Mitchell Northam

tnortham@dmg.gannett.com

On April 25, the Maryland Stadium Authority and its on-call consultants — Crossroads Consulting of Tampa, Florida — started looking at Worcester County to measure the usefulness and viability of a 6,200-seat arena, a 500-seat practice facility and an outdoor sports complex.

Merry Mears, the director of economic development for Worcester County, said Crossroads started off by doing several interviews with people around the county. Mears said the consulting firm talked to folks involved in tourism, marketing, metrics and recreation around Worcester.

"Right now, they are in the midst of compiling all of the data," Mears said. "I'm thinking we'll start to see some results bubble up in the fall."

Mears said some organizations and businesses have presented to her and the Maryland Stadium Authority about their interests in the arena, but who exactly, and for what, is confidential at this time, she said. That's putting the cart before the horse.

The process is coming up on its two-year mark. The summer of 2014 was when Hat Trick Consultants, a firm based in Grapevine, Texas, reached out to the county about the possibility of building an arena in Worcester County that would house a minor league hockey team as its main tenant.

Hat Trick paid for its own independent study and projected that the arena could bring an annual revenue of $7.5 million to Worcester. Hat Trick determined the arena, which would sit on 10 to 12 acres of land, could host 125 events a year, support 100 new jobs and have a $19 million economic impact.

The ongoing study by Crossroads will find if Hat Trick’s findings in its study were true. Phase one of the study is expected to take about six to eight months to complete.

EARLY TALKS: Why would a Texas company cold-call offices in Snow Hill?

BACKGROUND: Hat Trick sees arena housing hockey and a second sports tenant

DETAILS: Worcester chips in $15,000 for study

If the arena, the practice facility or the outdoor complex are found to be viable, phase two of the study will begin. Worcester County and Hat Trick will not contribute a single penny toward phase two, as it is fully funded by the Maryland Stadium Authority and the Maryland Department of Commerce.

Mears said the study is very specific and it will look at minor league hockey being the main tenant at the arena. Mears added that this study isn't aiming at just Ocean City, but that Crossroads and Hat Trick are looking at Worcester County as a whole.

“(Hat Trick) spread out a map and they pointed to us at the beach and said, ‘Look at your proximity to major markets — D.C., New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore — these are the people who will come and visit and bring tourism dollars into your area,'” Mears told Delmarva Public Radio recently.

The Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League averaged more than 9,000 fans a game this past season. Can a hockey team on Delmarva pull similar numbers in the cold winter months when Ocean City attracts far fewer tourists?

Shore residents should know the answer in a few months.

410-845-4643

Twitter/Instagram:@primetimeMitch

facebook.com/mitchell.northam.9

Shore's Chernoff will work Porter's corner vs. Thurman

Look good, play good: Wicomico's deal with Under Armour