Buildings Torn Apart By Hand, Historic Circuit Courthouse Reimagined: Safe And Sound Plan

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — Four buildings are being demolished by hand along lower Main Street and groundbreakings have been planned for the extended north tunnel and H-4 pond as part of the progress being made under the Ellicott City Safe and Sound plan.

“After the devastating floods in 2011, 2016 and 2018, it became even more apparent that a flood mitigation strategy that would save lives and preserve our historic town was long overdue. Just 24 days after taking office in December of 2018, I unveiled our Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball during an online news conference. “Our goal is to protect and preserve as much of our town as possible while advancing the most effective solutions to reduce and divert upland stormwater away from Main Street. Thanks to our team’s continued effort, tenacity and shared vision, we have set the stage to make 2024 a year of momentous progress.”

This month, Howard County began work to remove the four buildings along lower Main Street, 8049, 8055, 8059 and 8069. This work is being done by hand for the most part in a process called building deconstruction. This process will include salvaging character defining elements previously identified for preservation – such as ironwork, cornices, granite and selected doors and windows, to be reused elsewhere in the historic district. Once complete, the site will be stabilized so community members and visitors can begin to enjoy a new outdoor space with views of the Tiber River, while plans for an expanded Tiber Park proceed.

“The prior Administration’s plan, announced in the summer of 2018, after the third recent devastating flood, called for all 10 buildings along the lower southside of Main Street to be demolished, although none of the 10 buildings were owned by the county, at the time. However, after making tangible progress since the launch of Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan, our plan significantly reduced the number of buildings removed to only four, while the remaining six will be renovated and returned to use,” Ball added. “While the loss of these four buildings is bittersweet, we are glad to preserve aspects of six that were previously slated for demolition and this work will help us ensure that Historic Ellicott City can and will prosper for another 250 years and beyond.”

In the year ahead, work will begin to construct a new façade on the historic Caplan’s building. This summer, work will begin on the extended north tunnel project, designed to reduce the risk of flash flooding by diverting water underground and away from Main Street. This 18-foot-diameter underground tunnel will have the capacity to move 26,000 gallons of water per second from the upper West End one mile down to the Patapsco River. Expected to take three years to complete, the extended north tunnel will be the single largest public works project that Howard County has ever undertaken, Ball said.

Also this summer, officials will break ground on the plan’s next stormwater retention pond, the H-4 Pond, this summer. Located along Frederick Road, just west of U.S. 29, the H-4 Pond will have the capacity to hold more than 5.5 million gallons of water, helping to slow the flow of water and protect historic Ellicott City during storm events. The H-7 and Quaker Miller ponds hold approximately 7.5 million gallons of water during a storm. Once complete, the remaining three ponds combined will hold another 50 million gallons of water.

“As we continue to take the necessary steps to preserve and protect Historic Ellicott City, economy is strong. With vacancy rates in the last two years the lowest they’ve been in three decades, with six new Main Street businesses opening their doors in the last year alone and the reimagining of the historic Circuit Courthouse, the future is bright for our beloved town,” Ball said.

Ball noted that vacancy rates are down from 7.9 percent in 2015 to only 0.5 percent in 2023. The vacant historic Circuit Courthouse space soon will become the reimagined home for the Howard County Center for the Arts, a new Asian American and Pacific Islander Cultural Center, the Roving Radish program, a shared commercial kitchen and more.

"This plan will retain the Historic Courthouse under county ownership. It will preserve the rich history of the building for public use and ensure continued parking for the community. Programming offered by the Center for Arts, Culture and History will activate the space and draw new visitors to Historic Ellicott City. This increase of foot traffic to main street will help support our small business community and generate new economic activity. We expect to reopen the building for public use by fall of 2025," Ball said. "As I look ahead, I see a tomorrow that shines even brighter than the last 250 years. And I am so incredibly proud to be a part of this chapter of our town’s story."

To learn more about Ball’s Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/county-executive/ellicott-city-safe-and-sound.