Maryland Stadium Authority unveils preliminary design for Saint Mary's sports complex; commissioners flag cost, wetlands and traffic concerns

Malayika Damon, the Maryland Stadium Authority project manager, presented the authority’s preliminary design report for a proposed Saint Mary’s County Sports Complex, saying the study shows the county has a 267‑acre site that “could accommodate this entire sports complex.” The design includes tournament‑caliber outdoor facilities and a large indoor sports building with phased construction intended to begin generating revenue in early phases.

Damon described the three‑phase approach and cost estimates: “the 1st phase would be about 56 and a half million dollars,” Phase 2 about $26,000,000, and Phase 3 — which includes the bridge, the indoor sports building and main parking — about $254 and a half million dollars; she said an unfazed (single‑phase) build would total “about $329,000,000.” Eric Einhorn, the design principal with Ballparkitecture, outlined programmatic elements, saying the plan proposes “8 multipurpose, tournament caliber athletic fields” and eight diamond fields, with portions of fields and courts using artificial turf and seating at key stadiums.

MSA emphasized proposed amenities to support tournaments and visitation: indoor courts that can convert into volleyball or up to 30 pickleball courts, approximately 1,588 recommended parking spaces, dispersed cluster parking to reduce heat load, walking and biking trails, concession and pavilion alternates, an RV park in later phases and an orientation that highlights Johnson Pond. The team also provided concept renderings showing sunken “feature” fields and grandstand access that would allow locker room integration for multi‑sport use.

Commissioners pressed the team repeatedly on cost drivers and site constraints. The presentation flagged that roughly 35% of the site contains wetlands and streams and that “the price is heavily increased because of the site clearing and things that needs to be done.” Commissioners raised traffic impacts at the MD 4 and Indian Bridge Road intersection and questioned whether the recommended 1,588 parking spaces could be delivered without additional disturbance to environmentally sensitive areas. A commissioner summed up the concern: the proposal is “beautiful … but a very expensive proposal.”

On funding and next steps, Damon said MSA provides studies and tools but does not itself provide construction funding; the authority “is allowed to issue bonds” and localities frequently use MSA studies to pursue state or private funding. Commissioners noted past state investments in comparable projects and that state bond mechanisms have been used for stadium and corridor projects; the MSA team advised that the county would need a funding plan that could include public and private partners, an operating strategy and additional environmental and geotechnical studies before design would proceed.

What happens next: MSA said this phase of its work is complete unless the county requests further service; commissioners signaled they want more local deliberation, possible work sessions with the project team, and conversations with the state delegation before any funding decision. No formal commitment to proceed was made during the meeting.