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Seating capacity at the Maryland SoccerPlex will be expanded this fall as part of an agreement that will make the Boyds stadium home to the Washington Freedom.

The Montgomery County Planning Board on Thursday unanimously approved the plan to expand the seating capacity from 3,200 to at least 5,600.

Officials from the SoccerPlex and the professional women's team told the board that the expansion is needed to meet the standards for a playing field in the Women's Professional Soccer league, formerly the Women's United Soccer Association.

The $2.6 million project, paid for by Freedom owners John and Maureen Hendricks, also includes a press box, restroom, box office, fence, and the ability to add 1,000 temporary seats, according to Planning Board documents. Trish Heffelfinger, executive director of the Maryland Soccer Foundation, which operates the SoccerPlex, said grants are also being sought from non-profit organizations to help pay construction costs.

John Hendricks is founder and chairman of Discovery Communications, and was instrumental in founding the SoccerPlex and has provided large chunks of funding at subsequent crucial points.

Heffelfinger estimated 10 to 12 letters on the project were sent to the board, most or all of which were favorable.

The seven-team league's inaugural season is scheduled to include 10 weekend home games spanning April to August 2009, all starting at 7 p.m. on Saturdays. Three of the home games will be played at RFK stadium as part of a doubleheader with the D.C. United men's team. Heffelfinger said the Freedom games will not interfere with youth league activities.

The team will practice at the SoccerPlex and its executive offices are at the Discovery Sports Center, according to Planning Board documents.

Work on the project must begin right after Thanksgiving and continue through the winter to be completed by opening day, Heffelfinger said. The project requires a storm water management permit for the bleachers, a building permit for the restrooms and a permit from the Parks Department to proceed, she said. Time is of the essence in gaining the approvals, she said.

If the work isn't finished by April, the foundation plans to use temporary bleacher seats to meet the league's seating capacity requirement, she said. MSF's lease allows stadium seating to reach 7,500.

She told the board that women's professional soccer will be a boon to the state, community and team. The benefits include increased business for hotels from booking fans and the teams, she said.

"I think having a professional facility in Montgomery County is a tremendous benefit," she told the board, citing "sports tourism" as a growing attraction.

The foundation and Freedom have been negotiating a lease for a year. The Freedom has played at the SoccerPlex for five years as part of an amateur league, drawing 1,000 to 1,500 fans.

In an interview before the meeting, Joe Quinn, president and general manager of the Freedom, said the commission needed to approve the seating expansion before the team could determine how much rent it is willing to pay the foundation.

Quinn and Heffelfinger said the foundation will receive all of the rental money while the team keeps all earnings from ticket sales, concessions and merchandise. The county won't receive money under the agreement, except for sales tax revenue, they said. They said they expect the lease will run through 2011.

Single-game tickets will cost $22, which includes a $2 parking fee.

The foundation requires visiting amateur teams using the SoccerPlex to work through the county's Conference and Visitor's Bureau, which books them into hotels in the county, Heffelfinger told the commission.

The lack of financial reward for the county did not dampen the commissioners' enthusiasm over the league.

"There's obviously some economic development attached to this," said commissioner Jean Cryor. "This works big time for Montgomery County and the state of Maryland."