BALTIMORE — Frustration is growing with uncertainty surrounding the Orioles future in Baltimore.
Maryland State Treasurer Dereck Davis made his opinion known during Wednesday's State Board of Public Works meeting.
"I wanna know what's going on... a significant investment has been made on behalf of the state," said Davis. "It's time, and folks need to be called out on it. I wanna put pressure on the stadium authority and the Baltimore Orioles.
The main concern is whether the O's will continue playing at Camden Yards.
Earlier this year the team declined to sign a five-year lease extension with the Maryland Stadium Authority.
"It's time we put time lines out there and say get this damn thing done," said Davis. "They owe it to the state and the taxpayers, this foot dragging has gotta stop."
Orioles Chairman and CEO John Angelos has repeatedly stated the team has no intentions of leaving Baltimore.
He and his brother, Louis, were previously embroiled in a series of bitter lawsuitsover team ownership.
Many feared the fallout would impact the club's future in Charm City. The two eventually settled back in February, but details of the agreement were not revealed publicly.
As for the Stadium Authority, it too has undergone recent changes in leadership.
Former Maryland Stadium Authority chairman Thomas Kelso was originally helping to negotiate a new lease.
However when Governor Wes Moore took office in January, he relieved Kelso of his chairmanship and appointed Craig A. Thompson, an attorney with Venable LLP, in his place.
Just last week Moore and the Orioles issued a joint statement claiming progress was being made. Moore, who heads the Board of Public Works, happened to be sitting next to Davis as he was commenting on the Orioles situation. The Governor, with a smirk, repeatedly nodded his head but offered no response.
As Davis mentioned, in April 2022 the Maryland General Assembly passed a $1.2 billion public funding measure to reimagine Oriole Park and M&T Bank Stadium. If they stay put, the Orioles would be able to use $600 million of that money towards stadium improvements and upgrades.
To put that into perspective, Oriole Park only cost $110 million to build more than three decades ago.
Davis proposed having the board vote on a deadline, while also acknowledging that possibility was unlikely.
