For years the only regular sign of life at 3130 Solomons Island Road was a Halloween shop that moved into the empty Giant each fall. Giant had moved about half a mile away to the Village at Lee Airpark, and the old store mostly sat vacant.
This fall, crews are cutting away part of the building so the roof can go higher. Anne Arundel County is turning the former grocery store into the Edgewater Community Center, and the plan adds space by building up rather than out. Most of what makes the project interesting comes from that choice.
The Footprint Stays. The Ceiling Moves.
When the county presented the project in January 2026, it listed the existing Giant building at 45,797 square feet on a 5.3974-acre lot. The construction drawings, issued August 21, 2026, show a finished facility of 51,061 square feet. That breaks down to 44,628 square feet on the first floor and a 6,433-square-foot mezzanine.
Put those numbers side by side and the ground floor ends up slightly smaller than the old store's. All of the new space is upstairs on the mezzanine. On the county's project page, Recreation and Parks says exterior demolition of about one-third of the building began in August 2026. That demolition makes room for a higher roof over the three features that need the height: the gymnasium, the indoor playground and an elevated walking track.
Recreation and Parks Director Jessica Leys explained the approach when demolition started, as reported by Eye On Annapolis:
"Our goal is to maximize recreational opportunities while not significantly increasing the building's footprint. We are designing a space with high-impact amenities that encourages year-round wellness and activity for all people, and we can't wait to see the community fill these rooms in 2027."
Gyms and walking tracks need height more than floor area, and a grocery store's roof was built to clear shelving and freezer cases. Raising one section of the roof turns a low retail box into a building with room for a full gym, and the shell keeps working for everything else.
What Goes Under the Taller Roof
The plans have changed since the first public concept, so it helps to separate the two. The concept came out in April 2025, when the county asked for construction bids, and Patch reported its main features. The construction drawings from August 2026 are the version crews are building.
| Space | April 2025 concept | August 2026 construction drawings |
|---|---|---|
| Gym | One basketball court with a small set of bleachers and a retractable stage | 6,361-square-foot gymnasium |
| Courts | Eight pickleball courts | Two court areas |
| Play | Indoor playground, 75 by 100 feet, for 75 children, with equipment for toddlers through middle schoolers | Indoor play area |
| Activity rooms | Dance studio, yoga room, gaming area | Dance room, yoga and exercise room, gaming room |
| Gathering rooms | Party, meeting and multipurpose rooms | Two multipurpose rooms and party rooms |
The 2025 concept also included ideas for using the overhead space in the court area. According to Patch, batting cages could drop down from the roof of the pickleball area, which could also be set up for bungee and aerial classes. Those ideas depend on the same thing as the gym and the track, which is a ceiling far higher than the old store had.
The elevated walking track is the feature that makes the building feel different. It runs above the floor, so people can walk laps while games or classes go on below. The county lists it with the gym and playground as the reasons the roof is being raised.
Why the Price Kept Climbing
The published cost figures have risen at each stage of the project:
- March 2024. Patch reported an estimated cost of $11.5 million shortly after the county agreed to buy the building.
- July 2025. When the Wohlsen Construction team was selected, the Capital Gazette called it a $14 million center.
- February 2026. The county's FY2027 capital budget request showed $22,984,685 programmed for the project. That includes $17,984,685 in prior funding and $5,000,000 added for FY2027.
The FY2027 figure has four funding sources: $14,685,037 in county bonds, $1,000,000 in pay-as-you-go cash, $5,049,648 from the state's Program Open Space development funds and $2,250,000 in other state grants. These numbers come from different stages of the project. The 2024 and 2025 figures are reported estimates. The 2026 figure is the total the Department of Recreation and Parks requested and programmed across fiscal years, which is not the same thing as an approved budget or a final construction contract.
The purchase itself was a separate cost. The county announced its agreement to buy the building in February 2024 and closed in late May 2024, according to the Capital Gazette. The price was not made public at the time. The seller's representative told the Capital Gazette it was above the building's then-assessed value of $4 million.
The Building Comes First. The Lot Comes Second.
Because everything new happens inside the existing walls, the rest of the 5.4-acre property stays mostly as Giant left it until the building is done. The January presentation listed 276 parking spaces, an existing stormwater facility and entrances from both Solomons Island Road and Southdown Road. The county's project page says additional site improvements will follow in a second phase once the building is finished.
That second phase is where the county's partner on the project comes in. Anne Arundel County brought in the Resilience Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County in February 2024 to provide technical expertise for a sustainable, resilient facility. The Authority's 2025 annual report lists the project as the "Edgewater Recreation Center & Resilience Hub." Its September 2026 quarterly report says it is seeking Phase II funding for stormwater management, environmental restoration, renewable energy and nature-based solutions.
So the work is planned in two stages. The first stage puts a taller roof and new rooms inside the old store. The second stage turns to the large paved lot around it, and the Authority's list of goals points to water and energy.
County Executive Steuart Pittman described the start of construction in the same Eye On Annapolis report. "After a whole lot of community engagement and planning, I'm thrilled that we are now raising the roof on the old Giant building to create the indoor recreation and community space that Edgewater and South County have needed for so long," he said.
Following the Work Between Now and July 2027
The county expects the building to be finished in July 2027. That leaves about eight months of construction on the Route 2 corridor from the time this post goes up. The design-build team is Wohlsen Construction, Becker Morgan Group and Cap Ex Advisory Group, working for Recreation and Parks alongside the Resilience Authority.
Anyone who wants to see the plans can find them online:
- The Edgewater Community Center project page carries the county's status updates. It was last updated November 4, 2026.
- The issued-for-construction drawings show the room-by-room layout, including the gym, court areas, play area and mezzanine.
- The January 14, 2026 public meeting presentation covers the site itself, from parking counts to entrances.
Until it opens, the address is still the old Giant to most people. Once the building is done, the space that held grocery aisles will hold a gym, an indoor playground and a walking track above them.
Greg Beckman watches projects like this one for clients deciding where on the Route 2 corridor they want to be in 2027. If you'd like to talk through how the community center and the shops near Lee Airpark fit into daily life in Edgewater, The Beckman Group is glad to help. Let's Connect: Book an Appointment.
