New flood relief efforts in Ellicott City to break ground this summer

Jan. 18—By Sherry Greenfield — sgreenfield@baltsun.com and Allana Haynes — ahaynes@baltsun.com

PUBLISHED:January 18, 2024 at 3:28 p.m.| UPDATED:January 18, 2024 at 3:30 p.m.

Construction will begin this summer on the next phase of Ellicott City's Safe and Sound flood mitigation plan, according to an announcement Thursday from County Executive Calvin Ball. Improvements include a 5.5-million-gallon flood mitigation pond and an extended north tunnel — the focal point of the project.

Heavy rains in 2011, 2016 and 2018 caused major flooding in Ellicott City's historic district, killing three people and leaving behind massive destruction.

The Ellicott City Safe and Sound plan was put in place in 2018, after "it became more apparent that a flood mitigation strategy that would save lives and preserve our historic town was long overdue," Ball said in a video message. The plan is estimated to cost between $113 million and $140 million, and includes the creation of several dry ponds, installation of a mile-long underground tunnel and the demolition of four Main Street buildings to provide space for the creation of a new culvert.

"This plan includes five storm water retention projects, two water conveyance projects, and a host of additional improvements and programs that enhance the safety of all residents, businesses, and visitors of our historic town. When complete, we will become the national model for flood mitigation and climate resiliency," Ball said.

The Ball administration, with the help of state, local and federal partners, has more than $167 million in total funding for the Safe and Sound plan and related flood mitigation projects in Ellicott City, including a $75 million federal loan from the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program, a federal credit program administered by the Environmental Protection Agency for eligible water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

This month, the county started work to remove four structures and to preserve and renovate six county-owned buildings in the Lower Main Street region of Ellicott City.

"While the loss of these four buildings is bittersweet, we are glad to preserve aspects of six that were previously slated for demolition and this work will ensure that Historic Ellicott City can and will prosper for another 250 years and beyond," Ball said.

A focal point of the plan is the extended north tunnel project which, once completed, will carry 26,000 gallons of stormwater per second away from the streets and foundations in Old Ellicott City and the West End and flow directly into the Patapsco River.

"That's about the amount of water in an in-ground swimming pool carried away each and every second," Ball said in May 2022.

The tunnel will be a hard-rock tunnel 18 feet in diameter and 5,800 feet long. It will start near the intersection of Frederick Road and Papillon Drive and end just north of Parking Lot B in Ellicott City.

"The construction of the tunnel will be the single largest public works project that Howard County has ever undertaken," Ball said in the video message.

The county will break ground this summer on the next stormwater retention pond, the H-4 Pond. Located along Frederick Road, west of Route 29, the pond will have the capacity to hold more than 5.5 million gallons of water, which is intended to slow the flow of stormwater and protect the city during major storm events.

The county has already completed the H-7 pond, at the interchange of Route 29 and Route 40, and the Quaker Mill Pond, at the intersection of Rogers Avenue and Patapsco River Road. Together they have the capacity to collect and control the release of 7.5 million gallons of water during a storm.

"We installed high ground signage and access gates throughout Main Street," Ball said. "These promote safety and expand opportunities for quick evacuation during severe weather. We launched and activated our outdoor tone alert system. This provides critical early notice to residents when a flood is imminent.

"Finally, we established our comprehensive debris cleaning program to remove debris from waterways in and around Ellicott City," he said. "Since its launch, we have initiated 21 removal events and cleared nearly 80,000 pounds of debris from local stream channels."

Ball said the future is "bright" for Ellicott City.

"As I look ahead, I see a tomorrow that shines even brighter than the last 250 years," he said. "And I am so incredibly proud to be a part of this chapter of our town's story."

Phoenix Upper Main carries on legacy

Though the demolition of the four Main Street Ellicott City buildings has been ongoing for awhile, the work has become more visible in recent weeks as scaffolding went up and exterior work began. Affected buildings were the former homes of The Phoenix Emporium, Bean Hollow, Discoveries, and Great Panes.

Janet Kusterer, who has lived in Ellicott City for 36 years and is the former editor of "The Legacy," a newsletter for the Howard County Historical Society, says the buildings have historical value and sentimental interest. Kusterer is also a columnist for The Howard County Times.

Bean Hollow was a shop owned by Gretchen Shoey, who roasted her own blend of coffee beans at the rear of the first floor, Kusterer said. Sally Tennant owned Discoveries, where beautiful pastel dresses hung outside and inside, an eclectic variety of merchandise was on offer, Kusterer said. Great Panes was a stained-glass art shop owned by Len and Sherry Berkowitz, according to Kusterer.

Erected in the 19th century, The Phoenix Emporium's building was originally occupied by Bernard Fort from 1858 to 1887, who built coffins for the victims of the Great Flood of 1868, according to Mark Stout, executive director of the Howard County Historical Society. Later the building housed a variety of bars and restaurants including O'Brian's, Fissel's and Valmas' until it opened as The Phoenix Emporium in July 1979.

Originally owned by George and Vickie Goeller, the restaurant was purchased by Mark Hemmis in 2001. Hemmis still owns the business, but moved it into a building less than a mile up the street from its original location four years ago.

Now known as Phoenix Upper Main, the restaurant is carrying on the legacy established in its original building. Hemmis said his vision is for it to be a "community hub."

"We want to be a place where families and neighbors and other businesses go to come and hang out with friends and enjoy themselves and enjoy all that Ellicott City has to offer," he said.

In a recent social media post, Hemmis asked patrons to leave a comment sharing a memory from when they dined in the original building.

Sami Dickerson, 34, of Yorktown, Pennsylvania, is one of more than 700 patrons who posted. First dining at the restaurant in 2009, she said it was a staple of her early adulthood.

"[The Phoenix Emporium] was the first bar that I ever went to and it was one of the places that I personally frequented the most," she said. "That [bar] had a special place in my heart for the people that were there and the people that were behind the bar."

Mark Russo, 42, of Reisterstown, said he first dined at the restaurant on his 21st birthday. He said he hopes the community continues to support the restaurant in its new building.

"After the flood of 2016, how the entire community came together to help get that place back up on its feet, not once, but twice, that is a crazy feat in and of itself," he said. "I'd like to see the community come and rally behind the new establishment like they did for the old one."

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