Baltimore Avenue Redevelopment and Utility Burial Delay
Ocean City
Summary
The scaled-back Baltimore Avenue project will underground utilities from North Division Street to 9th Street, with bidding next year and construction hoped for October 2027. Sidewalks stay at five feet — no widening — but new light poles and no overhead wires are coming.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 2
- Last 30 days
- 1
Discussed at 1 meeting in the last 60 days; most recently Oct 20, 2026.
Impact analysis
Burying the lines is required by the fire marshal but is cost-prohibitive for the private owner, so the town/state project is effectively the path forward.
Downtown residents and visitors get a cleaner streetscape with no overhead wires.
Neighbors and visitors continue to see a block of aging, nonconforming apartment buildings sit idle for years longer than planned.
Mentions & discussions (2)
Planning and Zoning Commission - Oct 20, 2026
A planned 5-story hotel at 608 Baltimore Avenue has sat stalled for six years largely because overhead power lines block fire access and construction staging. The state-funded Baltimore Avenue project is expected to de-energize those lines around May 2028, which is why the owner sought (and received) a two-year extension.
Planning and Zoning Commission - May 19, 2026
The scaled-back Baltimore Avenue project will underground utilities from North Division Street to 9th Street, with bidding next year and construction hoped for October 2027. Sidewalks stay at five feet — no widening — but new light poles and no overhead wires are coming.
Related development
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