Stadium Design Changes in Bid To Control Cost

Plans for Southern Maryland's first baseball stadium, announced with much fanfare last year, are changing as architects and contractors redesign the ballpark to keep construction costs within budget, officials said this week.

Original plans for the stadium, slated to be built on the southern edge of Waldorf, called for a second floor behind home plate with 16 luxury skyboxes, large reception rooms and a kitchen. But preliminary plans presented Tuesday to Charles County commissioners called for removing that second level, which would eliminate the need for an elevator.

Under the new plans, eight luxury boxes would be on the concourse ground level and eight more boxes on top of them. The reception rooms and kitchen would be moved to a picnic area near third base. Other proposed changes include using less expensive construction materials.

The 4,500-seat ballpark, to be called Regency Furniture Stadium, would be home to the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs minor league baseball team, the first professional sports team in the fast-growing tri-county area.

When the stadium was proposed, team owner Maryland Baseball LLC, the county and the state agreed to split the construction costs equally, with each paying one-third of the estimated $21 million total. Since then, construction costs -- largely the cost of materials such as concrete and steel -- have skyrocketed in the Washington region, officials said.

At a news conference Tuesday, Charles commissioners would not say the maximum they would be willing to pay for a stadium. They said they still support the project and would consider building the ballpark even if there are cost overruns.

"I think if it became too expensive, we would probably crush the idea," said Commissioners President Wayne Cooper (D-At Large). He would not set a limit to define "too expensive."

Commissioner Gary V. Hodge (D-St. Charles), who was involved in the stadium project as a private consultant before being elected last fall, said the redesigned features would not harm the ballpark's appearance.

"The changes, of course, were designed to reduce the bottom line," Hodge said. "They don't in any way, I feel, reduce the aesthetics of the structure."

Last summer, the county received two initial construction bids, which were as much as $7 million over budget. Since then, the county has contracted with a private consultant for a value-engineering study to identify ways to cut costs.

Cooper said he expects the county will receive updated construction bids reflecting the proposed changes within the next month.

Melvin C. Beall Jr., the county's acting planning and growth management director, has taken the lead on the stadium project and briefed commissioners Tuesday. He said the county is committed to cutting construction costs.

"All efforts are to try to minimize the costs for the stadium," Beall said.

On Tuesday, the commissioners unanimously approved spending an additional $182,500 for an architectural redesign that would incorporate the proposed changes.

The ballpark was originally scheduled to open this spring so the Blue Crabs could begin play in the 2007 season. But team officials said in December that the team would not begin until the 2008 season because of stadium construction delays.

Several luxury boxes have been sold to corporations at an annual price of $25,000 each, with a 10-year commitment. Hodge said the architectural redesign would give these corporations the option to have a box on either the ground level or the upper level.

"It actually provides more options for people who buy skyboxes," Hodge said.