OT: Washington Freedom Cricket Stadium

[Pablo]

Technically they aren't on schedule if the Community Engagement portion of the timeline was supposed to happen in the Fall...

There's a lot of conflicting information on this project. That presentation mentions a permanent multi-use ballpark being completed by June 2025. Everything we've seen recently, including the topic of conversation for Monday's meeting, is that the focus for now is a temporary facility. That temporary facility, at least what we know of it so far, is pretty underwhelming...especially from the baseball perspective.

Consider me skeptical until we see renderings and a break-ground date for a legitimate, modern ballpark.

Hopefully, the community town hall on Monday will address your concerns. But, to be clear, the presentation "anticipated" that community engagement would be conducted in the Fall 2023 but states: "Community Engagement is also an iterative process that would occur throughout these next steps."

BTW, both the mayor of Fairfax City and the Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors have posted about the town hall - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/csre...-university-activity-7155311001217748992-FJm5

 

[GSII]

Mason is going to ask for a new and permanent baseball stadium to be buit w/ the ability to turn it into a Cricket stadium. If you have land you are King. Mason could also do a Mason thing and lease out the land for cash and not help itself much.

 

[Pablo]

For more information on the temporary facility, which is called Washington Freedom Field in the Environmental Impact Report, see https://public.deq.virginia.gov/oeir/GMU/Washington Freedom EIR.pdf

"Following the World Cup Warm-up matches and Major League Cricket matches, the rented bleachers and player pavilions would be dismantled and removed from the site by the rental agency. The turfgrass would remain and be converted to a baseball diamond."

 

[Verdad]

the rented bleachers and player pavilions would be dismantled and removed from the site by the renal agency.

Not sure if I want to sit on bleachers from a renal agency.

 

[MasonFanatic]

I assume the idea behind a temporary facility is to get the Freedom playing in Fairfax in 2024 instead of having to wait until 2025 or beyond. That should have no bearing on the permanent facility.

But I agree that it's hard to imagine the permanent facility getting done in less that 2 years. I'll try to catch the session on Monday.

 

[tblack33]

For more information on the temporary facility, which is called Washington Freedom Field in the Environmental Impact Report, see https://public.deq.virginia.gov/oeir/GMU/Washington Freedom EIR.pdf

"Following the World Cup Warm-up matches and Major League Cricket matches, the rented bleachers and player pavilions would be dismantled and removed from the site by the rental agency. The turfgrass would remain and be converted to a baseball diamond."

So we are getting turf out of this deal?

 

[GMUgemini]

So we are getting turf out of this deal?

I can’t believe cricket players would want to play on turf. One of the biggest worries for me in getting a new soccer stadium is they’ll rip up the natural grass for turf because maintenance is cheaper (please no!)

 

[Pablo]

So we are getting turf out of this deal?

According to the Environmental Impact Report, the temporary facility will include installation of turf for the field and short and manicured turfgrass (which is a narrow-leaved grass species that form a uniform, long-lived ground cover that can tolerate traffic and low mowing heights) for the pitch. After completion of the matches this year, the turfgrass will remain.

 

[Pablo]

Welcome Back to Mason for Spring 2024

We had quite a fall semester. So what are some of the highlights in store for this spring?

president.gmu.edu

• "The Board of Visitors has authorized the university to begin work on a shared temporary cricket/baseball stadium on West Campus in Fairfax as a step toward a partnership with Major League Cricket to build a state-of-the-art cricket/baseball facility at Mason. The United States is co-hosting the Cricket World Cup this year, and cricket returns to the Olympic Games in 2028."

http://bov.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/George-Mason-University-Executive-Summary-of-Interim-Activies-BOV-2023.pdf

"December 14, 2023 – Special Full Board Meeting Special full board meeting to address a public contract that required Board action before its next regularly scheduled meeting.

Action:
• Approval of a Ground Lease and other documents in furtherance of a shared temporary cricket/baseball stadium"

 

[EXpatriot13]

Did anyone attend the meeting? I completely forgot.

Looks like they’ll be posting the recording of it but not seeing it on the site yet.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

ok - can someone tell how you can have a single facility support Baseball and Cricket - checking online the fields look significantly different.

 

[Pablo]

ok - can someone tell how you can have a single facility support Baseball and Cricket - checking online the fields look significantly different.

View: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3d1qw5

View: https://youtu.be/QeXlsafoox4

 

[GMU79]

View: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3d1qw5

View: https://youtu.be/QeXlsafoox4

Those outfield seats are going to be in Herndon! Not that there's anything wrong with Herndon, of course.

 

[Pablo]

Those outfield seats are going to be in Herndon! Not that there's anything wrong with Herndon, of course.

Capacity for the George Mason Cricket Stadium is expected to be approximately 12,000 compared to 48,000 for the Sydney Cricket Ground. And, hopefully, the modular design will allow for seating to be close to the field.

 

[Old Man]

Capacity for the George Mason Cricket Stadium is expected to be approximately 12,000 compared to 48,000 for the Sydney Cricket Ground. And, hopefully, the modular design will allow for seating to be close to the field.

While the seating may be closer to the field, the Cricket Field is still very large. From the center of the pitch, think the center point between a pitching mound rubber and home plate, to the edge of the outfield can be from 60m to 82m (approx.). So the field can be anywhere from about 130 yds to 195 yds across in all directions with the pitch in the center.

 

[Falco]

Is the plan to have the stadium at the west campus (Prince William).

 

[mkaufman1]

Is the plan to have the stadium at the west campus (Prince William).

No, west campus is that area down Braddock Road with parking for freshman and maybe another building. It’s relatively new (maybe last 10-12 years)

 

[Verdad]

I don't see any issue with the outfield seats as we don't currently have outfield seating (just a fence and a hill) and the attendance for Mason baseball games will never exceed the seating area provided behind the dugouts/homeplate.

 

[GMU79]

I don't see any issue with the outfield seats as we don't currently have outfield seating (just a fence and a hill) and the attendance for Mason baseball games will never exceed the seating area provided behind the dugouts/homeplate.

This is most likely true. At least for the foreseeable future. Never say never.

 

[Falco]

No, west campus is that area down Braddock Road with parking for freshman and maybe another building. It’s relatively new (maybe last 10-12 years)

What do they call the original west campus now? Haha.