Chuck Scragg (center, back) serves as facilitator for the two-day planning retreat for Rome City Commission members and city staff at WinShape Center. (Jeremy Stewart, RN-T.com)
Chuck Scragg (right), who served as facilitator for the Rome City Commission's two-day planning retreat at WinShape Center at Berry, talks with commissioners Buzz Wachsteter and Bill Irmscher. (Jeremy Stewart, RN-T.com)
The proposed Tennis Center of Georgia at Berry College was mentioned Thursday as the board discussed possible projects to be considered as part of the city’s recommendation for the upcoming SPLOST referendum.
The talk happened during the second day of the City Commission’s two-day planning retreat at WinShape at Berry College.
Proposed to include 82 courts and cost an estimated $18.7 million, the tennis complex would be built on 30 acres donated by Berry College along the Armuchee Connector near Mount Berry Square mall.
Attempts at obtaining $7.5 million in state economic bonds to jump-start the development have been shot down each of the last four legislative sessions, including the current one.
“If you’re going to put all your chips on the state, this will never get built,” Rome Mayor Evie McNiece said. “If we’re going to do something like this, we’re going to have to do it ourselves.”
Commissioners Bill Irmscher and Jamie Doss voiced their approval of trying to get the center on the SPLOST list, and the general consensus among the board was to submit it as part of the city’s recommendation.
A 2009 study estimated the center could host as many as 35 multi-day tennis events a year, with an annual economic impact of more than $28 million.
“I don’t think we can comprehend how much this would do for our community,” Assistant City Manager Sammy Rich said. “Short of a massive private donation — which is unlikely — SPLOST is the only way we’re going to get it done.”
City Manager John Bennett said it would be better if they could go into the SPLOST vote with a plan on how to avoid a deficit for the first few years created by operating costs.
The worry that Rome may have missed the opportunity to complete the center after it had been so long in limbo led to the mention that other cities in Georgia have looked at this and are considering building similar facilities.
While Rome officials do plan on making a presentation to the Rome-Floyd SPLOST Citizen Committee once it begins meeting, Bennett made it clear that the projects discussed Thursday were not the final list.
The SPLOST committee will review all submissions for projects or equipment to be covered by a new 1-cent special purpose, local option sales tax and will recommend a package. Elected officials would have the final say on what appears on the Nov. 5 ballot.
Purchasing and developing new sites for industry was brought up as a need that a SPLOST could help fill.
“If we’re going to be competitive with the rest of the world, we’ve got to have more land designated for industrial use,” Bennett said.
While the new Lowe’s Distribution Center on Ga. 53 was a big get for the city, it will end up filling nearly half of the industrial land on the site, according to Bennett.
He said the city had no large sites that were “shovel ready,” meaning developed with utility service.
“It goes without saying that we need to have some sites for industrial development because the county has to grow,” Commission Buzz Wachsteter said. “We need to go after this for the SPLOST.”
Wachsteter made reference to the former site of Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital on Division Street as a possible site for industry.
“We’ve got 120 acres inside the city that has water, sewer, electricity and rail access and there is no movement on it,” he said.
“That’s a very strategic piece of property that we need to move on and not wait around to see what the state does with it,” Bennett said.
Now, apparently the Rome City Commission has formed a committee to FIND SOMEthing to spend proposed SPLOST money on, even though it hasn't been voted on so they don't have it and have no guarantee that they will get it? Am I understanding that correctly?
If not, would someone please explain what I'm missing? If I am understanding correctly, would someone please explain how this makes any sense at all??
It looks to me like the Rome City Commissioners just fell off that unicorn-drawn turnip truck they rode in on!! Sheesh!!
Who knows what makes the most $$ for Floyd County?
Someone, please tell me.
Buy a couple of dozen police cars and hire some traffic enforcement officers to write legitimate speeding, improper lane change, no turn signal, no brake light, running light, tag light, broken windshield, broken or burned out headlight, worn out tires, no license, no insurance etc. and we could probably cut property tax and pay for anything we want with no more SPLOST or LOST taxes of anykind with 4 percent state sales tax only.
Rich property owners love paying Room, Board, and Medical for our prisoners and our over booked courts......... Lock'em UP!!!
Did you read my comment or do you just have a reading comprehension problem?
Traffic tickets for speeding, improper equipment, and other moving violations don't generally get you locked up unless you attempt to elude the officer when they attempt to pull you over.
Now go attack somebody else.
Take Berry College out of this equation and then we'll talk.
The Management of the Center would be by a separate non-profit Board set up to blend city and county officials, private citizens and, as far as this person was told, 1 member who represents Berry out of about 15-20 board members.
Not saying you should vote for the center--not saying I would vote for it--but get your facts right.
Nothing? I doubt that.
Berry, a private college, has wanted to enhance its work-study program and ability to recruit future students.
All well, fine and good...as long as private money supports Berry in this manner. Any future SPLOST need not apply.
Why don't we just use the existing Mt. Berry mall (that was former-Berry land too)... You could build 82 (if not more) INDOOR tennis courts in the vacant stores in the mall. BAM--no need for SPLOST.
...and we WONDER why we can't afford teachers...
However, those firms require being paid back with accelerated interest which then saddles the project with a hefty debt service that overrides the tax revenue generated. Plus, apparently they asked for discounted first options on adjacent land to have control of any commercial development that would come - i.e. hotel, retail, etc.
And the new Mall owners would have to be jumping for joy at the thought of this being funded and built - I don't think it's a stretch to suggest it would be good for business to bring that many people to a facility right next door.
Tennis court or a SPLOST referendum has no relationship to 119 educators losing their jobs.
The educators lost their job because the Georgia Legislature has cut over $5 BILLION from public education over the past 10 years.And every session, they invet new ways to drain money away from public education. This is wrong and we need to hold our state legislators accountable.
But just because public education is suffering because of poor decisions in the Legislature, that doen't mean you should be against a SPLOST even before you have heard the proposal. I would think that people who support teachers and public education would be a little more open-minded than that.
Tourism from this type of facility, if built, would drive sales taxes and hotel/motel taxes, support businesses and bring commercial development to support the facility. That's not counting vacant land that is taxed nominally being converted to retail, hospitality, etc. and the value of the real estate going up - i.e. the taxable value of property going up which also brings in more tax revenue. Not to mention the spending of visitors at established local businesses.
It would undoubtedly put additional tax revenue in the bank for our local governments, if built.
And, from reading the previous stories about what is already committed it wouldn't be a SPLOST for the entire $18M. There is already a fairly substantial amount of money in hand/pledged including the land which is why they only asked the state for $7.5M.
I don't know that I will vote for it or against - but at least thinking we need to do something. We've been in a negative growth curve here for 7 years. I plan on at least listening.
What about that big old Industrial Park on 27 South that is at about 25% capacity? Do you think we are all that stupid not to see the waste this county has already created with Industrial parks? These commissioners obviously do not realize that times are tough and just throwing a bunch of hair-brained items together to have a SPLOST is an incredible waste of time and money. We do not need a Tennis Center or a new industrial park. We need the county to utilize the tax money they have access to efficiently. It's really getting time to clean house and let the citizens voices be heard. I will oppose any SPLOST that does not enhance the quality of life for every single citizen in this community instead of the special interest groups that want tennis courts and industrial parks...
An extension of affordable high speed internet into our rural areas. Recall the REA?
Replacement of teachers just laid off.
Establish a Federally Qualified Community Health Center in South Rome.
Create a contemporary CCC for unemployed young adults, staffed by Vets, and rebuilding roads, schools, bridges, working on conservation projects, and learning the joy of disciplined achievement.
We could bring several advanced manufacturing experts from outside Georgia to live in Rome for two to three years to stimulate new ideas and strategies for making Floyd County a desirable place for high value added businesses that pay livable wages.
The tennis set has plenty of destination options and they will not select Rome. If Berry College wants to build a tennis center, the institution has access to about $1 billion in internal and external endowment.
Michael L. Reynolds
Rome, Ga