Department of General Services Manages Replacement of Lawyers’ Mall Underground Infrastructure

Phase 1 to Replace Aging Utilities Servicing the Annapolis Government Campus Underway

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Department of General Services announced the mobilization of the capital project to replace Lawyers’ Mall underground infrastructure. The infrastructure replacement will be a multi-phased project with an estimated budget of approximately $11 million. The project is in the 2019 Fiscal Year Capital Budget as a standalone project under the Board of Public Works.

“DGS is committed to ensuring that our state buildings are running as efficiently and effectively as possible,” said DGS Secretary Ellington E. Churchill, Jr. “By investing in this necessary replacement and improvement of the oldest portion of our utility distribution system, the Annapolis government campus will gain a stable system for the next 25-30 years, providing a comfortable environment for staff and visitors alike.”

The Annapolis government campus’ utilities (power, steam, chilled water, domestic hot water) are distributed from the Annapolis Campus central plant, with an infrastructure that varies in age. Portions of the system were last replaced in 2005 and 2011. The current project replaces the oldest remaining sections of the infrastructure. The first phase of the project was awarded in June 2018.

This first phase of the project is estimated to last at least a year and includes the utilities from the front of the House Office building across College Avenue. At various times during the project, traffic patterns will be rerouted or modified on State Circle and College Avenue, during closure of these roads. In addition, areas of Lawyers’ Mall will be closed. In mid-September, the Thurgood Marshall memorial will be temporarily relocated until the project’s completion.

The overall project will include full utility replacement, plaza replacement, new landscaping, and other improvements. The department is working with a number of other agencies and stakeholders, including the City of Annapolis and the State Highway Administration to coordinate the future interruption of vehicular traffic, pedestrian circulation, and other events that will be affected over the duration the construction project. The department will maintain alternate locations for planned demonstrations and rallies once Lawyers’ Mall is fully closed in January 2019. Lawyer’s Mall is expected to reopen in late 2020.

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About DGS: The Department of General Services is responsible for essential services and programs administered on behalf of the state, including procuring goods and services; designing, building, leasing, managing and maintaining facilities; leading energy conservation efforts; and providing essential services such as fuel management, disposition of surplus property and records management. The Department of General Services Maryland Capitol Police maintains safety and security at state buildings.