Perdue Stadium Improvements Get $500K Boost

SALISBURY – Officials in Wicomico County this week approved a $500,000 grant award that will be used to make infrastructure improvements at the Arthur W. Perdue Stadium in Salisbury.

The Maryland General Assembly authorized the $500,000 grant as provided in House Bill 151, which allots funds for planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, site improvements and more at the Arthur W. Perdue stadium. The grant does not require a matching component from the county.

In a legislative session of the Wicomico County Council Wednesday, Delmarva Shorebirds General Manager Chris Bitters and Steve Miller, director of the county’s recreation, parks and tourism department, met with the council to discuss the grant.

“Were looking to accept funding in the amount of $500,000 from the state of Maryland,” Bitters said.

The Capital Projects Grant Award was given by the Maryland Board of Public Works and is administered by the Maryland Department of General Services. Money from the grant will be directed to the facility for ongoing modernization projects. Just this season, officials unveiled several new upgrades at the stadium, including a new electronic video board and seating.

Bitters said the grant is one in a series of installments to Wicomico County to complete necessary improvements at the facility.

“This is just to continue the improvements we started in phase two and moving on to phase three,” he said, adding that the county expects one more installment in the next fiscal year.

Councilman Marc Kilmer asked Bitters how much the county could expect from the state.

“How much is the state supposed to give us and how much have they given us?” he asked.

Bitters replied that the state provided more than $2 million toward the stadium.

“Heading into this year we were $980,000 short,” he said. “We requested the full amount, but we got $500,000, so our hope and expectation is that next year would complete that amount.”

The council voted 7-0 to accept the $500,000 grant for improvements at the stadium.

About The Author: Bethany Hooper

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Bethany Hooper has been with The Dispatch since 2016. She currently covers various general stories. Hooper graduated from Stephen Decatur High School in 2012 and the University of Maryland in 2016, where she completed double majors in journalism and economics.