Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sports Tourism topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Maryland Sports Commission pitches sports tourism study; commissioners agree to develop RFP for feasibility work
Summary
The Maryland Sports Commission outlined potential sports-tourism benefits and offered program support; commissioners asked staff to develop an RFP to seek feasibility study bids using $75,000 previously approved but not spent.
Terry Hasseltine, executive director of the Maryland Sports Commission, presented to Queen Anne's County commissioners on Feb. 25 about sports tourism as an economic-development strategy and outlined technical assistance, grant programs and a pro forma for a sports-complex feasibility analysis.
Hasseltine said Maryland’s sports-commission youth-and-amateur grant program provided about $1.5 million in grants in 2024 and that program activity generated roughly $175 million in direct spending — a return he characterized as about 1:16 for the events supported. He described “team Maryland” as a statewide initiative in which counties cooperate to bid for events and attract overnight visitors.
Hasseltine emphasized that a sports tourism facility can increase lodging, restaurant and retail demand, and said a well-sited complex could create significant local economic activity over a multi-year period. He presented a pro forma based on consolidated data from similar facilities and said the next step for the county would be a focused feasibility study and site analysis.
Commission action and next steps: Commissioners discussed prior budget authority ($75,000 previously approved but not yet spent for feasibility work) and asked staff to prepare an RFP/RFQ to solicit feasibility-study bids. County staff and the Maryland Sports Commission offered to help draft the RFP and identify qualified private consultants. Commissioners described the next step as returning to the board with pricing and a recommended vendor for formal approval.
Why it matters: The county faces choices about whether to pursue a sports-specific facility (and, if so, where and how to provide infrastructure such as water, sewer and access). A feasibility study is intended to test demand, infrastructure needs, financing options and likely economic impact before any construction or public investment is considered.
Quote: “We can figure out whether that’s bringing in a private consulting group to assess and evaluate … or a strategy that makes sense that we need to go to the legislature,” Hasseltine said, adding that the sports commission can help the county design an RFP and review bids.
