I think this is a great idea. However, I would love to see meeting space for community organizations included in the plans.

Great idea! It would be wonderful if it could be used as a teen center too!

I agree 100%! This would be a great use of the land

Full disclosure, I am the Treasurer of the PH rec Council and have been for over 25 years. I have known Jerry and Pat Soukup for 30 years, I consider them my friends. I am on the committee proposing uses for the space. I believe the article is incorrect as to the size of the space, I believe it is slightly over 100,000 square feet or about 2.5 acres. Most of you are new to Perry Hall, many of you weren't even born in 1955 when 3 gentlemen started the PH Rec Council, 2 of which have died (Fred Levinsky, Sr. and Willie Rau). Jerry became President about 45 years ago, a position he still holds today. He convinced me to become Treasurer about 25 years ago, a positio I still perform today. Jerry's youngest child is now in his early 50's, Jerry has served as a volunteer for over 35 years without any children in the program. As a matter of fact, all of the Board is serving without children in the programs and have done so for awhile. Jerry was umpiring baseball games at 80 years old. Pat Soukup would never take an official position with the PH Rec, she "only" worked the concession stand. In the 60's that was the hot dog cart 6 days a week. She continued working the concession stand as a volunteer until her knees gave out on her in the last few years. Yes, Jerry and Pat are in their 80's and it is time to build Soukup Arena to properly recognize their achievements for the last 55 years and something that will honor them for generations to come.

Every idea people have stated so far sounds good. But we already have a Senior Centers all around the area. There are lots of small playgrounds for children to play on. One is right across from the proposed sight. There is one off Cowenton Road, one off Chapel (White Marsh playground). People are asking for pools for their children, there is Kids 1st Swim on Belair Road, CCBC has pools for people to join, there are community Pools In Perry Hall & Kingsville and the YMCA in Waltham Woods. Has any body thought of how much traffic, parking & congestion there will be, let alone accidents that will happen in this area. Which too many have happened already. Let's just leave the space as a park with some benches to sit on and let nature live in the space we have taken from them.

I think the Rec Center at Honeygo Park is an all-purpose facility...is that one being used to it's capacity? It has a room that can be used for sports and smaller meeting rooms.

I am all for doing something to recognize all the hard work and time that the Soukups have invested in this community. I think a tribute to them would not only thank them for their service but also be very beneficial for our youth and help to encourage more volunteerism. With that being said; I don't think building on this land is necessary!

I and many other people that have voiced their opinions on related Patch articles and on Facebook as well; would like to see this land undeveloped. A simple trail with native plants and benches would be perfectly suited for this area: it would not require a large parking lot, it would be very inexpensive to build and maintain (less tax dollars), it would compliment the library (outdoor reading areas and nature programing), it would minimize the environmental impact that the new homes are creating (one of the reason the builder is donating this land in the first place), and many more reasons.

I would like to see Honygo Boulevard to retain some of it's natural beauty; if we continue to develop every square inch of land it will soon look exactly like the section of Bel Air Road between Silver Spring and Joppa roads.

What a wonderful idea. I have been saying this for years. The center should definitely have a pool. It's great therapy for seniors, disabled people like myself, and children. We just cannot afford to even go to the YMCA, it's a joke. Please put in a pool. pool tables, air hockey, backgammon, card tables, vending machines, I could come up with a ton of ideas. I would love to help organize programs for this new center. I volunteer, so keep me in mind.

We had our first meeting of the committee Wednesday night, the developer attended and confirmed the size of the parcel is 2.36 acres, or approximately 100,000 square feet, not 32,500 feet mentioned in the article.

Perry Hall has already become over developed in the last 15 years or so. Please leave the land ALONE.

Build build build. Put something useful to the community there before it becomes a strip mall! And since the rec is going to put up the money for this then why not build something useful unless of course one of these fine people commenting about it want to fund it or increase there taxes to pay for it of course? Any volunteers?

I make a motion to send joe the bill for the expenses incurred from paying for facilities now in lieu of the Phrc funding a new facility!

Paul please send joe an invoice for any further costs associated with facilities he is an environmentalists and believes in preserving unused space!

We will take all of the donations we can get for this project and I can guarantee 100% will go to building the facility.

For All the thick skulled people out there the land isn't going to be left alone so get that through your thick heads!   That time has passed!   You want someone to blame?  Blame the person who sold the land to te developer of course it was there land so you have no right to complain!  The space is going to be used period so it's a rec center paid and ran by the Rec during reasonable hours or it's a gas station or something with neon sings open all hours!  Get off the preserve the land nonsense you are going on about something that's already gone!

Rambling on a chat room is your answer? Congrats I'm sure the powers that be make the decisions they make based on what is typed in on the patch by people using fake names!

They are going to build right next to the new 55 houses that are also being built fool

It's just a matter of what is being built! So again it is beyond leaving the land alone rockhead!

I mean I'd be more concerned about the 30 acres with 55 more homes then the 3 acres for a rex center! It's a done deal so make te most of it

Bottom line is they are going to do whatever they want with the land and we have no say so what so ever. Don't you all get it. It's all about money. There are a ton of foreclosed homes in the area, but they don't care. Again as the developers walk around with tons of cash in their pockets, us hard working, taking paying people are getting it shoved up our @sses left and right. We can barely hang on to the homes we have, or feed our families and do you think they give a hoot. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but it is what it is and there isn't a damn thing we can do about it. Get used to it people, it's only going to get worse. The only thing we can do is stick together and help thy neighbor. Shame on the money grubbing developers and politicians. They all talk a good game, but do they ever do what they promise? I don't think so.