OCEAN CITY – Members of a new resort committee will soon begin exploring the development of a sports complex near Ocean City.
In a work session Tuesday, Mayor Rick Meehan presented the council with his recommended list of members to serve on a new sports complex committee. He told officials this week the group will be tasked with making recommendations regarding the size, scope, location and funding of a proposed sports complex.
“The goal is to be successful, and to be successful you need this as a first step,” he said. “And it’s time for Ocean City to take the first step.”
In May, resort officials agreed to take the lead on a proposed sports complex project and to form a task force to evaluate its scope, location and funding sources. The decision came after city officials and area representatives met with the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) to review an updated sports complex study.
“I do think we should take the lead here and form this committee or task force,” Councilman John Gehrig said at the time. “I do think other locations should be on the table, we should be open minded. I think, while we respect what the county commissioners decided to do, I like them to also know they are invited to participate, as well as other elected officials and representatives throughout the county, and make this a true team effort.”
For years, resort council members have expressed their desires to develop a sports complex somewhere near Ocean City. And in 2019, the town commissioned the MSA and its consultant, Crossroads, to conduct a market and economic analysis for a proposed sports complex in the Ocean City area. When the pandemic hit, however, MSA officials were tasked with revising the study and producing a site-specific assessment of a 95-acre site next to Stephen Decatur High School.
“This project has been discussed for a long time …,” Meehan said this week. “Everything we’ve heard from MSA and Crossroads indicates this would be a positive economic impact for the area and would provide recreational opportunities not currently available.”
Following the November election, the majority of the Worcester County Commissioners agreed to terminate its contract for the purchase of the property and to end any county involvement in the development of a complex. Since that time, resort officials have agreed the formation of a task force could address community concerns relating to the project’s location and scope.
“The council indicated it was time for the city to take the lead …,” Meehan said. “The goal of the task force is to address these issues and make recommendations to the mayor and council.”
Meehan told the council this week his list of members included himself, Councilmembers Matt James, Carol Proctor and John Gehrig, Worcester County Commissioners Diana Purnell and Joe Mitrecic, Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall and Councilmembers Steve Green and Shaneka Nichols, Ocean Pines Association President Doug Parks, and several other residents, business owners and members of Ocean City staff.
“I look at this to be similar to the blue-ribbon committee we put together to discuss the expansion of the convention center, where that committee was successful in bringing forward recommendations and getting the public to support those recommendations …,” he said. “This will just be the beginning and will be followed up with community outreach and legislative requests.”
For his part, Gehrig questioned if the committee meetings would be open to the public.
“The meetings would be open unless we are talking about land acquisition,” McGean replied. “Then we would close them.”
Gehrig said he wanted the committee to offer opportunities for the public to comment and be involved.
With no further discussion, the council voted unanimously to appoint the members of the new sports complex committee.
