The Town of Ocean City will take the next step in acquiring a 193-acre property for the development of a sports complex.
In a 7-0 vote, the Ocean City Council on Tuesday agreed to proceed with an $8.7 million purchase contract for two parcels of land along Route 50, just west of Berlin. The property, owned by Harrison Farms LLC, will be used to develop an indoor-outdoor sports facility, assuming the city receives the necessary approvals and state funding to make the project a reality.
“The site meets all of our traffic concerns, provides ample on-site parking options, and provides accessibility to major routes, major roadways,” Tourism and Business Development Director Tom Perlozzo told the council this week. “The property size allows for potential future expansion, and the site is visible from Route 50, which makes it in close proximity to Ocean City’s existing tourism infrastructure.”
In February, the Town of Ocean City announced it would explore other locations for a sports complex following backlash from nearby residents regarding a proposal to build the facility on a 95-acre property next to Stephen Decatur High School, also owned by the Harrison family. The city had offered to pay $8 million for the site, but resident concerns over traffic, impacts on emergency services and other issues prompted officials to look elsewhere.
The newly identified property is
located approximately three miles west of the site previously considered near Stephen Decatur High School, Perlozzo reported this week, and
offers nearly twice the acreage for about $700,000 more. In his presentation to the City Council, he asked for its support to move forward with an ordinance, allowing the acquisition.
“So, using the recent appraisal, we are recommending to purchase the property at $8.7 million,” he said. “Of course, with any contract, we have some contingencies that would allow us to cancel the contract, pending the necessary state funding or any regulatory matters that are not satisfied. We will pay the seller a deposit that will be retained by the seller provided that they clear title of the contracted parcels and a necessary ordinance to purchase the property is passed by you all.”