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NEWS RELEASE

December 7, 2009

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Meadowbrook Athletic Complex (The MAC) Opens in Howard County

ELLICOTT CITY – County Executive Ken Ulman and Councilman Calvin Ball were joined by other elected officials and Director of Recreation & Parks Gary Arthur on Saturday, December 5, for the official ribbon cutting and grand opening of Howard County’s newest destination for indoor sports – the Meadowbrook Athletic Complex (The MAC). The new 38,200 square foot, state-of-the-art facility is located at 5001 Meadowbrook Lane in Ellicott City and features 35,000 square feet of unobstructed gymnasium space, a concession area, meeting room and office space.

“A great deal of thought and planning went into the design and construction of this first-of-its-kind facility for Howard County Government,” said Executive Ulman. “The MAC will be a great community resource for recreational sports, fitness programs, summer camps and sports clinics. I want to thank everyone who worked so hard on the final concept plans for this new facility, especially the folks who represented our neighbors from the nearby homeowner associations. This was community collaboration at its finest, and the result is a building we can all be proud of.”

The MAC is designed to serve all ages and all levels of play. It can accommodate four basketball or six volleyball courts. Electronic drop-down nets make it possible to divide the space so multiple games or activities can take place at one time. The MAC will also be used for sports such as indoor soccer, in-line hockey, lacrosse, field hockey, badminton and jump rope. The County’s Department of Recreation & Parks will oversee management of The MAC.

“Our community has been working hard to create a unique multi-use facility for Howard County, and we are pleased to announce the grand opening of The MAC for residents of all ages to enjoy. Thank you to everyone who has been so dedicated to this project, and I sincerely appreciate all the work that has gone into creating such a diverse facility for our neighbors,” said Councilman Ball.

This project was funded by both Howard County and the State of Maryland at a total cost of $3.67 million. Funding sources included $2,818,000 of State Local Side - Program Open Space funds, made available to local governments to help them buy land and build park facilities, and the remaining $852,000 come from County funds. Construction of this facility completes the final phase of the Meadowbrook Park design.