President Timothy Trainor met with Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner on Feb. 25 to announce the sale of 152 acres of land adjacent to the PNC Sports Complex for the first regional park in northern Frederick County.
The land will be used for turf sports fields, courts for basketball, tennis, volleyball and pickleball. The area will also feature walking trails and a dog park. These new spaces will bring more opportunities for athletes and students who are looking for employment.
“I think this is wonderful for both the Mount and our neighbors. As the largest private employer in northern Frederick County, we are committed to advancing the economic and social development of this area,” said Trainor.
The county plans to invest millions of dollars in outdoor recreational space including artificial and natural turf athletics fields that Mount teams will be able to use for practice space. The Mount could use this land due to the increase of 24 NCAA Division 1 athletic teams and other competitive club sports. All Mount community members will have access and the opportunity to use this land.
Cheer Captain Rachel Wheeler (C’22) stated, “From the perspective of a cheerleader, it is hard to get practice times competing with all other athletic teams so I hope the additional space will make it easier to find time to reserve practices.”
As the Mount begins to plan for this space and the groundbreaking date which has not been set, Director of Campus Recreation, Denise Ditch, has been asked to serve on some type of committee to discuss the possibilities for the Mount. “I can only say that with the addition of this park, there will be great increase in the recreational opportunities for our students, staff and surrounding communities. I see it as nothing but a win for the university,” she remarked.
Trainor has a future vision for this park as it will be a great addition to the Mount in increasing use for space and to bring people and opportunities to the region for both the Mount and neighboring towns.
“I see the Mount with our athletic facilities and the adjacent county park becoming a hub for youth sports in this region attracting people from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C. and Virginia for summer sports camps and youth athletic tournaments,” Trainor added.
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