With the Potomac Nationals (High A; Carolina League) set to move after the 2019 season, Prince William County, VA could pursue new uses for the Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium site.
The P-Nats are set to play one more season at Pfitzner Stadium before moving to Fredericksburg, VA, where a new ballpark is currently slated to open in 2020. As part of a process that involves considering the future of the Pfitzner Stadium site, Prince William County has received four proposals for the property.
Details in the individual proposals vary, but one pattern that emerges among the four is the idea of converting the county-owned Pfitzner Stadium site–which includes three surrounding softball fields and a BMX track–into a new development anchored by a sports complex. Whether the county chooses any of these proposals remains to be seen, but regardless officials believe that Pfitzner Stadium’s days as a professional baseball facility will end once the P-Nats relocate. More from Inside Nova:
Supervisor Ruth Anderson, R-Occoquan, said she agrees that the county should seek out a professional baseball team and find another location for a stadium.
Anderson, whose district includes the stadium and surrounding property, envisions the property staying focused on sports and recreational activity. She thinks it’s not suitable necessarily for retail and housing development, because there is not enough road access. “From my perspective, I would like to see it remain mostly sports oriented,” she said.
The board is considering the pitches for the Pfitzner site and has not yet made a decision whether to partner with any of the companies, said Jason Grant, the county spokesman.
As far as the requests for sports opportunities at the stadium, Anderson said the responses don’t excite her. She said she does not expect to request more information from the respondents.
Not every proposal calls for demolishing Pfitzner Stadium, so it is possible that the ballpark could remain standing as a draw for tournaments and other events. The county and any prospective developer, however, would have to consider whether it is viable to leave the aging facility as is, or if it is better to pursue an alternate solution such as removing the ballpark completely or retrofitting it to accommodate non-MiLB uses. The P-Nats have played at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium since 1984, when they were known as the Prince William Pirates.
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