The City of Frederick’s seven member council voted five to one, with one absent, in favor of rezoning approximately 24 acres for a 10,000 person cricket stadium, last week.

Known as the Gateway Property, the plot of land is located on the eastern border of the city, between route 144 and I-70. What is currently a golf driving range could soon become one of the only professional and international-grade cricket stadia on the east coast.

The stadium is expected to become the home of the Washington Freedom (WF) Professional Cricket Team. According to their own website, WF is the first professional cricket team from Washington D.C. and won the 2024 Major League Cricket championship.

The stadium is projected to have an on-season from April through October, with the option under consideration to allow other sports to use the space. During the stadium’s off-season, the developer is open to holding festivals, music performances, artisan markets and graduation ceremonies.

Nearly $2 million in annual tax revenue could be generated by the stadium according to officials, which is expected to draw in approximately 100,000 visitors. This, in turn, is expected to drive foot traffic deeper into downtown Frederick.

Residents came out in force to support the project, but others worried the planned 500 parking spaces would not be enough to meet demand. A bus service is planned, to shuttle attendees to and from surrounding communities. But even then concerns were raised over how so much new pavement would impact the local flood plain.

A proposed rezoning map of the cricket stadium and surrounding land.

Local Support

Abi Prakash, a professional cricket player, spoke before the city council, joined by his 16-year-old son, Akrit Naidu, and his 12-year-old daughter, Aarna Naidu. As a father, the stadium meant his children could have a tangible goal, knowing one day, they too could play before 10,000 onlookers. “That is a dream come true for me, and also the players in the community as well, and for cricket as a sport in the county today,” Parkash said. “This’ll be an opportunity for me to bring all my friends from other communities, to enjoy a glass of beer and a game of cricket in the evenings.”

For Akrit, cricket is as much a part of his culture as the Sunday American football game is for anyone else. To have a local stadium would mean more weekends with his father and fewer hours driving between practice and home. Many families shared the same sentiment, seeing the stadium as a place to build their community around.

Aarna spoke to the problems that come from playing on fields that were never designed for cricket in the first place. Other families raised similar concerns, pointing to the numerous fields for various sports across the county. “When I think about [a] cricket park, I see kids practicing after school, parents cheering from the sidelines,” Aarna said. “It would give young people a place to stay active, build confidence and build lasting memories.“

Long Term Concerns

Laura Gibbs lives along East Patrick Street, in a home near to the border of the proposed stadium. She is concerned the city might be biting off more than they can chew by putting such a large venue in what she described as a highly congested area for traffic.

Allen Schaefer expounded on these concerns, doubting the planned shuttle buses would be enough to ferry the estimated 10,000-25,000 guests to and from the stadium. With a planned hotel and convention center and various housing projects within the city, Schaefer is not convinced Frederick can handle the load.

Adding to the list, Gibbs pointed out the project was being partially built on a recognized flood plain. She questioned why rezoning was even being considered when the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) had not even issued its permits yet.

Drafts of parking and bus location across Frederick and surrounding communities.

Bruce Dean, attorney at McCurdy, Dean & Graditor, LLC. spoke on behalf of the project’s applicant. He explained that the bussing system is a “tried and true” method used internationally to ensure traffic remains dispersed in the surrounding areas. He also clarified the project would keep as much unpaved green land as possible.

In addition, legal documents submitted by the developer argue the project is ideally placed for any increased traffic to be absorbed by local arterial roadways, like route 144, also known as Old National Pike.

Dean also assured that if the MDE ultimately did not approve the project’s permits, the entire plan would die. He clarified that by approving the rezoning, the city was not doing anything it could not stop.