Meritus Park
Stadium in Hagerstown, Maryland / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Meritus Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Hagerstown, Maryland. It replaced Hagerstown's old Municipal Stadium which was demolished in 2022.
Address | Hagerstown, Maryland US |
---|---|
Coordinates | 39°38′26″N 77°43′26″W |
Owner | Hagerstown-Washington County Industrial Foundation (CHIEF)[1] |
Operator | Hagerstown-Washington County Industrial Foundation (CHIEF)[1] |
Capacity | 3,500 (Sports) 4,000 (Other events) |
Construction | |
Broke ground | October 18, 2022[2] |
Built | 2022–2024 |
Opened | May 4, 2024[3] |
Construction cost | $69.5 million[4] |
Architect | Pendulum[1] |
Builder | Turner Construction[5] |
Project manager | Maryland Stadium Authority[5] |
Tenants | |
Hagerstown Flying Boxcars (ALPB) 2024 | |
Website | |
Official website |
The facility is being built primarily for the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars, a team in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, but it is also intended to host other sports, outdoor concerts, festivals and community events.[4][6][7]
The Maryland Stadium Authority is overseeing development of the facility. Turner Construction is designing and building it.[5] Upon completion, it will be owned and operated by the Hagerstown-Washington County Industrial Foundation (CHIEF).[1]
The $69.5 million development budget mostly comes from $59.5 million in bonds issued by the stadium authority, which will be paid off with lottery proceeds. The then Maryland governor Larry Hogan budgeted another $8.5 million, and the Maryland General Assembly earmarked $1.5 million in its capital budget.[4]
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 18, 2022.[2] The facility opened on May 4, 2024, at less than full capacity for the first six home games of the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars.[3]
The initial plans had the stadium at a capacity of 5,000. This was lowered to better serve non-sporting events.[8] The stadium will have 2,800 fixed seats and the total capacity will be 3,500 for baseball games and 4,000 for other events.[9][10] The stadium will also have eight private suites, a beer garden, a bar, and a picnic area.[8]
In February 2024, Meritus Health and the Flying Boxcars announced a partnership that included Meritus Health acquiring the naming rights for the stadium to be called Meritus Park.[11][12]