OCEAN CITY – Discussions on the size, scope and location of a sports complex highlighted a resort meeting this week.
On Wednesday, members of the new sports complex task force convened in the first of what will be many meetings to discuss plans for a new facility in Worcester County. As the resort takes the lead on the project, committee members have been tasked with determining the size, scope, location and funding mechanism, among other things.
“We look forward to working with everybody,” Mayor Rick Meehan told the task force this week. “We think together we can build what we think is a very important project for Ocean City and the surrounding areas.”
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 Maryland Stadium Authority (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.
“The Mayor and City Council identified this project as a No. 1 priority in both its strategic plan and its capital improvement plan,” Meehan said. “We believe that this is the next step to expanding tourism. We believe we have the infrastructure in place to support this project and to use this project as a catalyst to further expand sports tourism in this area and to also continue to grow our spring, fall and winter seasons.”
While the county initially took the lead on the project, the Worcester County Commissioners voted last year 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 to take on the project and form a task force to address community concerns relating to the project’s location and scope.
“At this point the county is no longer involved in building and operating a sports complex. It is now an Ocean City project,” Meehan said. “Hopefully this will change, and hopefully as we develop a new comprehensive plan for the project, more of the county will be involved. The door is always open.”
In his comments this week, Meehan said members would be tasked with determining the scope of the project, the size of the property, the types of sports the complex could accommodate, the course of action for pursing funds in the upcoming legislative session and the location. He noted the task force would be similar to a blue ribbon committee the town had created to expand its convention center.
“What we are about to begin is a huge task, and there will be many bridges we need to cross,” he said. “With a well thought out comprehensive plan, I believe we’ll be successful.”
With nearly 30 members at the table this week, the task force kicked off the first meeting with a presentation from MSA and Crossroads. The consulting firm’s site-specific study of the property near Stephen Decatur High School estimates the project to total more than $153 million, not including the cost to purchase the land.
Task force members also heard from Jim Arnold of Sports Facilities Companies, a national firm that specializes in planning, developing and managing sports facilities. He said his company not only ensures facilities are designed to create a unique experience, but that they are fully booked and staffed by the time they open.
“As the facility is being designed and built, we’re designing and building the operations plan,” he said.
Arnold said responses from several sports vendors indicated there was significant demand for a sports complex near Ocean City.
“We have talked to a number of these vendors as part of this process to gauge their interest, and there’s an extreme interest in this location because event operators are looking for a destination and right now there’s a huge hole in this region,” he said.
Tom Perlozzo, Ocean City’s director of tourism and business development, agreed.
“There is so much opportunity that we’ve seen,” he said. “We just don’t have the kind of facility to put those folks in.”
An overwhelming majority of task force members this week agreed that a proposed sports complex should include both indoor and outdoor facilities. Perlozzo, however, noted that officials would need to explore funding mechanisms, including a potential cost share between Ocean City and the state.
“As we move forward, we can fund this,” he said. “We just need to be smart and figure out the best solution.”
Meehan noted that a funding formula was used on three occasions to allow for the expansion of the convention center. He questioned what percentage of the project the state could potentially fund.
MSA’s Gary McGuigan said the state could potentially fund between $111 million and $132 million. However, he recommended that the town first select a site and go before the legislature in the upcoming session to request seed money for design work.
“The other things the legislature looks at is how invested is the local community,” he added. “Is it matched by the city? Where is the council? Is it unanimous support? Where is the delegation?”
During the question-and-answer portion of Wednesday’s meeting, Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall said he wanted task force members to keep his town in mind as they select a site for a sports complex. He said any site selected within the town’s corporate limits, or any site seeking annexation into the town, would not only impact operations but quality of life.
“I want you to keep in mind that the Town of Berlin is a quaint small town and as we embark on these selections, I want us to keep in mind there’s a public component to the work we do and the selection of a potential site from the standpoint of how it impacts the way of life of our people in Berlin,” he said.
Task force member Dr. Leonard Berger argued the town should not pass on the opportunity to build a sports complex. He noted, however, that officials should select a site that would allow for future expansion.
“This is the biggest no-brainer since we had the blue ribbon committee to expand the convention center,” he said.
When asked about the profitability of a sports complex, Crossroads representative Susan Sieger said the proposed facility was projected to operate at a deficit. However, she said the town could explore sponsorships, naming rights and other funding sources.
“There are ways to help mitigate that,” she said.
When asked about the timeline for constructing a sports complex, Perlozzo said it would greatly depend upon site selection, due diligence requirements and funding.
“It may take another year for us to get a shovel in the ground, or longer depending on the funding we have,” he replied.
Ocean City Councilman John Gehrig said he wanted to see the town take immediate steps to capitalize on the sports tourism market. He suggested officials look into repurposing the convention center until a sports complex could be developed.
“It would be a shame if we didn’t do whatever it took to capitalize on the opportunities that are before us, whether that’s working with partners who have facilities already or maybe reprogramming this convention center and optimizing this building,” he said. “Buy whatever flooring and equipment we need to make this our temporary indoor sports complex and maybe move some of these other events that don’t yield the revenue or the ROI.”
After further discussion, the task force entered into a closed session to discuss a number of properties for a sports complex facility and narrow it down to three sites.
“If we can accomplish that today, I think it will put us in a really good position moving forward,” Meehan said.
