The City of Annapolis was notified of a $200,000 “Community Legacy” grant from the State of Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. The grant is for the revitalization of the public water access park, to be dedicated as “Robert Eades Park” on Clay Street. The total cost of the project is $483,500, including $56,000 for the design and $404,500 for the construction.
There is a waterfront park at the location, known as “College Creek Park.” The existing park has fallen into a state of disrepair. The existing structures in the park will be demolished and a new park will be constructed. The plans include site preparation and grading, making egress to the water from the street level easier, hardscape and plantings to stabilize the shoreline as well as site furnishing, lighting, and signage to make the park an appealing location for residents and visitors.
The park will be dedicated in the name of the late Robert Eades, a community activist who passed away in 2020 during the early part of the COVID pandemic.
“Public water access is a priority for my administration,” Mayor Gavin Buckley said. “Last year, we saw an opportunity to upgrade an existing location where water access is all but impossible because of the state of the existing structures at the site. I’m grateful to Theresa Wellman for finding this funding and to the Department of Planning and Zoning for working with the community to come up with a design.”
“The community provided input as to how the park would be used and what they wanted it to look like,” said Alderwoman Karma O’Neill (Ward 2). “I am grateful for their ideas and participation. With the location directly across from Morris Blum Senior Housing and next to the Mary Moss Academy, I know this park will be used and enjoyed by people of all ages.”
The project is being managed by the City of Annapolis Department of Planning and Zoning and administered by the Community Development Administrator, Theresa Wellman, and Eric Leshinsky, Chief of Comprehensive Planning.
“I am really looking forward to working on this project along with my coworker Eric Leshinsky whose knowledge of park development was instrumental in getting the state funds and Shelley Rench, of Annapolis Landscape Architects, LLC who designed the new park, said Theresa Wellman. “Also I am eternally grateful to the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development for its continued support of the Clay Street neighborhood.”
The award is part of more than $5.5 million dollars in recent awards by Governor Larry Hogan including 56 projects designated as Sustainable Communities throughout Maryland.
