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Canal Place authority advances River Park planning, cites $8.5M in grants toward $28M project
Summary
The Canal Place Preservation and Development Authority told the House appropriations subcommittee that design and permitting advance for a $28 million River Park project, where the authority has secured about $8.5 million in grants and expects to complete permitting and construction steps ahead of a 2028 target date.
The Canal Place Preservation and Development Authority updated the House Appropriations Committee Transportation and Environment Subcommittee on Friday about progress on its River Park at Canal Place project, saying the authority has secured grant funding and is advancing design and permitting work.
Executive Director Deirdre Ritchie said the River Park project is currently estimated at $28 million and that the authority has raised roughly $8.5 million in grants to date, including capital budget support. "The project has been estimated to be $28,000,000. So far, we've raised $8,500,000 in grant funding and the 1.5, which we very much appreciate, came from that capital budget," she said.
Ritchie said Canal Place has hired a Maryland‑based project‑management firm to lead technical work and write requests for proposals. The authority expects to award an engineering design contract for land‑based park amenities in March and to rebid sediment testing for the dam removal after an initial bid exceeded the budget.
The authority emphasized the River Park project’s combined recreational and environmental goals. Ritchie said the plan would remove contaminated sediment from the north branch of the Potomac River, improve fish passage, and expand public access; an economic impact study the authority cited projects more than one million additional visitors and about $41 million in state and local tax impact.
Canal Place also said it is pursuing an expansion of the Western Potomac Heritage Area’s boundaries from the current 1.67 square miles to cover all of Allegany County, a change the authority said would broaden heritage‑area economic benefits.
DLS presented the Canal Place FY26 budget as an $865,000 total operating request with four positions; the analyst recommended concurrence with the governor’s allowance. The authority said it will continue grant applications to reduce reliance on general‑fund appropriations.
Why it matters: The River Park project combines public‑access amenities, dam remediation and habitat improvements and may have economic and environmental impacts for Allegany County and downstream waterways including the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay.
