10-24-12: A Home for the Hagerstown Suns

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Work could start as early as next summer on a multi-use sports and events center in downtown Hagerstown-a new home for the Hagerstown Suns.

Baseball has been in Hagerstown since 1915, and Municipal Stadium has served as the city's main location for minor league baseball since 1930. The stadium's field and amenities are now regarded as below modern standards.

While the Suns are a Washington Nationals affiliate, that affiliation is up as of this year. In the spring of 2012, the Suns' ownership considered moving the team to Winchester, Virginia. The plan submitted to the Winchester City Council suggested a multi-use stadium should be constructed to house the team, but the City Council rejected that proposal.

Talk to relocate the team has resurfaced yet again. The Hagerstown Suns could move from their current location on the east end of Hagerstown to a downtown Hagerstown facility. A new $37 million multi-use sports and events center has been proposed, and city officials say the project could be an economic driver for the struggling downtown district.

To discuss the numerous variables in the project, Sheilah is joined by Tom Riford, President and CEO of the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Kristin Aleshire, Myserville Maryland Town Manager and Hagerstown City Council candidate.