OCEAN CITY – Recommendations to seek state funding and initiate an RFP process highlighted last week’s meeting of the Ocean City Sports Complex Task Force.
Last Thursday, members of the task force reconvened to discuss funding and legislative options for a proposed sports complex in Worcester County. Before going into closed session to discuss property acquisition, the task force agreed to pursue funding options at the state level and to seek proposals from operators to run the facility.
“There’s essentially two costs, the cost to build and the cost to operate,” City Manager Terry McGean said in an interview last week. “We believe based on what we’ve seen, if we get an operator on board early, the operational costs could be done so we break even.”
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.
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.
Government loves wasting taxpayers money!
I swear, Worcester is run by the dumbest bunch of goobers in history. Building something seasonal, and not all residents can take advantage of proves it. The economy is in the shitter, people living check to chec covid is spiking, and these geniuses want a new bark park. Can’t make this shit up.
Berlin buying that chicken processing complex was the worst thing ever a town would do, worst than Snow Hill buying a paddle boat.