New baseball stadium could be in offing for Prince William County

For years Art Silber has been saying Prince William County needs a new baseball stadium. Now, the county, Potomac Nationals, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and PTC Roadside Development LLC, say they have agreed to a framework for a public/private partnership that would bring a state-of-the-art minor league baseball stadium to Prince William County near Interstate 95 and US 1.

The stadium seating 6000 to 7000, is seen as a replacement for Pfitzner Stadium located behind the county government complex off Prince William Parkway in Woodbridge, would serve the Potomac Nationals, a Carolina League team. As part of this partnership the County would also receive a commuter parking garage and additional office and residential opportunities, according to a July 17 announcement.

Carolina League baseball at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge (Photo by E. Bruce Davis / Observer staff)

The stadium would be located at Potomac Town Center and would offer year-round events to both residents and tourists alike while offering fans the opportunity to see a championship level minor league team that is an affiliate of the Washington Nationals. When completed, the project would bring more than $200 million in private sector investment and $15 million in investment from the Commonwealth, a news release said.

Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, was quoted as saying, “We have worked diligently with the folks in Richmond and with the private sector to bring this opportunity to Prince William County. The Potomac Nationals and Roadside Development are important corporate citizens and we are happy to see their continued commitment to our community.”

County officials, Roadside principals, and the Potomac Nationals staff still need to come to a final agreement on the details of terms to move this forward to the next stage, which is to have a proposed project vetted by the citizens of Prince William County, Stewart said.

The Potomac Nationals have been located in Prince William County since 1984. Art Silber, the owner of the Potomac Nationals plans to fund construction of the new stadium, announcing his intent to invest over $25 million.  Silber was quoted as saying, “This new, state-of-the art stadium on the I-95 corridor will offer our players and fans a great venue for professional baseball.”

The new commuter garage would be built using state transportation funds, land dedicated to public use and constructed by the Prince William County Transportation Department. The garage would offer commuter parking to Prince William residents who use the transit serving the garage or carpool using HOV or Express Lanes.

“The Governor is committed to partnering with communities to bring economic development opportunities and transportation solutions to the people of the Commonwealth”Sean Connaughton, Virginia Secretary of Transportation, was quoted as saying.The $15 million agreement would be for 1,000 covered parking spaces. Without this partnership, it would cost almost double in public funds to construct a similar lot, Connaughton said.

Potomac Nationals’ mascot Uncle Slam rallies the crowd at a recent game (Photo by E. Bruce Davis / Observer staff)

He also noted that the covered parking for 1000 “represents the fulfillment of the Governor’s commitment to build additional commuter parking as part of the Hot Lanes project, and even more importantly, it showcases both Prince William and Virginia as the place to do business.”

Roadside Development plans to build on the success of its town center project with additional office space and the associated residential units. The proposal, subject to public hearing, would include 125,000 square feet of space, “which is expected to provide new jobs particularly for medical and other industries, and 300 homes to support the retail and office uses in the Center. “ Roadside would invest in excess of $30 million and plans “to assist in funding the infrastructure necessary for the partnership,” according to Todd Weiss, a partner with Roadside Development.

Over the next 90 days, the public-private partners will continue working through the feasibility phase of the proposal, the news release concluded.