Rome, Floyd County and Berry College are the principal players in the push to get the $18.7 million facility off the ground.
Click here to view the Tennis Center site plan.
In the past two years, they’ve strung together $5.5 million worth of commitments and are now seeking outside backers — including a $7.5 million allocation from the Georgia General Assembly.
Rome City Manager John Bennett said state officials suggested they hire a consultant to carry their message to decision-makers.
“We might not get that money this year, but the contract will carry us through one more legislative session,” Bennett said. “We’ve laid the groundwork for it. It’s on everybody’s radar screen.”
Berry College is donating the 30-acre site just northeast of Mount Berry Square mall, on the path of the new Armuchee Connector. Current plans call for an 82-court, indoor-outdoor complex that would be the largest in the United States.
A study commissioned by the school in 2009 estimated tournaments, training camps and other activities at the center would produce a minimum of $15 million a year in direct economic benefits.
“We’re not on (Interstate) 75. If we want people to come to Rome, we have to actively attract them,” Berry President Stephen Briggs told a joint session of the Rome and Floyd County commissions last week.
The county is known for its medical and educational offerings, he said, and is building a reputation for sports tourism.
“A tennis center plays to our strength. ... It brings people here; it raises our visibility; and it improves our quality of life,” Briggs said.
Figures provided by the city of Rome show a total of $112.852.44 invested in the project so far, plus this year’s $55,000 contract with Connect South.
“I don’t know of any other major expenditures we’re expecting,” Bennett said.
Rome, Floyd County and Berry are each chipping in $15,000 for this year’s contract and the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce is providing $10,000.
The three partners agreed to equally divide the costs of the architect, Hug & Assoc., and a $15,490 promotional 3D animation video produced by Max Wave Media.
Click here to view the 3D virtual tour video.
Including the consulting fees and conference calls, Rome spent $38,494.08 on the project last year. Floyd County spent $39,027.33, which also included part of the $800 cost to visit a similar facility in Cary, N.C.
The money, Bennett said, came from the governments’ hotel-motel tax revenue that is earmarked mainly to promote tourism. The use of the money is regulated by state law.
“We felt that we didn’t want to direct any general fund money to the project,” Bennett said.
Berry’s share was $13,495, since the school paid for the original study by the Selig Center for Economic Development at the University of Georgia.
The chamber kicked in $10,000; the Coosa Valley Tennis Association provided $10,500; and the Greater Rome Convention and Visitors Bureau contributed $1,336.03.
The U.S. Tennis Association — which provided the first architectural plans, technical guidance and in-person promotional as-
sistance from Executive Director Gordon Smith — covered its own expenses.
Click here to see an interview with USTA Director Gordon Smith.
A progress update last week included presentations from several local business leaders and a pledge from local lawmakers to continue pressing for state funding. A state official also called the project a worthy investment.
“We think it’s a great idea, and it’s good for Georgia,” said Janet Cochran, regional representative from the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
California is looking to do away with all pensions funded by the government and a Dem(Jerry Brown) is in charge.
Mitch Daniels the Governor of Indiana did all this with an executive order 6 years ago and nothing was said..
This is all propaganda by the Obama union machine-SEIU-The worst excuse for a union of humans ever contracted...
Why do food servers and maids need to be unionized-SO THEY CAN BE DEMOCRATS!
If y'all keep electing people who think it's a good idea to cut HOPE money at public colleges but continue HOPE scholarships to private colleges...
Then we're going to need all the service jobs that will come from this tennis center because our kids won't be fit for much else.
The problem with that is the fact that the people of Rome and Floyd County don't need this SPECIAL INTEREST monkey on their backs right now. Not with all the budget cuts, lack of upkeep throughout the county due to lack of funds, not to mention the fact that all the claims of "It will only bring in more cash" as you put it were the same claims we heard about the Golf course t hat is sitting there going down hill more and more and has cost the tax payers money. Also look at Barron Stadium, all the money spent on it to renovate it in order to keep hosting the ONE single championship game that is played there ONE time a year and that ONE time a year is not even a guaranteed thing. But then i guess you are one of those people who, when they have a choice to put a new roof on their home because the old one is worn out, or go out and buy a new car because you want to keep up with the Jones's , You choose the new car and get them to throw in a supply of buckets to catch the water leaking in through your roof.
And? Your problem with that is what exactly? Berry brings in a ton of cash to this community and if they want to donate their own land for it and use it as a recruting tool, so what? It will only bring in more cash -- so what's your problem with that?
Remember when the golf course was pushed through? Apples and oranges? Who do you think is going to get stuck with maintenance and operating costs? Us fruits if this happens.
For those of you that don't believe this will happen or didn't think this plan has been long in coming, why do you think we have an Armuchee bypass? No not the road that runs right to Armuchee in the form of Martha Berry Highway/Hwy 27. The route we so desparately needed to bypass the major metropolis of Armuchee.
Why isn't the GE land in West Rome being utilized? Wasn't the idea of a sports complex floated for this land? If anyone thinks that Bartow won't have a say so in this (with state money) they are crazy. Bartow is much more accessible than Rome and will get more consideration for a project like this.
Let's keep what we got around the city of Rome. We already are known as a "tennis community" and we have some of the nicest facilities in Rome. What is to become of these if this project becomes reality? Who will pay for the maintenance on these courts? Or will we just let weeds grow on those?
Is this all just a ploy to let a developer get their hands on West 3rd property AGAIN? Will the bridge to nowhere finally find a home? There are too many questions for this project to move forward in this horrible economy.
Read more: RN-T.com - Proposed tennis center a “game changer” for community E
Yes, that's the answer to Rome's financial woes. This will work at least as well as the ballyhooed golf course. We were given the same pitch for Stonebridge. It never made a profit. This is not the time to spend this much on a tennis center. At least wait until the financial situation is better.