DUNKIRK, Md. — Site preparation began this week at Ward Farm Recreation and Nature Park, 10455 Ward Road, for a multipurpose community building with restrooms, with full construction set to start in late November 2025 and finish before June 11, 2026, to accommodate early voting in Election District 3.
The Calvert County Department of Parks & Recreation announced the project November 19, 2025, noting initial steps include staking work areas, delivering supplies, and installing temporary facilities. The building addresses needs identified in the park’s 2015 master plan for lower parking lot restrooms, alongside demands for programmable community space and a permanent voting site in northern Calvert County.
The facility spans 2,000 square feet of enclosed programmable indoor area and 1,000 square feet of covered outdoor space, with three year-round restrooms: men’s, women’s, and family. Design plans show flexible interior layouts for meetings, events, or classes, plus storage and a breakroom area.
Funding comes largely from the Calvert County Youth Recreational Opportunities Fund, created by state legislation in 2012 to support youth-focused projects using a portion of gaming revenues from specified machines in the county. The fund, championed by former Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., allocates resources annually for acquisitions and developments like Ward Farm, with recent allocations requiring a county match in some cases.
Ward Farm, a 209-acre site acquired in 2013 and opened in 2022, already offers athletic fields, a playground, tot-lot, 10-hole disc golf course, nature trails, paved paths, and a fishing pier as part of phased implementation from the master plan. Ongoing improvements include tennis and pickleball courts and field dugouts completed in 2024.
The master plan, developed with public input, envisions long-term additions like boardwalks over ponds and wetlands, an environmental center, picnic shelters, and expanded trails by around 2042, balancing active recreation with natural preservation in a county known for its rural character and proximity to the Patuxent River.
Calvert County’s parks system, managed by the Department of Parks & Recreation, prioritizes such facilities to serve growing northern areas like Dunkirk, where residents access amenities amid limited indoor options. The new building supports diverse uses, from youth programs funded through CCYROF to general community gatherings and elections overseen by the Board of Elections.
Early voting in Maryland occurs over multiple days before primaries and generals, with sites required in each district for accessibility. District 3, covering northern Calvert including Dunkirk and Huntingtown, will gain this permanent location to ease travel for voters previously directed southward.
Project details, including renderings and timelines, appear on the county’s dedicated page. Residents can monitor progress through the ongoing projects portal, which tracks developments across county parks.
