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Ehrlich Holds Back Bill to Finance Md. Horse Park
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Supporters say the project would inject millions into the local economy and bolster the state's struggling $1.6 billion horse industry, while preserving open space.
The park would include riding and walking trails, an amphitheater, hundreds of stalls, and show rings for jumping and dressage competitions.
Some supporters worried that the governor's decision could cause the project to lose momentum or revert to another location.
"I think it basically means it's dead," said Annapolis Mayor Ellen O. Moyer (D), a horse enthusiast who proposed and has been the primary backer of the Gambrills site, though it lies outside her jurisdiction.
But J. Robert Burk, executive director of the Maryland Horse Industry Board, said, "As far as I understand, the project is still a go."
Construction was not scheduled to begin until 2007 anyway, he said, giving the stadium authority time to come back to the General Assembly for financing next year.
At a meeting of the Maryland Horse Council on Thursday night, Burk said the facility could generate as much as $200 million a year in economic activity, and, through auctions, horse shows and other events, eventually pay for itself. The project received more support last month when Fasig-Tipton Co. Inc., a national thoroughbred auction company based in Kentucky, said that it is considering relocating its current facilities in Timonium, Md., and that the park could offer an ideal location.
Owens said the company's interest "certainly makes a difference," but costs to the county remain a concern.
