OWINGS, Md. – It’s been a long road, but construction is finally underway on MMG Sports Plex in Calvert County.
“I am very excited to serve the community with a facility that allows sports teams and youth athletes the opportunity to compete with the best of the best across the country,” says Brian Griffin, long time Calvert County resident and owner of MMG.
Griffin, known to many as “Griff”, has a passion for training kids and giving back to the community. He started Griff’s Elite Sports Performance three years ago to help kids learn the game of basketball and improve their skills and in 2021 wanted to combine his passion for sports and fitness to build MMG.
The project has been a long time coming. It took five years to get the permit to construct the shell buildings on the property, which is home to the well-known “Flag Barn” in Owings. Property owner Jason Scaggs says he wanted something “cool” to be built there. He began advertising and offering rent discounts. Self-Storage was a possible tenant that would have brought in a lot of money, but that’s not what Scaggs was thinking.
“I have small children and live just a mile away from the property. I wanted something interesting to be built there,” said Scaggs.
Soon after buying the property in 2015, Scaggs leased one of the buildings to a local couple to build NinjaBE, an indoor ninja obstacle course. After two years of a complicated permitting process, the couple backed out.
In 2018, Scaggs signed a deal with another possible tenant who wanted to build a trampoline park. The remainder of the facility would be leased to Recorded Books out of Prince Frederick. Permit issues dragged on for two more years. In February of 2020, Scaggs got the permits to erect the building shells, then COVID happened. All the tenants backed out. That’s when Griffin stepped in with his plans to build MMG Sports Performance Center.
“When Brian first came to me, the price of oil and steel was double, if not triple the original budget. I could not afford to build the facility. So, we waited for the price of steel to drop back down, then I signed to order the steel building,” said Scaggs.
Scaggs and Griffin are currently going through the tenant permit process for the interior of the facility. Scaggs says it’s expensive and is taking longer than expected.
Julie Yingling, Public Information Program Specialist with the Calvert County government says MMG’s plan for the property was submitted and approved as a flex space building, which is defined as a place for office or warehouse space. Yingling says the applicant was advised in April 2022 and in June 2023, that a flex space building does not include indoor recreation.
“With a change in proposed land use comes changes in requirements; most often it is parking requirements that change, but it could also be setbacks, access, open space, lighting, etc,” says Yingling.
There has since been a request to change the approved use of the property to include indoor recreation which has to be reviewed by the necessary departments and agencies.
“Calvert County government recognizes there may be many reasons why the applicant’s intended use of vacant land may change, and remains committed to helping every applicant through the approval process to ensure the best possible outcomes for the applicant and our community in a timely and economical manner,” adds Yingling.
Despite all of this, the steel for both buildings has been delivered and assembly crews are getting to work.
Scaggs and Griffin say this facility is going to be worth the hassle and all the wait. It will offer team turf rentals, two basketball courts (available for teams to rent), pickleball, physical therapy, free weights, gaming room, party room rental, individual and group training and more.
It’s a facility that many people, including local coaches, say is long overdue in Calvert County.
“It’s awesome to see a facility being built that will bring endless opportunities for so many young people of Calvert County. It’s inspiring to see citizens of this county like Mr. Griffin and Mr.
Scaggs, give generously to encourage our youth,” says Calvert High School Football Coach Ricky Snead.
“The new facility will be a tremendous resource for our community, having a space during inclement weather to go so we do not lose practice time and a turf field to practice on before traveling to play on turf is an awesome opportunity for our kids. It will begin to help level the playing field for our athletes,” says Northern High School Football Coach Rich Holzerr.
Along with the new sports plex, Griffin is giving back to the community with a scholarship program for student athletes in Calvert. Over the past two years, four students have received scholarships.
An opening date for the facility has not been set.
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we need more in charles county. this is pathetic!
Charles needs more police and a bigger jail.
😂
No you don’t, the Waldorf criminal element will ruin it
Can we squeeze in an ice rink there somehow? So many of our Calvert County kids have to commute to play on their school hockey teams and figure skating, both competitive and recreational!
This!
There is a common theme throughout the article; The permitting process being far too onerous. Years to get the required permits, costs incurred to obtain them. All of this, and more, before a shovel can be turned to break ground…
It sounds as though there is considerable red tape in obtaining building and occupation permits in Calvert County. If this is true, it would be time to develop a more streamlined process.
Not mentioned in the story of the new sport complex is the sign out front on the highway stating this facility will be for women only.
Kudos for addressing a big need for indoor sports facilities in the SOMD region.
Seems that the local governments have fallen short on seeking this type of outlet for residents. Private enterprise will always outshine the government projects mentality. If Griff read the tea leaves even better, he’d see the early growth and future need for pickleball and what it offers to residences as well as capital venture investors.