"After fifty years on the City Dock, I never imagined Storm Bros failing," Storm Bros. owner Sveinn C. Storm wrote in a Facebook post that Eye On Annapolis reported in September. Storm Bros. Ice Cream Factory opened on October 29, 1976, and turns 50 at the end of this month. In the same article, Storm said 39 frozen dessert businesses have opened and closed between the top of Main Street and the end of City Dock in that time.
On the City's calendar, the date that matters most for Dock Street is in December 2026, well ahead of next summer's park opening. That month the U.S. Naval Academy is expected to reopen Barry Gate. Until then, the street depends on shuttles, a garage three minutes away, and the businesses still open behind the fencing.
What the Street Lost in 2026, Address by Address
Dock Street changed one storefront at a time this year. Here is what the reports show, walking along the street:
- 110 Dock Street. Annapolis Marine Art Gallery has been part of City Dock since 1978. In May it announced that it will close its physical gallery at the end of 2026 and continue online. The gallery's co-owner told Eye On Annapolis that revenue had dropped more than 70% after the parking, waterfront access, and foot traffic went away.
- 122 Dock Street. Blowfish Poké Hawaiian Grill signed its lease in 2024. It later cut its hours because of slow traffic and suspended operations earlier this year with no reopening date.
- 124 Dock Street. Bitty & Beau's Coffee opened here in February 2020, one of the company's earliest locations, built around employing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Eye On Annapolis reported September 13 as its final day and said the lease was nearing its end. None of the sources we reviewed confirmed the closure after that date.
- 26 Market Space. Around the corner, Pearl Restaurant and the Ponche Tiki Bar upstairs closed in April. Eye On Annapolis reported that the owners of Osteria 177 are taking over the space. The new concept had not been settled, and renovations were expected to take months.
Storm Bros. responded by adding a new product. Its owner announced "Storm's a Brewing," a coffee, breakfast, and pastry counter at the front of the ice cream shop, meant to bring in customers earlier in the day and over more of the year. Several former Bitty & Beau's employees were expected to join. The target opening was September 21 to 25, and the City likely needed to issue a permit first. We found no report confirming that the counter opened, or its hours. Check before you plan a morning around it.
Why Barry Gate Matters More Than the Park
Coverage of the City Dock project tends to focus on the finished waterfront, meaning the new park and the Maritime Welcome Center. For the businesses on Dock Street, the more urgent milestone is a gate.
The Naval Academy has its own construction project near City Dock. The City worked through problems with both the Academy and the contractor, Whiting Turner, on behalf of Dock Street businesses. On August 25, Mayor Jared Littmann released a revised project timeline, and its first item read:
"December 2026: The US Naval Academy is expected to reopen Barry Gate, restoring foot traffic to the Dock Street business corridor."
That's the City's own press release, and it ties the street's foot traffic to a gate reopening before it mentions a park opening. In March 2027, the Ego Alley boardwalk reopens to pedestrians, Watermark returns to its berth at Susan Campbell Park, and boaters get the Ego Alley slips back. In July 2027, City Dock Park opens, along with the Maritime Welcome Center, which will house the Harbormaster headquarters and the City Dock Visitor Center.
Barry Gate also shows up in the City's short-term fixes. When the free Magenta Shuttle was rerouted, its new stop went at Dock Street and Prince George's Street, at the gate itself.
Getting There While the Fences Are Up
The closures are large. Since November 2025, lower Dock Street has been closed between Craig Street and Susan Campbell Park, and upper Dock Street has been partly closed between Craig and Randall Streets for heavy infrastructure work. The Dock Street that is still open runs one way, west to east. The City chose that direction after surveying the businesses, then restriped the curb for head-in parking and added a loading zone.
Here's how the options compare:
| Option | Where it puts you | When | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mills-Hillman Garage | Three-minute walk to Dock Street | Daily | Added 165 spaces to replace about 99 lost on upper and lower Dock Street |
| Free GEM cart | Open-air loop from Mills-Hillman to Dock Street | Weekends | Runs in a loop; the City notes weather can affect service |
| Free Magenta Shuttle | Stop at Dock and Prince George's, at Barry Gate | Check the current schedule | Rerouted in March; the inside ads feature Dock Street businesses by name |
| Park-Shop-and-Dine voucher | Downtown garages | Check current terms | Two free garage hours after you shop at participating businesses |
The voucher program, the free downtown Circulator, and the free weekend and evening parking windows all appear on the Downtown Annapolis Partnership parking page. That page carries no update date, so confirm the current terms before you count on them.
This week is busier than usual. The Annapolis Sailboat Show runs October 15 through 18. The City's fall show notice warns of parking limits, detours, and restrictions from October 5 through 21, and points visitors to the city garages and the Magenta Shuttle.
What to See Along the Fence Before November 2
The fencing itself is worth a look this fall. Along Ego Alley, the City installed "An Exhibition of Sight & Sound," a free, 180-foot walkable gallery. It pairs Chesapeake Bay nature photography by Maryland photographers with portraits by local artists. AND Creative and the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra produced it at no cost to the City.
The Great Annapolis Pumpkins started October 10, with displays at the Visitors Center, Hopkins Plaza, Dock Street, the Opera House on Maryland Avenue, MRE Mercantile, and other spots. This year they reach Eastport for the first time. Local artists carve them on October 29, and the finished pumpkins stay up through November 2, according to Eye On Annapolis's October roundup.
October 29 is also Storm Bros.' 50th anniversary, so carving day on Dock Street falls on the shop's birthday. We found no report of an anniversary event.
The Calendar From Here
The project schedule has already changed once this year. A schedule posted on the City Dock project site in July 2026 showed upper Dock Street closing completely between Randall and Craig Streets from May 2027 to March 2028. The August 25 release replaced that with a revised Phase Two, running summer 2027 to spring 2028, that keeps closures on Upper Dock Street, the top of Ego Alley, and Compromise Street to a minimum. The City also said the project is on budget and ahead of schedule. The mayor said FEMA funding, along with grant and bond money already announced, covers the remaining work.
Here are the dates in order, from the City's August 25 timeline and the reports above:
- October 15–18, 2026. Annapolis Sailboat Show, with parking restrictions through October 21
- October 29, 2026. Pumpkin carving, and Storm Bros. turns 50
- November 2, 2026. Last day of the pumpkin displays
- End of 2026. Annapolis Marine Art Gallery closes its physical gallery at 110 Dock Street
- December 2026. Barry Gate expected to reopen
- March 2027. Ego Alley boardwalk reopens, and Watermark returns to Susan Campbell Park
- July 2027. City Dock Park and the Maritime Welcome Center open
- Summer 2027 to spring 2028. Revised Phase Two with limited closures
The project is meant to protect downtown from tidal and stormwater flooding. Mayor Littmann said the work so far has already helped reduce some tidal flooding events. For anyone deciding when to walk down for coffee or a cone, December is the first date on that list that changes how people reach the street.
PCS orders follow their own calendar, and City Dock does too. If you're planning a move around the Naval Academy and want someone who tracks dates like these block by block, The PCS Home Team has your six. Make Your Move Easy. Schedule a Free Consultation.
