Before Hagerstown’s new baseball stadium opened in May, the economic impact on the city was already apparent—investment in the downtown area was booming before construction even began.
Vacant buildings were repurposed, exterior facades were painted and improved, and a new parking garage was built in anticipation of Meritus Park . Residential demand started growing and the city even gained a new outdoor escalator for pedestrians.
The city had been in dire need of a new sports complex for years; after losing its baseball franchise, they knew downtown would be the perfect location for a stadium to reinvigorate the region.
“We saw other communities with new ballparks located downtown and the enormous economic impact they had, and how that revitalized the city core,” said Dan Spedden, president of the Hagerstown/Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).
With CVB leading the efforts for the multi-purpose stadium since 2012, and Hagerstown’s Department of Community & Economic Development conducting feasibility studies, the project eventually landed on its feet with construction beginning in 2022.
