A long-awaited permanent home for Washington Freedom has moved a significant step closer after a 5-1 Frederick City Council vote cleared the rezoning needed for a proposed 10,000-capacity cricket stadium on roughly 24 acres in Maryland, according to a report by The American Bazaar. The decision advances the Major League Cricket (MLC) franchise’s plans to establish its own base in the Washington metropolitan region.
The Gateway Property is located on Frederick’s eastern edge between Route 144 and Interstate 70 and currently operates as a golf driving range. The stadium plan provides for 5,000 fixed seats and capacity for another 5,000 spectators, but the rezoning represents one stage of a wider approval process rather than final clearance for construction.
Permanent stadium could deepen Freedom’s local roots
A dedicated venue would allow Washington Freedom to play regularly within its own market after spending its early MLC seasons at other locations. Washington Freedom Owner Sanjay Govil told The American Bazaar: “I think it’s huge because it’s a lot easier and faster to build the support of the local community if you have a stadium, which is local, and we have people who actually come and watch the Freedom team.”
Govil added: “They didn’t have that luxury in the past because we were playing in other locations. So getting this approval from the council is a very big step toward building a stadium.”
The project would also provide professional-grade cricket infrastructure within a region that already has an extensive playing community. The Washington metropolitan area is home to dozens of amateur leagues, hundreds of teams and thousands of cricketers, despite having lacked a permanent professional cricket stadium.
Washington Freedom eyes 2027 opening
Freedom hopes to move through the remaining development process quickly enough to potentially play at the stadium in 2027. The project must still undergo further regulatory scrutiny, including consideration by Frederick’s Planning Commission, while the Maryland Department of the Environment will need to approve matters connected to the site’s floodplain location.
“Obviously, we would love to play in 2027 and be part of the Olympics in 2028 in some capacity,” Govil said.
He continued: “But we still have a few steps to go through. We’ll work closely with the city, the county, the state, and all the relevant authorities to move as fast as possible.”
The timing would place the stadium’s development immediately ahead of cricket’s return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028, marking the sport’s first Olympic appearance since 1900.
Private ownership sets Frederick project apart
The Frederick development would become another addition to MLC’s expanding network of permanent and dedicated venues. The Texas Super Kings play at the city-owned Grand Prairie Stadium, while the Los Angeles Knight Riders opened their purpose-built Knight Riders Cricket Ground at Fairplex in Pomona in 2026.
Freedom’s proposal differs in that the stadium would be developed on privately owned property.
“If you talk about a full-fledged stadium, probably the second on the East Coast,” Govil said.
He added: “The big distinguishing factor we have is that we’re building a stadium on private land. I think that’s probably the first in the country.”
If completed as envisaged, the Frederick facility would likely become the second full-fledged cricket stadium on the US East Coast after Broward County Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
Wider community use forms part of stadium plans
Professional cricket would account for only part of the proposed venue’s use. The development is intended to incorporate a cricket park and multi-use community space, with cricket primarily staged between April and October and the facility available for other activities outside the playing season.
Potential uses include youth sports, festivals, concerts, markets and graduation ceremonies. City estimates indicate that the development could draw approximately 100,000 visitors each year and generate nearly US$2 million in annual tax revenue.
The plans currently include around 500 parking spaces, with shuttle buses proposed to transport visitors from surrounding areas during larger events. Traffic capacity remains one of the issues requiring further examination as the development moves through the planning process.
Local cricketers have also backed the prospect of a dedicated venue. Fairfax Cricket Club Player Shravan Sudhir, speaking to The American Bazaar, said: “Having a dedicated stadium in Frederick is important because it gives the sport a real home and creates a place where players, families, and fans can come together. Its approval is a great step forward and will hopefully create even more opportunities for players and the wider cricket community.”
Maryland Youth Cricket Association Board Member Falgun Patel, speaking to The American Bazaar, added: “Having been involved in growing youth and adult cricket for many years, it makes me incredibly proud and emotional to see our community finally take this step and create a place where future generations can play, grow, and call home.”
Further scrutiny awaits stadium proposal
Despite the rezoning victory, several questions will be addressed before the project can proceed to construction. Alongside the environmental requirements associated with the floodplain, the impact of event-day traffic will be assessed as the proposal moves through subsequent reviews.
Frederick City Council Member Peter Brehm said: “We’re not going to know what we don’t know until after that traffic engineering study is done.”
The 5-1 rezoning vote therefore gives Washington Freedom a pathway towards developing its permanent Maryland home without guaranteeing that the stadium will be ready for the franchise’s preferred timeline. With the principal planning process still ahead, the focus now shifts to securing the outstanding approvals required to turn the Frederick proposal into a functioning MLC venue.
