In 1998, the Sportsplex (the first stadium constructed for professional soccer in the country) was developed by the City of Virginia Beach in Princess Anne Commons – a unique suburban area with a mix of educational, health care, entertainment and athletic villages planned in an integrated and complementary fashion. In 2001, the city constructed the United States Field Hockey National Training Center (NTC) immediately adjacent to the Sportsplex. Both facilities were operated year round by the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation staff.

Unfortunately, neither team was able to generate positive competitive records nor the financial outcomes expected. In early 2007, the professional soccer team disbanded and the women’s national field hockey team joined the men’s team in California to reduce operating costs. This left the city with two specialized sporting facilities without primary tenants, over $400,000 in annual net operating expenses and a growing list of unfunded capital renovations. A change in operations management needed to be considered in order to decrease the city’s subsidy and improve utilization of these facilities.