The Arlington County Board will consider amending its 2o09 agreement with Marymount University to extend its support for MU athletic facilities.
At its Saturday meeting, the County Board will discuss adding 100 hours of MU field use at Long Bridge Park plus additional access of county parks for MU athletic teams including tennis, baseball, and — potentially — softball.
In 2009, the County Board and MU signed a 15-year agreement detailing the shared cost and maintenance term of at Long Bridge Park. In exchange for regular use, Marymount pays half the construction costs and makes regular contributions to maintain the field.
If granted, the new amendment would expand the contract (originally slated to expire in 2024) through July 30, 2034.
Within the new contract, the county would grant MU access to Long Bridge Park for up to a total of 540 hours per academic year.
Additional terms include:
- MU athletic teams will be able to play on the tennis courts at Virginia Highlands Park beginning in the 2019-2020 academic year for 850 hours per academic year.
- MU will work with the county to find a diamond field facility to use when/if MU establishes a softball program.
- The MU baseball program will be able to use Tucker Field at Barcroft Park after the field space has been allocated to George Washington University and county baseball programs.
- In Long Bridge Park, the county would provide a synthetic turf on the field, permanent field lines, spectator benches, access to a scoreboard, storage space for team equipment, and a Marymount logo in season, among other improvements.
Marymount will continue to make annual contributions for the maintenance of Long Bridge Park, including the cost of replacing/repairing the synthetic turf. They will also pay the current rental rates for all hours used at other county facilities.
The agreement comes at a time of heated competition for local athletic fields among sports and community groups.
Flickr pool photo by Eric