Maryland Stadium Authority
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The Maryland Stadium Authority, MSA, was created in 1986 by an act of the Maryland General Assembly. The initial mission of the public corporation of the state of Maryland was to return the National Football League (NFL) to Baltimore. Maryland sought a new football team after former Baltimore Colts owner, Robert Irsay, moved the Colts out of the city in the middle of a snowy night on March 29, 1984.
Since its creation, the MSA broadened its goals and responsibilities. Soon after its incorporation, it sought to negotiate a long-term lease with the Baltimore Orioles, its last remaining professional sports team (Baltimore also lost the Bullets to Washington in the early 1970's).
The MSA also has the authority to issue tax-exempt bonds and has been charged with seeking sites for new stadiums within the state, in addition to acquiring the necessary land, constructing the stadiums, and operating the facilities. There are seven members of the Authority, six of whom are appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the state senate. The final member is appointed by the Mayor of Baltimore, also subject to state senate approval.
In 1992, under the auspices of the MSA, Orioles Park At Camden Yards was opened. The MSA continued to work toward acquiring a new NFL team. The city was courted by the owners of teams such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New Orleans Saints, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Los Angeles Rams, only to be repeatedly disappointed. Baltimore thought it had its best shot in the 1993 NFL Expansion, but the league decided to put teams in Charlotte, NC and Jacksonville, FL, smaller cities in the south. The city finally acquired a new team in 1995 under the leadership of John Moag, Chairman of the Maryland Stadium Auhthority at the time.
Ironically, the other three remaining areas seeking an NFL team, St. Louis, Baltimore, and Tennessee all acquired teams through relocations. The Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis, the Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore, and the Houston Oilers temporarily relocated to Memphis, TN before moving to their new stadium in Nashville. As bitter-sweat revenge, all three teams that relocated made it to the Super Bowl soon after they moved, St. Louis and Tennessee in 2000 and Baltimore in 2001.
Since its incorporation, its main goals were achieved. However, no government agency ever seems to dissolve itself. Since then, some other projects that the MSA has been tasked to handle are:
- Orioles Park At Camden Yards
- Baltimore Convention Center expansion
- Hippodrome Theatre renovation
- M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens
- Memorial Stadium, former home of the Baltimore Orioles
- Ocean City Convention Center
- Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, MD
- University of Maryland parking garage
- Comcast Center, basketball arena for the Maryland Terrapins
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