News-Letter

Media Credit: Daniel Litwin U.S. Lacrosse is currently located next to Homewood Field.

Despite plans to have moved to a new location in the Inner Harbor by spring 2009, U.S. Lacrosse still remains at its headquarters next to Homewood Field on University West Parkway.

Although they have not carried out their original plans to move, Colleen Sperry Aungst, public relations manager for U.S. Lacrosse, said that they still intend to do so.

"We're outgrowing our space here. Our staff has doubled over the past four years," Aungst said.

Relocating would also provide the U.S. Lacrosse headquarters with more exposure to the Baltimore community and to fans visiting the city.

"We need a new location that highlights the sport, a place that's affordable as well as conducive to size and space," she said.

Several factors have slowed the moving process, including a lack of financing due to the economic downturn. According to Augnst, finances could limit the organization's plans to move even further.

"Our goal is to move in three years, but in terms of the way the economy is right now, that might change," she said.

Jerry Schnydman, executive assistant to Hopkins's president and former Hopkins lacrosse player, said that U.S. Lacrosse hoped to obtain not only more office space but also athletic fields where players can practice.

"If possible they're hoping for some fields so that they could do training at U.S. Lacrosse," Schyndman said.

In 2007, U.S. Lacrosse had been looking at the Inner Harbor as a potential area for relocation. According to Aungst, the organization still considers the Inner Harbor to be a desirable location and a potential option.

Schnydman felt that the Inner Harbor was a particularly attractive location with regards to increasing traffic for the headquarters, owing to its popularity with tourists.

"They are hopeful for a greater visitor option," he said.

"From their point of view I can understand that the downtown area allows for people, when they come to visit Baltimore, to easily go to visit the Hall of Fame too."

According to Aungst, the majority of people who come to visit the headquarters and the Hall of Fame are families of players and college lacrosse fans.

"We get a lot of fans of opponents when teams come to play Hopkins as well as a lot of high school teams and other college teams that are in the area," she said.

Continued...

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