ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball launched the Ellicott City Project Advisory Committee today to provide feedback and input on three major projects on the horizon in Ellicott City. Over 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.
Photos of the event can be found here.
“Our residents and businesses care deeply about Ellicott City and want to see it not just survive but thrive for many more generations,” said Ball. “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,” said Committee Member Tara Simpson. “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. Thank you to County Executive Calvin Ball for inviting Preservation Howard County to be a part of this important conversation.”
“We are ecstatic to have been chosen as one of the key stakeholder groups that will play an essential role within the task force created by the County,” said Chris Pineda, Ellicott City Partnership Executive Director. “In being part of this, I look forward to being able to be the voice of those I represent through the organization and ensure those future developments encompass the vision we have for our Main Street district.”
“These three projects are crucial to the continued economic and cultural vitality of the historic district,” said Julia Sanger, Owner of Park Ridge Creamery. “We’re excited for the potential that awaits our little town and look forward to the positive changes that will make Ellicott City an even more attractive place to dine, shop and enjoy.”
“It’s important that projects of this magnitude have robust community input where different stakeholders can come together to hear one another’s perspectives,” said Analisa Archer, Court Avenue resident. “This advisory committee is one way to ensure that engagement happens, and I look forward to getting to work with this talented group of people.”
The three projects the advisory committee will be focused on are projects that can enhance tourism and bolster Ellicott City’s continued economic vitality. The Ellicott City Project Advisory Committee will be critical in providing community input on these three transformative projects.
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. Responses to a Request for Information issued by the County at the beginning of March have been received. In addition, the County is pursuing a rezoning of the courthouse properties, which will be heard before the planning board on May 6th. A public meeting is expected to be held this summer.
Main Street Buildings
In May of 2019, County Executive Ball announced that six of the ten 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.