Ellicott City Project Advisory Committee To Tackle 3 Big Tasks

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The Ellicott City Project Advisory Committee was unveiled Thursday, designed to provide feedback and input on three major projects on the horizon in Ellicott City. Within the next year, the committee comprised of business owners, residents, stakeholders and professionals will provide input on:

• Potential redevelopment of the historic courthouse;
• Renovation and reuse of the six county-owned buildings on Main Street; and
• The redesign of Tiber Park.

“Our residents and businesses care deeply about Ellicott City and want to see it not just survive but thrive for many more generations,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said at a news conference. “After two floods and a crippling pandemic, we know our town is resilient – but we also know how important it is to approach these turning points as opportunities. In order for these projects to be successful, it’s vital that we have input from our community.”

The Ellicott City Project Advisory Committee Members are:

• Analisa Archer - Court Ave Resident
• Mojan Bagha - Main Street Business Owner
• David Benn - Quinn Evans
• Rob Brennan - Brennan and Co.
• Roy Chernikoff - Sylvan Lane Resident
• Mary Catherine Cochran - Community Leader
• Shawn Gladden - Howard County Historical Society
• Allison Krist - Sylvan Lane Resident
• Esra Martin – Ewing Cole
• Wendy Pidel - West End Resident
• Julia Sanger - Main Street Business Owner
• Aaron Shapiro - Patapsco Heritage Greenway
• John Shoemaker - Main Street Business Owner
• Tara Simpson - Preservation Howard County
• Bert Wilson – Main Street Business Owner
• Amanda Hof – Howard County Tourism
• Vernon Thompson – EDA
• Chris Pineda – Ellicott City Partnership

“Preservation Howard County, a two-decades-old non-profit organization committed to pursuing the protection and preservation of Howard County’s historical, cultural, and natural heritage, is pleased to be a part of the Ellicott City Advisory Group,” committee member Tara Simpson said. “Community engagement in the planning of the historic Circuit Court properties as well as the Tiber Park and Lower Main Street is crucial as we strive to be caring stewards of the vital resource that is this historic town – anchoring its past, while also providing a sound foundation for its future.”

The three projects the advisory committee will be focused on are projects that can enhance tourism and bolster Ellicott City’s continued economic vitality, Ball said.

Courthouse Complex
This summer, the county will vacate its current Circuit Courthouse at 8360 Court Avenue and relocate to the newly developed Circuit Courthouse. The county’s vacating of its historic courthouse presents a unique reuse opportunity of the county-owned courthouse and adjacent properties that have supported the courthouse functions which has operated for more than 175 years.

Main Street Buildings
In May of 2019, Ball announced that six of the 10 buildings on Main Street previously slated for demolition would be preserved under the Ellicott City Safe and Sound plan. These six buildings were immediately stabilized for safety. The next step is to renovate and reoccupy the buildings. The buildings will remain under the county’s ownership until the entirety of the Safe and Sound flood mitigation plan has been implemented.

Tiber Park
Later this year, the Maryland Avenue Culvert project is anticipated to break ground, ultimately changing the landscape of the lower end of Main Street. At the completion of the project, Tiber Park will be rebuilt in accordance with the policies outlined in the Ellicott City Watershed Master Plan, which was approved unanimously by the Howard County Council.