Ellicott City Watershed Master Plan

Following the 2016 and 2018 floods, the County acquired ten buildings on Lower Main Street, from the former Phoenix building (8049 Main Street) to the former Caplan's Building (8125 Main Street). Under the Ellicott City Safe and Sound plan, four buildings on Lower Main will be removed to expand the stream channel. The remaining six historic buildings will have the portions crossing the stream channel removed, and the remainder of the six buildings will be renovated, retained, and returned to use.

The building removal and renovation work on Lower Main Street began in January 2024. The removal of the four buildings was completed in Summer 2024, and the partial removal and renovation of the six remaining buildings is currently underway.

The Ellicott City Watershed Master Plan calls for an expanded Tiber Park to be constructed on Lower Main Street following the removal of four county-owned buildings. The channel widening and Maryland Avenue culvert projects provide an opportunity to create a new and expanded Tiber Park public space amenity encompassing the area surrounding the channel and incorporating Tiber Alley.

The project will include representation of the buildings that formerly occupied the site, and communicate the history of the site to the public. This will also facilitate a generational opportunity to introduce new viewsheds to the iconic Ellicott City B&O Station - the oldest surviving railroad station in the Country.

Standing majestically at 8360 Court Avenue, the Historic Circuit Courthouse dates back to 1843 and has been part of Ellicott City's history for more than 175 years. In 2021, the Historic Circuit Courthouse officially closed to the public as the newly developed state-of-the-art Circuit Courthouse was completed and opened at 9250 Judicial Way. This relocation creates a unique reuse opportunity of the County-owned historic courthouse and adjacent properties.

As the County commits to a vibrant and active future for Ellicott City, the Historic Courthouse building will be renovated, revitalized, and returned to public use as a new focal point for town.

During his 2023 State of the County Address, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced that the Historic Courthouse in Ellicott City will be repurposed to become a transformative Center for Arts, Culture, and History. After receiving comments from more than 600 community stakeholders, the historic courthouse will become a space for the Howard County Center for the Arts, the County’s first Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Cultural Center, the nationally recognized Roving Radish, and a shared commercial kitchen space.

The Ellicott City Wayfinding project will include the creation and installation of wayfinding signage for Historic Ellicott City. The Ellicott City Watershed Master Plan identified the need for a comprehensive wayfinding system for the area to help visitors find parking and attractions, enhance commercial district branding, and identify high ground in the event of emergency.

The County received $250,000 for the Wayfinding Signs in 2022. The project is currently in planning and design.

The St. Paul Street Pocket Park project will improve County-owned parcels along St. Paul Street in Historic Ellicott City. This project envisions creating a terraced park space and a new pedestrian connection between Lower Main Street and St. Paul Street. This project will also facilitate critical emergency means of egress, capable of being used in a flood scenario, from buildings located along Lower Main Street to High Ground Egress Points.

The County received $150,000 for St. Paul Street Pocket Park in 2023. The project is currently in planning and design.