OCEAN CITY – Officials in Ocean City will soon discuss next steps related to the development of a proposed sports complex.
On May 30, the Mayor and Council will revisit a discussion on the proposed sports complex being eyed for Worcester County. Following a meeting with the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) late last month, city officials agreed to continue talks at an upcoming work session.
“As far as the sports complex goes, we have had the briefing from the Stadium Authority, and really in my mind that leaves three basic questions the council needs to consider,” City Manager Terry McGean said in an interview this week. “One, the county is clearly not interested in the sports complex. Is the city interested in taking the lead? If so, are we looking to do an indoor complex, an outdoor complex or both? Finally, are we looking at the same property or are we looking at another potential site?”
For years, resort council members have expressed their desires to develop a sports complex somewhere near Ocean City and tap into the growing youth sports market. And in 2019, the town commissioned the MSA to conduct a market and economic analysis for a proposed sports complex in the Ocean City area.
After the pandemic hit, however, MSA officials were tasked with revising its study – which relied heavily on pre-COVID assumptions – and producing a site-specific assessment of the Route 50 property in Berlin.
Last year, the Worcester County Commissioners voted 4-3 to move forward with plans to purchase 95 acres next to Stephen Decatur High School for the development of a sports complex. After a new slate of representatives took office in November, however, the commissioners voted 4-2 to terminate the contract.
On April 27, the Mayor and Council hosted the MSA at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center to review the market and economic analysis update for a proposed sports complex next to Stephen Decatur.
Prepared by Crossroads Consulting, the study included updated market research, as well as the potential fiscal activity associated with an outdoor complex and indoor fieldhouse.
“Generally, the site was considered adequate to excellent based on these different factors, which are the physical site, vehicle and pedestrian access and potential design issues,” Susan Sieger, president and CEO of Crossroads Consulting, told attendees. “The only areas it really ranked poor were really pedestrian access from surrounding districts.”
Sieger also highlighted estimated annual gross economic impacts. The study projected between $63 million and $75 million in direct spending, between $1.8 million and $2.2 million in local tax revenues, and between 900 and 1,060 total jobs.
“It’s important to understand that this is full-time, part-time, this is one person can have multiple jobs,” she said at the time. “And this is obviously not people working at the complex. This is jobs that are created because of the spending directly attributable to that complex.”
Following April’s presentation, state and local elected leaders were given an opportunity to comment on the updated study. But after concerns were raised about the proposed location, officials pitched the idea for a task force.
McGean said that recommendation would also be discussed at the council’s May 30 work session. He said a work group could determine the size and placement of the proposed sports complex.
“If the council does want to pursue a sports complex, probably the recommendation is going to be to create a task force to answer the other two questions,” he said.
