Committee Will Select 500 to 1,200-Acre Parcel for Horse Farm

Proposed properties must offer 500 to 1,200 contiguous acres within 10 miles of a major highway and within a 15- to 30-minute drive to commercial destinations such as retail locales, restaurants and hotels. Responses to the Request for Nomination of Real Property, issued to counties and municipalities across the state in late May, are due by Aug. 1. While awaiting the proposals, committee members will announce an architect for the project in July.

The outline for Maryland Horse Park proposes a 5,000-seat enclosed arena, outdoor amphitheater, commercial kitchen to accommodate large catered events, visitors center, museum, administrative office space and parking facilities. And for the for the horses, a minimum of 500 stalls, six to 12 outdoor show rings, and boarding facilities for horses as well as the hounds. State officials want the equestrian center to serve as a setting for national and international equestrian events, and are leaving the door open for the development of training and other private recreational facilities down the road.

The equestrian center may end up resembling Lexington, KY's 1,200-acre Kentucky Horse Park, which members of the Maryland Horse Industry Board toured five years ago. As for potential sites in the state, counties bordering Washington, DC and other neighboring counties in Central Maryland appear to be more conducive to the equestrian industry. According to the 2002 Maryland Equine Census, compiled by the Maryland Department of Agriculture, the Maryland Horse Industry Board and the Maryland Agricultural Statistics Service, "The acreage devoted to equine by county is concentrated in Baltimore, Frederick, Harford, Montgomery and Cecil counties where 51% of the total acreage devoted to equine was reported." With regard to inventory, Baltimore County leads the pack with 12%, or 10,630 horses.

Stadium Authority executive director Alison L. Asti, tells GlobeSt.com that a short list of proposals should be available by the end of August. "In the fall, we'll select the site and complete a cost estimate and economic assessment," she says. "Then, legislation will be introduced for the issuance of bonds to pay for part of the project." Considering the proposed park is in the very earliest stages, an estimated development cost is not yet available. The Kentucky Horse Farm cost $35 million to complete; however, it was developed in 1978.