If you build it, will they come? The number of cricket enthusiasts in Seattle is related to the growing population of scientific and technological workers, who have for many years endorsed the prospect of building dedicated facilities for their sport. Now, King County is also on board.
On Tuesday, the king’s County Council passed a “support bill” to support the plan to build a major league cricket court in marimore Park in Redmond, Washington.
The facilities on the park’s 20 acre site will serve thousands of cricketers and supporters in the region, many of whom live in Eastern communities such as Redmond and Bellevue and work in the technology departments of Microsoft, Amazon and other companies.
There are already three adult cricket leagues in the region, with more than 3500 members. Giquil introduced his interest in youth projects in 2019, attracting 500 participants. A minor league cricket team called Seattle thunderbolt was also established and put into operation last year with the support of technology investors.
“Thunderbolt” will be staged in 2022 at a facility in toll Farm Park in North Bend, Washington.
All these teams and events will use marymoor cricket community park, a multifunctional facility that can also host professional cricket events, including professional cricket leagues, the U.S. national team and potential world cups and other major international competitions.
According to the major Cricket League, the plan calls for the construction of a lightweight grass berm on the cricket court, including a pavilion, lighting and broadcasting tower, a digital scoreboard and toilet. The spectator lawn can accommodate 4-6000 fans and can be expanded to more than 10000 for large-scale events.
“With the development of our region, we are more and more interested in cricket. Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world. I can’t think of a better place to host world-class cricket games than East King County, especially marimore Park,” Claudia barduch, President of King County Council, said in a statement.
The county’s support came after the City Council of Bellevue in November and the City Council of Redmond in January adopted resolutions in support of the project. Major league cricket will now work with all parties to conduct on-site investigations, prepare and submit development plans, and finalize key commercial terms. Construction may begin in 2023.