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Hagerstown Fieldhouse reports strong early use, 62,000 visits in first two months; turf issues to be fixed
Summary
Operators and city staff said the Fieldhouse opened Feb. 1 and recorded heavy weekend events, leagues and near-term bookings; staff reported turf ripples that the contractor has committed to fix within 30 days.
Operators of the Hagerstown Fieldhouse told the mayor and council on April 15 that the facility has seen steady early use since opening Feb. 1, with tournaments, leagues, memberships and rental activity generating both local recreation and out-of-area visitors.
John Wack, president of Eastern Sports Management, and Julie Redding, the Fieldhouse general manager, said the facility held multiple weekend events in its first 66 days: two volleyball tournaments, four basketball tournaments, three gymnastics meets and a jiu-jitsu event. Wack said the first season field and court leagues included 57 youth teams and 48 adult teams, for a total of about 1,265 players.
Wack said the Fieldhouse recorded about 148 fitness memberships, roughly 1,000 drop-in visits and, by his count, about 62,000 people through the building in the first two months. "Twenty percent of them are from more than 30 miles away," he said, adding that Placer AI tracking showed roughly 55% of visitors went on to shop or eat locally after visiting the facility.
Why it matters
City and operator officials said the Fieldhouse is meeting local recreation goals and producing regional visitation that can generate hotel and retail spending. Staff also presented construction and financial wrap-ups: the project closed with an overall cost of $26,301,000, about $232,000 (less than 1%) above the original estimate.
Turf and operational details
City staff acknowledged one construction-related problem: rippling in the artificial turf on the field side. Wack said the turf contractor has inspected the site, will involve the manufacturer, and committed to resolving the issues within 30 days. Staff asked residents and regular users to report problems; operators said they would provide more detailed operational metrics to the council on a regular basis.
Financial and oversight notes
City staff called the Fieldhouse one of the largest single-dollar projects they have managed and praised the general contractor, Waynesboro Construction, for overall project delivery. Staff said final invoices remain and that a final budget reconciliation and any minor funding adjustments will be brought to council in May.
No formal council action was required at the work session. Operators said they plan to expand programming (flag football, pickleball, social sports, camps, and additional tournaments) and to refine parking and signage to handle overflow on large event days.
