Work has begun to transform the heart of downtown Havre de Grace into a pedestrian-friendly, “Chesapeake Colonial” town with wider sidewalks, new trees, brick roadways and parallel street parking. Last week trees that once lined downtown streets were removed to kick off the restoration process. Next month, Mayor Bill Martin said the sidewalks will be dug up and the water lines will be replaced.
“We hope to have the sidewalks replaced in mid-October to early November,” Martin said. “We are going to do everything we can to lay down plywood and keep walkable areas so people can access shops.” Martin anticipates the restoration to be completed by May, and said his goal is to minimally affect businesses.
He hopes businesses would only need to close for a day or two due to construction. The work is part of a downtown restoration plan introduced by city officials in 2022 and followed by months of public meetings, community input sessions and interviews with stakeholders. Hundreds of residents participated in the input process that led to the vision of Havre de Grace being a walkable, amenity-rich, waterfront social hub for residents, visitors and businesses.
“This is the vision of the majority of the people,” Martin said. “The real emphasis on this is letting the citizens have pride in their downtown and feeling like they belong to something special because Havre de Grace is amazing.” The project will use a portion of the $13.
8 million in American Rescue Plan Act.