Annapolis council approves revised Market House lease and waives back interest for Market Plaza vendors; ranked-choice vote tabled

Mayor Gavin Buckley recused himself and left the dais before the council debated a proposed long-term lease for the Market House, and the council adopted the ordinance as amended that the finance committee and council members said secures investment and continuity for the downtown site.

The council also approved a resolution to waive accrued interest charges for businesses at Market Plaza, after committee members and staff described the amounts at issue as modest and after public concerns about preserving the character and uses of downtown public space. Separately, the council moved to table an ordinance to adopt ranked-choice voting and approved an equitable public water-access plan and a city rule allowing deferred payment of certain capital facility fees for small residential projects.

Why it matters: The Market House and Market Plaza occupy a central block of downtown Annapolis and are treated in city code as public amenities. The lease debate engaged questions about long-term public use, private investment, and how the city balances local small-business tenancy with preserving space for markets and public activity.

What the council did and who spoke

- Market House lease (Ordinance O-33-25). After extended committee review and public comment opposing a long lock-up of the property, the council approved O-33-25 as amended. The amended lease shortens the long-term certainty the city would otherwise have given and requires the operator to invest in property improvements (the ordinance includes a requirement of a $100,000 minimum investment by the operator and a negotiated initial term that provides a multi-year…