County Commissions Third Party to Study Impact of Troy Park

At the request of County Executive Ken Ulman, the Maryland Stadium Authority will get the ball rolling for a tennis and multipurpose park in Elkridge. 

“Howard County has asked us to study the economic impact of the proposed tennis facility at Troy Park and also look at complementary recreational uses,” said Gary McGuigan, project manager with the Maryland Stadium Authority.

The study will cost $75,000—none of it from the county, according to Kevin Enright, spokesman for Howard County.

The organization that first proposed the park—the Howard County Tennis Patrons (HCTP)—has committed to paying $40,000 for the study. The stadium authority has agreed to pay $35,000. 

Currently, the authority is awaiting state approval to move forward with the study. Jan Hardesty, public information officer for the Maryland Stadium Authority, said her organization sent a letter dated June 15 to legislators in charge of the state budget and that a response is required within 30 days.

Art Tollick, president of HCTP, has been negotiating with various agencies for approximately five years to fulfill the group’s vision for a world-class tennis facility. In the last year, he has taken a leave of absence from his full-time job in the insurance industry to help bring Troy Park to fruition.

“We’re in the process of securing funding,” Tollick said during a recent meeting with the HCTP board. The group raised approximately $10,000 through a in Clarksville earlier this month, bringing its total raised to about $1 million, Tollick reported. He said the stadium authority’s study would add credibility to the project for lenders.

Troy Park will be located north of MD 100 off Route 1, with multiple tennis courts and an open stadium, according to renderings.

But “this is going to be more than a tennis facility,” said Tollick. The Troy Park capital project, as outlined in the county’s 2012 budget, encompasses 106 acres, with the tennis area taking up 14 acres.

Tollick said that options for the additional space include a splash park and amphitheater that could be used for graduations and other events.

Within the tennis park, the plan is to have an 8,000-seat stadium and regulation courts that will enable Elkridge to hold international tournaments. After hearing of the park’s potential, two major hotels have already inquired about locating nearby, such as on the site of the , said Tollick. He added that restaurants have also shown interest in the area. 

Banking that Troy Park would be open, HCTP planned to host a major tournament there next month. The Tennis Channel and others advertised that an international women’s tennis tournament would take place in Elkridge despite clarifications to the contrary, said Tollick. Instead, the Women’s Tennis Association will hold its Mid-Atlantic Women’s Tennis Championships from July 23 to July 31 at the Tennis Center in College Park.

McGuigan said the Maryland Stadium Authority would begin its study in mid-July, contingent on approval from legislators. “I expect the study to be complete this winter,” he said.