Youth Sports Fieldhouse

Project Description

Youth sports is a core component of the County’s sports and entertainment initiative. Informed by M-NCPPC’s 2018 Morgan Boulevard and Vicinity Study, the County proposes to build a 16-court basketball/volleyball indoor fieldhouse along the Blue Line Corridor. According to the study, “indoor sports courts (for basketball and volleyball) have the greatest market potential. A facility, built to international competition standards, that provides 12 to 16 multipurpose courts with ancillary amenities is the minimum viable size for major tournament destinations.” Investment in such a facility will help the County in its efforts to become the “youth sports capital of the nation.”

Project Updates

  • The proposed site is the vacant, County-owned land behind/around 9400 Peppercorn Place in Largo.

  • A market and economic impact study for the project has begun, led by the Maryland Stadium Authority.

  • A request for proposal (RFP) for a team to perform preliminary design services has been released, with submissions due by October 4. Businesses can respond to the RFP at: https://mdstad.com

Market Demand for Youth Sports Facilities, M-NCPPC’s 2018 Morgan Boulevard and Vicinity Study, illustrates the strength of the youth sports industry and local demand for youth sports facilities.

  • Given the strength of the local/regional market and the lack of adequate facilities for destination indoor court sports tournaments, it is likely that other entities will develop facilities to meet market demand in the near future. As our research has shown, both the public and private sectors are currently planning new facilities in the Maryland/Northern Virginia area.

  • The BLC area is an attractive location within the County for a sports complex, because of its Beltway access and proximity to Washington, DC, Virginia, and other parts of Maryland. Additionally, the proximity to the new medical center may create new opportunities for mutually beneficial sports medicine collaborations.

  • Existing and potential land uses in the Blue Line Corridor, such as FedEx Field, the Sports & Learning Center, and commercial development, could complement new sports-related development and private investment. This development would lead to job creation onsite (management, marketing, finance, maintenance, food and beverage, and others) and through any complementary development (such as hotel, restaurant, and entertainment facility staff).

This is one of five signature projects supported by $400 million in bonding authority that County Executive Alsobrooks and the Prince George’s State Delegation secured from the Maryland Stadium Authority in 2022, the first time in history that the County has worked with the Maryland Stadium Authority on a project.