Dignitaries and team owners were on hand for the groundbreaking of the new downtown Hagerstown ballpark for an Atlantic League team, with the multiuser venue scheduled for a 2024 opening.
The construction of the new ballpark is being spearheaded by the Maryland Stadium Authority, which has put together several land parcels, including a county building and the former home of the local newspaper. The $70-million ballpark has been pitched as a multiuse facility, hosting plenty of community events (concerts, weddings, graduations) in addition to MLB Partner League Atlantic League ball. The MSA is authorized to issue up to $59.5 million in bonds to finance the acquisition, design, construction and related expenses for the facility. Additionally, Gov. Larry Hogan’s supplemental budget provided $8.5 million dollars towards this effort, while the General Assembly designated another $1.5 million in the 2023 Capital Budget for the project.
“This is a project that had been talked about around here, on and off, for decades, but had never gotten off the ground. It truly is Hagerstown’s very own ‘Field of Dreams,’” Hogan said in a speech commemorating the groundbreaking. “When I became governor, I pledged that Western Maryland—and all of rural Maryland—would no longer be forgotten or ignored, and that we would work together at all levels of government to revitalize this incredibly historic city of Hagerstown, and that is exactly what we have done.”
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