transportation services. It will also show a live stream of the construction and send out newsletters with project updates.

The five other Annapolis garages will stay open. The city encouraged visitors to park in the nearby Calvert Street, Gotts Court or Whitmore garages. Planners will incentivize using the Park Place Garage, which is on the outskirts of downtown, by lowering its rates during the build.

Every parking lot will remain available. Basil, Donner, Larkin and South Street are the closest downtown lots.

The Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium lot is closer to the city limits, but it has 4,000 spaces. The State Shuttle will shuffle drivers to and from downtown every 20 minutes. It costs $2 per trip.

The free Annapolis Circulator will run every 8 to 10 minutes along the West Street corridor.

An electric trolley will connect the Gotts Court and Whitmore garages with Dock Street, Main Street, Market Space, Maryland Avenue and State Circle. Anybody can flag down this eight-seat vehicle along its route. The open-air cart will come every five minutes.

The city also partnered with the Via mobile application to offer on-demand rides around key locations. This will connect the Gotts Court, Knighton and Park Place garages to sites along Dock Street, Duke of Gloucester Street, Main Street and State Circle.

RELATED:

• Noah Hillman Garage In Downtown Annapolis To Close Monday
• Noah Hillman Garage Rebuild Begins, Structure To Close Later In April
• Private Companies Will Build Garage, Park To Fight Climate Change
• Hillman Garage To Close Soon For Demolition, Reconstruction
• Mayor Gives Hillman Garage Update
• Annapolis To Give Update On Noah Hillman Garage Redevelopment

Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news.