Regency Furniture Stadium
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| Regency Furniture Stadium | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | 11765 St. Linus Drive Waldorf, Maryland 20602 |
| Broke ground | 2006 |
| Opened | 2008 |
| Owner | Charles County, Maryland |
| Operator | Opening Day Partners; Southern Maryland Blue Crabs |
| Construction cost | $25.6 million |
| Architect | Tetra Tech, Inc. |
| Tenants | Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (ALPB) (2008-present) |
| Capacity | 4,200 |
| Field dimensions | Left Field:
Left Center: Center Field: Right Center: Right Field: Wall: |
Regency Furniture Stadium is a 4,200-seat baseball-only stadium in Waldorf, Maryland, that opened in 2008. It is the home of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs baseball team. With the groundbreaking for Southern Maryland's new stadium, a local company, Regency Furniture, purchased the naming rights for $2.88 million over 10 years.[1]
Regency Furniture Stadium is capped by sloping red roofs designed to pay homage to the Southern Maryland region's tobacco barns.[2]
[edit] History
In 1985, Charles County initiated plans to build a ballpark for the relocated Kinston Indians of the Carolina League. Construction workers even cleared trees to prepare the site, however, the ballpark planning eventually fell through. After county commissioners balked on the construction, $500,000 in public funds were paid to cancel signed contracts and undo the progress made during site preparation. The A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians remained in Kinston, and the Southern Maryland region was without a professional baseball team for another 23 years.[3]
In 2004, a company called Maryland Baseball LLC renewed interest for a Charles County ballpark. The stadium was originally slated to be built in the town of Hughesville, but the residents voted against it in order to maintain the "rural charm" of the area.[4] After Hughesville residents denied the ballpark, all interest shifted to Waldorf, a bedroom community of Washington, D.C.[5] The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball formally announced an expansion team for Waldorf on February 15, 2006, to begin play in the 2008 season.[6] The Blue Crabs were originally supposed to be an expansion team for the 2007 season, but the construction bids for Regency Furniture Stadium came in over budget. The ballpark instead opened in 2008.[7]
In May 2007, commissioners from Charles County approved a $19 million bid for the construction of Regency Furniture Stadium, completed in time for the 2008 Atlantic League season.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ Regency Furniture Purchases Naming Rights. Southern Maryland Professional Baseball. Retrieved on May 16, 2006.
- ^ Blue Crabs will play in 2008. Washington Post. Retrieved on December 14, 2006.
- ^ Charles scores one for the home team. Washington Post. Retrieved on May 2, 2008.
- ^ Baseball is Coming to Charles County. Washington Post. Retrieved on February 4, 2008.
- ^ Minor league baseball coming to Charles County. Washington Post. Retrieved on June 5, 2006.
- ^ Atlantic League awards team to Southern Maryland. Southern Maryland Baseball. Retrieved on June 5, 2006.
- ^ [2008.http://www.ydr.com/yorkbaseball/ci_4050605 Bids for Regency Furniture Stadium over budget]. York Daily Record. Retrieved on July 14, 2006.
- ^ RFS funding approved. Delmarva Now. Retrieved on May 25, 2007.
[edit] External links
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