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Maryland Hall asks city to waive permitting fees for $55,000 renovation; council refers request to finance committee
Summary
Maryland Hall requested a waiver of roughly $55,000 in city permitting fees for a capital renovation. The City Council took the item on first reader and referred the fee‑waiver request to the finance committee for further review and a staff cost report.
Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts asked the Annapolis City Council on March 10 to waive roughly $55,000 in city permitting and related fees for an upcoming capital renovation that will replace an antiquated boiler and install HVAC units.
The request matters because Maryland Hall is a 725-seat nonprofit performance venue used for the Annapolis Film Festival, Pride, Juneteenth and other community events; the renovations, the organization said, will improve patron comfort, allow additional simultaneous programming and reduce the facility's carbon footprint.
Chris Miller, identified as the director of finance and operations at Maryland Hall, told the council the building frequently reaches indoor temperatures “regularly over 80 degrees,” which has forced the cancellation of some summer programming. Miller said the renovation is designed to keep the main theater open during construction and to add soundproofing to the Bowen Theater to allow two indoor performances at once.
Assistant City Manager Vicky Buckland told council members she would ensure a staff report is prepared; several council members asked for detail on the projected departmental revenue loss tied to the fee waiver. The council voted to adopt Resolution R5-25 on first reader and to refer the waiver to the finance committee for a fuller fiscal report and committee consideration.
The Maryland Hall representative said the project has raised about 80% of its private funding goal and that the renovation was seeded by a GoFundMe-like effort and state support; details on the project's overall budget were discussed in testimony but are not specified in the council record presented at the meeting.
What happens next: the finance committee will receive the staff report and Maryland Hall’s request for more detailed review before the council takes further legislative action.
