WASHINGTON — Minor league baseball fans will have to wait a bit longer for a new stadium in Prince William County.
The Potomac Nationals, the Class A Advanced affiliate of the Washington Nationals, were originally planning to open a new stadium in Woodbridge by 2015, but those plans have been pushed back, opening in 2018 at the earliest, according to Potomac Local.
The team announced its plans in 2012 to build a 6,000-seat stadium on the land that sits between the Wegmans grocery store and the Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. But in order to pay for the $70 million venue, team owner Art Silber wanted to find a naming rights sponsor before construction started.
On Wednesday, Silber said that effort has failed, Potomac Local says.
While that particular funding avenue has closed, it does not mean the stadium is dead. Silber says a path to fund the team’s $35 million contribution is in place.
The size and scope of the stadium will not change. Those plans include box seating, a restaurant, and a covered parking garage that the Virginia Department of Transportation will pay for to be used by commuters and fans.
Officials would not say when construction would begin, added it would be difficult for a stadium to be finished in time for the 2018 season.
In the meantime, the P-Nats will continue to play at Richard G. Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge.
The Potomac Nationals 2016 home opener is April 14 against the Wilmington Blue Rocks.
