Mayor Gavin Buckley, Ward 3 Alderwoman Rhonda Pindell Charles, City Manager Michael Mallinoff and Department of Public Works Director David Jarrell will cut the ribbon on the City’s new $10.8 million Department of Public Works (DPW) building at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 5, 2023. The address of the new facility is 39 Hudson Street, Annapolis. The public is invited to attend. Following the ribbon cutting, attendees will be invited to view the new buildings before DPW staff and crew move in.
DPW is responsible for a portfolio of work that includes street maintenance (paving, snow removal, traffic control), solid waste collection and disposal, water distribution, wastewater collection, potable water production, stormwater management, fleet repair, facilities maintenance and more.
“This new facility will streamline DPW work by consolidating operations,” said Mayor Gavin Buckley. “The relocation for DPW is long overdue and I thank our DPW staff and team for their patience while we found this location for their new home.”
Finding the home proved to be problematic for the City. Spa Road’s old public works building was partially decommissioned in 2010 and partially demolished in 2017. The facility was condemned by the city as being unsafe for employees. Former Mayor Mike Pantelides and the City Council allocated money to re-build the facility on Spa Road and once contracts were signed, a groundbreaking ceremony was held.
At the time, newly-elected Mayor Gavin Buckley changed course and wanted to affect a land swap for the Spa Road site with a residential developer. The developer was to buy a parcel at the intersection of Forest Drive and Hilltop Lane (currently being developed as The Willows) and give it to the City for Public Works in return for the Spa Creek property. The idea was met with furor from the public and the idea was scrapped. The City then identified a the parcel on Hudson Street for the new facility.
The Hudson Street facility meets Silver LEED-certification and exceeds industry recommendations for storage, safety and worker amenities. The site is EV-ready and includes a green roof. All site landscaping and grading surpass environmental standards. Stormwater treatment will exceed State requirements using best management practices.
“We are very excited to move into our new state-of-art facility,” said David Jarrell, DPW director. “These impressive buildings and work areas will serve the City’s Public Works Department efficiently and effectively for many years.”
Once the move to Hudson Street is complete, the Recreation and Parks Department will temporarily use the remaining buildings. There currently is no long-term plan for the Spa Road site.
The Hudson Street location, is a 6.88 acre parcel zoned for industrial use and the DPW facilitywill occupy 3.35 acres of the site. The rear of the lot will be used for the operations yard and storage, the salt barn, heavy equipment parking, and staff and visitor parking. The building at the front of the lot includes administrative office space, vehicle repair bays, storage and employee amenities, including showers and a lunch room. The project was approved as part of the 2019 Capital Improvement Plan.
