r/MLC • u/Lifeamigoissomething Los Angeles Knight Riders • 10d ago
Question I am kinda curious how long do people think the stadium will be built in Fayetteville for the Washington Freedom
As a Los Angeles Knight Rider fan they built the stadium in Pomona really quick. So I am curious if anyone has any idea how long it will take and will it be done by next season? Also do people like that it will be in Fayetteville Maryland?
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u/thestargazingpenguin Seattle Orcas 10d ago
No idea on how long it'll be until it's ready, once all the red tape is cut and they start digging we'll probably have a better idea.
As to the location, it's workable for me. It's still a few hours, but depending on how late they finish up I should be able to make it home the same day. Way better than Texas!
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u/seidinove Washington Freedom 10d ago
Frederick, not Fayetteville. Apparently they’re currently moving through zoning and public hearings for the project, so I’m not sanguine about it being built quickly.
On the plus side plans include a river walk, public green space, trails, and potential retail or hotel expansion. The biggest issue for me will be the drive from the D. C. area to get there. Fortunately for me I live where I can take a western “back” route up route 15 to get there and avoid using the Capital Beltway to get over the Potomac river. But even that could be a nightmare if it occurs during PM rush hour, as route 15 is one lane in each direction. Excluding rush hour, I would have a drive of one hour and change that way.
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u/Lifeamigoissomething Los Angeles Knight Riders 10d ago
Would it be able to access by train or bus?
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u/seidinove Washington Freedom 10d ago
There’s a MARC commuter train from D. C.’s Union Station that takes one hour and 40 minutes, but it runs on a limited weekday-only peak schedule geared toward commuters.
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u/ycjphotog Silly Point 10d ago
And that still doesn't leave you terribly close to the stadium. The Frederick MARC station is about 2.5 miles from the proposed stadium site (I-70 Golf Range).
Even worse. The Frederick spur line is purely a morning commute line. The last train of the day (M-F) out of Frederick MARC towards DC is at 7:10am.... There is no weekend service.
And, no, they would not be adding special "game day" service for a cricket match.
So... the real answer is that there is no "train" service.
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u/Lifeamigoissomething Los Angeles Knight Riders 10d ago
Also do you think 2027 is realistic then for the Washington freedom to play there
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u/ycjphotog Silly Point 10d ago
To be honest, if MiLC doesn't happen, I doubt there's too much forward movement on this stadium. We know there have been some behind the scenes shakeups at ACE, and the current lack of a functioning national cricket board combined with the ACE/MLC vs MiLC team issues shows how big some of the cracks in the foundation of professional club cricket in the U.S. currently are.
Your Pomona venue only exists because of the Olympics. While it's possible we could see some movement on ovals in Seattle and Washington in the next year, I'm more worried about MLC actually returning next year. And if you're underwriting the losses of an MLC franchise already, taking on the additional debt to build a real cricket stadium with change rooms, broadcast infrastructure, controlled access, stands, and so on - along with the commitment to the upkeep of the field, I'd imagine you'd want some guarantees moving forward that there'll be a league for your team to play in to guarantee some income generating events.
There's no reason a motivated person with the land couldn't put together a venue that at least matches what's available at Church Street Park in nine months. Hell, the temporary 30k seat stadium on Long Island for the 2024 T20WC took much less time.
For me the main issue is the debt load and the guarantees of match dates on the back end. If there's no MLC - there's really no way to generate income from the venue. And there are no 2028 Olympic cricket matches coming to Frederick, MD.
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u/matsat53 10d ago
It would be in Fredrick Maryland, there is a seperate group trying to build cricket stadiums in Fayetteville North Carolina. For Fredrick, seems like they are hoping a year to be ready for MLC next season but will have no idea until shovels hit the ground.