It seems 2013 will not be the year for the Loudoun Hounds baseball team. The arrival of the professional baseball team, anticipated by many in Loudoun and beyond, could be delayed once again due to a lack of road infrastructure needed to support the new stadium at Kincora.

Bob Farren, president and CEO of Virginia Investment Parternship (VIP) Sports and Entertainment, made the announcement on his blog, “Inside Pitch.” VIP Sports and Entertainment is the parent company of the Loudoun Hounds.

“With the fact that construction of the road system cannot begin for several more months, it is becoming more and more clear that 2013 is slipping away for the Hounds and until there is more certainty, we are taking down the countdown that is on our website until such time we can demonstrably indicate a real timeline,” Farren wrote. “We are disappointed to be doing this, but we remain no less committed to working with the developer to getting the ballpark done. We are working on modifications to all of our planning to get baseball into Loudoun County ASAP.”

The hold up is due to delays in the extension of Pacific Boulevard in Sterling as well as the two crossings of the Broad Run at Nokes Boulevard and Gloucester Parkway, and at Russell Branch and Pacific Boulevard. In a May 18 letter, State Sen. Richard Black (R-13) urged Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton to approve an $80 million Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank loan to complete Gloucester Parkway and Pacific Boulevard. Pacific Boulevard parallels Route 28 to the west. It’s intended to allow local traffic to flow freely without clogging the freeway. Completing Gloucester Parkway and Pacific Boulevard is seen as a solution to relieve the approximately 73,000 cars a day that travel Route 7, as well as the 45,000 cars per day on Waxpool Road.

For the second time in as many years, Farren has announced a delay in the arrival of the team. The Hounds had originally reported to start their 140-game season this year with 70 home games. But in an Oct. 21, 2011 newsletter, Farren said the organization “has been exploring numerous scenarios for months on 2012 and 2013 opening. We continue to make progress, but we have to be realistic: 2013 works better for us ... No one is more disappointed than I am that we won’t be able to be on the field in 2012, but this is the right direction for the club, Loudoun County and most importantly our fans.”

In October 2011, several Loudoun Board of Supervisors members, Del. Tag Greason, several members representing the Kincora development and VDOT representatives gathered to break ground for the extension of Pacific Boulevard. The extension is part of the Kincora development, a 424-acre mixed-use community that will be built between Routes 7 and 28. The development will host office, retail and residential spaces, including the much-anticipated baseball stadium that will be home to the Loudoun Hounds.

Farren acknowledged in his blog that the club’s developer is hard at work designing the necessary roadways to support the stadium and its impending fans. The Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board will vote in mid-June on those extensions. Following the vote, a due diligence will be conducted by the Virginia Secretary of Transportation, which should be completed by late summer or early fall.

This is a developing story. Stay tuned to Loudountimes.com for more information.