The town of Leonardtown could have an even more unique look to its waterfront property in the near future.
Plans are underway to turn part of the Leonardtown Wharf Waterfront Park into a multi-dining establishment.
“We own the park on both sides of the road where parking is undeveloped,” Leonardtown Town Administrator Laschelle McKay said, “and we’ve always had the idea of having a restaurant, but there’s never been anyone who’s been interested in building it.”
The project would involve different food vendors in a “food hall” type setting along with shared seating all on the waterfront overlooking Breton Bay.
“It gives people choices and it also is a lower threshold for start-up dining,” McKay said. She added the dining style is also “more family-friendly, more casual and they can cater to a lot of different palates.”
McKay said the plan is to have four to five restaurants inside a 5,000-square-foot two-story hall, the upper floor of which would be used for private events and outdoor dining. McKay said a carousel and a splash pad or other interactive water feature of some sort could also be on the site.
The proposed name is The Icehouse at the Wharf, which is a nod to the wharf’s history and the icehouse that once stood at the site.
“I think naming it The Icehouse is a really good idea actually,” St. Mary’s County Historical Society Executive Director Peter LaPorte said of the structure, the remnants of which are still visible at the park. “I think depending upon how it’s done and how it’s presented, I think that naming it The Icehouse is a thoroughly appropriate historic connection to it.”
According to the town’s website, in 1925 a 40-horsepower electric power plant was installed at the foot of Wharf Hill and began providing electricity throughout the town. The ice plant offered a source of refrigeration to the town and an ice cream plant was also established there. In the ensuing years though, with the rise in popularity of other modes of transportation, activity at the wharf area began to decline.
A request for interest was sent out to developers on Dec.4, 2023, and McKay said four submissions were received by the Jan. 8 deadline.
“We are ready to move forward on it,” McKay said of the proposals. “We own the land and a couple of the people who have put in the RFIs are very anxious to get going, so hopefully we can get this thing going rather quickly. I certainly think we have something we can work with here.”
The Leonardtown Wharf Waterfront Park, which was financed by numerous sources including the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the St. Mary’s County commissioners, was finished in 2008.
The park, which is accessible by boat or car, consists of a brick promenade along the waterfront complete with historical markers on the wharf area and Leonardtown’s past, a boardwalk through a wetland area, a visitor’s pavilion and concession stand with restrooms, a large observation deck inlaid with a compass rose, playground and picnic area.
The Wharf also features a kayak/stand-up paddleboard landing and is the terminus of an approximately 3-mile water trail along McIntosh Run that originates upstream at the Port of Leonardtown Public Park.
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