As part of an effort to obtain a $33 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to move the $72.1 million City Dock project forward, officials from Annapolis, the state and the federal government met Friday to discuss the flood protection provisions of the plan.

Asked what officials discussed, Mitchelle Stephenson, spokesperson for the city, said in an email Monday that Mayor Gavin Buckley “stress[ed] why [the project] is critically important for our downtown businesses.”

Stephenson said that FEMA officials “walked [officials] through a slide deck of issues that must be addressed [during this process] including coastal management, environmental reviews, aquatic animals, National Historic Preservation Act, archaeological impacts, among others.”

There were no “surprises” for the city at the meeting, she added. The Capital Gazette was not invited to the meeting.

“The Friday meeting was part of the process for this grant, but also an opportunity for all of the people involved to meet one another and for the federal officials to walk the site,” Stephenson said.

As of Monday, the grant process was still “in progress,” Stephenson said, and it is unclear when the grant will be approved. However, a FEMA spokesperson said the agency’s aim was to ensure a 2025 groundbreaking.

“The meeting included presentations outlining the history of floods in the area, an overview of the scope of work, and a detailed breakdown of steps needed to move the project’s eligibility review forward,” said a spokesperson for FEMA in an email Monday. “The meeting concluded with [a] review of a recently developed tentative timeline, including milestones, which will guide the remainder of the review process.”

The redevelopment project includes turning the pay-to-park area from Craig Street to Susan Campbell Park into a raised earthen berm to hold back floodwaters. The project also includes a flood barrier system connecting the Naval Academy on Prince George Street, wrapping around Ego Alley, ending at Compromise Street. A planned park will feature a fountain, a pergola, a stage and other amenities.

The meeting was supposed to take place in October; however, it was canceled due to FEMA’s involvement with recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene, Stephenson said. In May, Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley said the city could work on other aspects of the project, such as Compromise Street and green space, while awaiting approval of the grant.

“This is an important mitigation project,” Ed McDonough, spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Emergency Management, said in an email Monday. “We look forward to continuing to work with the City of Annapolis and FEMA on it. This is a good example of a community-based project that would reduce flooding risk in the Annapolis area.”

Contact Megan Loock at mloock@baltsun.com or 443-962-5771.