Fourth Estate/Viviana Smith
President Washington announces west campus construction will not occur
BY GABRIEL KING, SPORTS EDITOR AND VIVIANA SMITH, MANAGING EDITOR
On March 28, President Washington announced that Mason will not complete the construction of the baseball and cricket stadium on west campus.
“After hard work and due diligence from the team at Mason, we have concluded that this opportunity does not meet the strategic objectives and interests of our campus and community and the Washington Freedom,” Washington said.
This decision to cancel the construction follows the announcement to temporarily pause west campus construction on March 1.
Members of the local community previously cited concerns with the construction of the cricket stadium such as noise pollution, traffic and infrastructure concerns, and alternative ideas for the area.
President Washington extended his appreciation to the community for their involvement in discussion regarding the developments.
“We appreciate the continued feedback and dialogue with leaders across the Commonwealth and with the local community,” Washington said.
Following the cancellation, members of the local community reacted to the announcement.
On a public facebook group called Concerned Neighbors of Washington Freedom Stadium project @GMU, one user wrote, “I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to the incredible neighbors for their dedication and hard work in stopping the construction of the cricket stadium… It’s inspiring to see how, when we come together as a community, we can enact real change and protect what matters most to us.”
“Now let’s build a baseball field,” another user from the group said.
In an Instagram post by Students B4 Stadiums GMU, which advocated against the cricket stadium, they said, “we did it… students’ voices matter and we should have a say in future campus developments.”
While construction has been canceled, President Washington did not eliminate the possibility of revisiting construction in the future. “Moving forward, the university will maintain a dialogue with all stakeholders and improve opportunities for feedback,” he said.
“We remain committed to working together to grow the university and build a strong and sustainable infrastructure, including our athletics facilities, for everyone who participates with Mason.”
