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Annapolis City Dock Park is seen as a way to prevent flooding in the downtown area. The $71 million project broke ground Monday. ANNAPOLIS, MD — Annapolis broke ground Monday on City Dock Park, a forthcoming green space that's also expected to protect downtown from flooding. Officials heralded the park as a way to unpave paradise, converting what's currently a waterfront parking lot into a public destination for all to enjoy. "I want you to imagine that there is grass under your feet, not tarmac," Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley (D) said. "We're trying to make a public space for everyone." The elevated park, slated to cost $71 million, is the largest infrastructure project in city history. The project is slated to shield Dock Street businesses from up to 8 feet of flooding or sea level rise. Phase one of construction should take 18 months, meaning the park would open in summer 2027. Additional phases will include a raised bulkhead and pumping stations on the other side of Ego Alley. The city will build the elevated bulkhead that will run from roughly The Choptank restaurant to the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel's parking garage. This low-lying area causes Compromise Street to flood during high tides. Less intensive protection is planned past the hotel toward the Spa Creek drawbridge. These later phases will take another year and a half and bring the total price tag to $88 million. The city is awaiting a $32 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The federal government already appropriated, or set aside, the money in its fiscal year 2024 budget. The funds are in the middle of a two-year review required by the National Environmental Policy Act. Annapolis Public Works Director Burr Vogel expects the grant to be finalized within four to six weeks of the end of the federal government shutdown. Though the FEMA grant his not yet been disbursed, officials expect the money to come through soon and said they are comfortable starting construction now. Buckley said the city has a contingency plan if the FEMA grant isn't approved, and it can shuffle funding from other projects if necessary. "We cannot hold back the tide," said U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-District 3), who lives around the corner from City Dock. "We know that climate change is real. We know that the seas are rising." Lawmakers pointed to last week's flood as evidence that protections can't wait. Though it hardly rained, preliminary data said there was a 4.27-foot surge. That would be tied for the city's 10th-worst flood on record. "We know in Annapolis that the sun being out doesn't stop the waters from coming onto City Dock and affecting so many of our small businesses," State Del. Dana Jones (D-District 30A) said. Elfreth said the State of Maryland has committed $18.6 million to the Annapolis flood mitigation project. The federal government has provided $12 million, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D) said. "When you've got a problem that you know about, and you know it's getting worse, you need to take action," Van Hollen said, calling the floodwaters a "clear and present danger." The city will get another payment for the project through its new Hillman Garage. A group of private contractors built the $28 million garage with their own money in exchange for a 30-year lease on the facility. The companies keep the parking revenue during that term, and return garage operations to the city after three decades. In exchange, the contractors signed a concession agreement wherein they'll pay the city about $25 million that will go toward the park. When City Dock Park is done, visitors will enjoy a waterfront promenade. A bandstand will host concerts, and outdoor movies may play on summer nights. County Executive Steuart Pittman (D) saw a field trip on the way to the ground-breaking ceremony. It reminded him of visiting downtown Annapolis as a kid, eager to see the water. He said this project is about protecting the "gem of Anne Arundel County." "When young people want to experience the history of this place, the community of this place, the connection to the water in this place, we need to welcome them," he said. "We need to have a facility that is public, truly public." 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