The Tennis Center of Georgia proposal

Naming rights for proposed tennis center would go for $1.8 million; estimated value of downtown tennis complex set at $1.3 million.

>Also: Full copy of Berry's economic impact study> Click

There are a lot of numbers in play regarding a proposal to build a 74-court tennis hub just northeast of Mount Berry Square. A Hometown Headlines' review of documents associated with the $13.6 million project turned up the following this week:

While $7.5 million in funding is projected to come from state bonds if approved by Gov. Sonny Perdue and a lobbying firm being paid at least $65,000 in local money to make that happen, a just-as-ambitious goal is to amass $6 million in capital from local sources.

A contract signed Jan. 11 by Lisa Smith, executive director of the Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau, with the blessing of Rome and Floyd County leaders outlines how ConnectSouth would be paid to lobby on Rome/Floyd's behalf for the state bond money.

Per the contract, $20,000 was to be paid "upon execution" of the deal with $15,000 payments set for Feb. 15, April 15 and Oct. 15 or whenever the bonds are sold.

The $65,000 includes a $10,000 commitment from the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce; $5,000 from the Coosa Valley Tennis Association; and $25,000 each from Rome and Floyd County's shares of tourism tax revenue. 

The remaining $6 million would come from an assortment of options, according to notes and reports from the committee behind the proposal. They are:

-Naming rights: $1.8 million. That figure went is a decrease from some of the original conversations, according to meeting notes. It was as high as $2.3 million in one draft. State Mutual Insurance Co. paid $1.8 million for naming rights of the baseball stadium that is home to the Rome Braves but that deal also included a suite and other perks.

-Rome Tennis Center land sale: The estimated value of the West Third Street tennis complex is listed as $1.3 million.

-Berry College has offered the use of 30 acres just off the Armuchee Connector for the project; the land value has changed in various drafts. Last estimate: $990,000.

-Foundation awards from major groups such as Chick-Fil-A and Coca-Cola, valued at $500,000.

-Existing SPLOST funds: $500,000 approved by voters in an earlier SPLOST for additional tennis courts but as yet unspent.

-In-kind work by the city and county, $250,000 from each government.

-$50,000 from tourism grants.

-$40,000 grand from the U.S. Tennis Association.

The center costs are outlined as such:

-Land: $990,000 (the Berry contribution).

-Design: $481,480.

-Engineering, topography, etc.: $750,000.

-Site work: $1,416,000

-The center itself: $8,214,200.

-Plus bonds, fees and reserves.

Expanded economic impact reports show:

-Impact: The annual economic impact, according to the study by UGA's Selig Center, would range from $16.1 million to $28,1 million depending on tournaments played each year.

-Employment: Between 240 and 420 full- and part-time jobs depending on the number of tournaments each year. The labor (wage) impact could vary from $5.3 million to $9.3 million a year.

-The jobs would be paid by player participation. Each job would cost $54,703 so it would take 109 players to fund each position.

-Who plays and pays: The tournaments would draw 620 players as well as another 607 direct or associated guests just with the players. Per-tournament total: 1,227.

-What they spend: Each person would spend roughly $500-$535 per visit or $152.86 per day (3.5-day average).

Previously reported

The Tennis Center of Georgia: A Hometown Headlines analysis:

(Jan. 20) Rome/Floyd County partners are attempting to build a 74-court, $13.6 million tennis magnet that would draw U.S. Tennis Association and other tournaments--potentially college events--to 30 acres just northeast of Mount Berry Square off the new Armuchee Connector and Old Dalton Road.

If built and funded on enthusiasm alone, the tennis center would be open this evening, especially after a peppy media briefing at The Forum Thursday morning.

But plans and studies and conversations have been under way in one form or another for a year with efforts really picking up steam about four months ago.

Let's look at the pitch points first:

-The Tennis Center of Georgia is called that because local organizers view it as having Rome/Floyd County, statewide and regional impact, as in nine southeastern states.

-Given the potential to enhance overall state tourism, local organizers have hired Connect South, billed as a public affairs company, to lobby for state bond funds for the project.  The Connect South group includes Clint Austin, who's managed Katie Dempsey's two campaigns for state representative.

-The local organizers want $7.5 million from the state's $900 million bond pool and offer this caveat in return: Rome/Floyd would not seek additional operational funds or assistance if granted the state-backed bonds. According to a media release: "Once the complex is funded, there will be no additional requests for state aid relative to the operation and upkeep of the facility -- it will stand on its own and be the responsibility of the partners.

-The "public/private" partnership behind the bid includes Berry College, the city of Rome, Floyd County, the Coosa Valley Tennis Association, the Greater Rome Chamber of  Commerce and the Greater Rome Convention and Visitors Bureau.

-The remaining $6 million would come from local sources. County Manager Kevin Poe says those dollars would include $500,000 from an earlier SPLOST designated for tennis purposes; the sale of the current downtown tennis center; naming rights for The Tennis Center of Georgia; donations; and grants. That puts the "to be raised" figure at least at $4 million once you subtract the earlier SPLOST money and the value of Berry's land donation, $1.5 million.

-No additional (read new) SPLOST support would be sought. (More on that in a few graphs).

This illustration shows the mall, lower center, and where the tennis center would rise off of Old Dalton Road.

-Berry College, which helped form the idea, paid for an economic impact assessment conducted by the Selig Center at the University of Georgia. Among its conclusions: The tennis center could generate more than $16 million in local economic impact each year. The report is to be released to the public in some form in coming weeks; Hometown Headlines already has requested a copy.

-The study shows the average tournament draws around 600 players and 600 fans or 1,200 people per event. At a minimum 20 events per year, that's 24,000 guests, many of whom would stay in existing and potential new accommodations. Danny Price, Director of Legal Support and Property Management for Berry College who led Thursday's briefing, says he's already received four calls from people interested in hospitality options near the center.

-The center would create up to 240 full- and part-time jobs.

-A key component with the U.S. Tennis Association--which has tentatively blessed the idea--and other proponents is the establishment of 14 "quick start" (reduced size) courts for kids. They believe it would help continue to grow interest in the sport.

-Other factors embraced by the organizing team included Rome/Floyd's history and past success with tennis tournaments. Rome/Floyd already is home to a series of tournaments each year, played almost year-round. Our climate, they said, is another plus.

-The timetable is linked directly with the start of construction of the Armuchee Connector, which basically runs from north of the mall to in front of State Mutual Stadium, intersecting with the Bypass across from Riverside Parkway. Poe says the connector's start has been delayed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other issues; it had been set for November. It will take 19 months to complete, says Poe.

-Price says the goal is to have the center up and running ASAP but said realistically, the idea is to have it open when the connector is finished. Side roads and cuts from Mount Berry Square could help in the short-term if needed.

Above: Artist's rendering of the tennis center. That's the Armuchee Connector to the right; Mount Berry Square would be in the lower left corner.

Now the wet blanket questions:

-Our question was, "Why not put the center to a public vote, via a SPLOST package?" The answers: Since this has state impact, the idea was to solicit state funding via bonds. Plus, a future SPLOST vote is at least two to three years away.

-In the past, city/county leaders have used the special purpose local option sales tax to fund construction of State Mutual Stadium, home of the Rome Braves, and most recently the $3.4 million investment in the enhancement of Barron Stadium, done in part to lure the NAIA national championship football game to Rome/Floyd in coming years. The current contract expires after the December 2010 game. The stadium SPLOST, narrowly approved by local voters, raised $15 million for the stadium, which was paid off in 12 months. The tennis center project, minus the Berry land donation and existing $500,000 SPLOST account, would require $11.1 million based on Thursday's estimate.

-Also, the partners said the tennis project was not solid enough to propose as part of the 2009 SPLOST when that project list was coming together last summer. As for a future SPLOST: There is support in the General Assembly for a cafeteria-style SPLOST vote as opposed to the all-or-nothing project list now in use.

-Also, we asked who backs the bonds, i.e., who's responsible if things go wrong? Local leaders say the state would guarantee the $7.5 million in bonds and be responsible for their resolution.

-What about development along the Armuchee Connector? The road is being built to help commuters get around the bottleneck existing today at Martha Berry and the Bypass. With visions of new growth around the tennis center, would it, in turn, create a new layer of congestion around the connector? Poe says the new road is designed to feature only six cut-ins, i.e., limited access to the highway.

Some additional questions and answers since the briefing:

Q/Who is leading the charge at this point?

A/"The effort is being coordinated through the Greater Rome Convention and Visitors Bureau."

-Background: The CVB was a focal point in the five consecutive Tour de Georgia tour stops in Rome between 2003 and 2007. The staff also has been a force in the handcycling events each April in Rome. The NAIA National Championship Game has been mostly guided by a separate "host committee." Representatives will resume talks with the NAIA next week about securing the title game at Barron Stadium in coming years.

Q/Would new development, specifically additional accommodations and restaurants, build in the tennis center area?

A/Again we quote Berry's Danny Price who said he'd received four inquiries already.

-Background: Rome/Floyd County has seen a surge in new hotel rooms in recent years, specifically targeted at the terminus of the Bypass west of the U.S. 411 intersection. New accommodations include Holiday Inn  Express, Comfort Suites and LaQuinta. New hotel construction is valued at least at $4 million so that's $12 million in new inventory not counting what's already there: Country Inn & Suites, Jameson, Best Western, Motel 6 and the now-dormant Ramada (former Holiday Inn  Skytop). Closer to the site are Hawthorn Suites and Days Inn, the latter often used by visiting sports teams. There has been talk of a hotel near State Mutual Stadium since the Braves arrived in 2003.

Q/What's helping drive the proposal?

A/Sports tourism. Sports tourism is a "green" industry for the most part and highly profitable. The average tennis tournament stretches 3.5 days. The 2009 NAIA game pumped $1.8 million into the local economy vs. $1.5 million for the 2008 game. That's not counting the three-plus hours of national television exposure. The Tour de Georgia stops in Rome brought national and international exposure, especially when Lance Armstrong was competing. The tour receipts were not as lucrative as the NAIA games.

-Background: Rome/Floyd County has an interesting history with sports tourism. Prior to the Rome Braves' arrival, the community had been without minor league baseball for 50 or so years. The Braves arrived, won the South Atlantic League championship in their first year here, and continue to draw more than 220,000 fans each April through September even though this is the smallest market in the league. (A surprise during Thursday's media briefing: there was never a mention of the Braves even when the section where the benefits of sports tourism was mentioned). Also: The Rome Renegades indoor football team made it to a pair of league championship games before folding. The WBA's Rome Gladiators basketball team also won two titles.

Q/Is there bond money available?

A/The partnership thinks so and quickly points to how other communities have benefitted in the past with projects such as aquariums. Plus they say Rome/Floyd County has never requested funds in such a manor.

-Background: Speakers on Thursday said the funds would not come from state operating budgets. They also indicated the push for funding would be made this year. There might be some urgency there because of changes already occurring in Atlanta. The firm hired to shepherd the bonds, Connect South, has ties to some remaining Republican leaders. Being an election year and with reform on the front burner following the House/Glenn Richardson meltdown, things could change by year's end.

Q/Any politics involved?

A/Perhaps and in more ways that one. For example, note the Dempsey/Connect South (Clint Austin) relationship, something that surprised at least on leader on Thursday following the news briefing. Plus this is an election year for state legislators while two county commissioners, Chairman Eddie Lumsden and Vice Chair Chad Whitefield, are up for new terms. Will the tennis center become a campaign issue?

Q/Is there a PR campaign already under way?

A/Our answer is that there certainly has been a rare harmonic convergence on this proposal, one we didn't see in the recent SPLOST campaign, at least to this extent and level.

-There were a few surprised faces Thursday when it was announced that the tennis push had been in the works for about a year -- although not at the "partnership" level. Even after reports last summer, the package was kept below radar. But in recent weeks, the push has picked up. For example, Thursday's media briefing came a week before the chamber's (project partner) annual meeting. The keynote speaker is an executive with the U.S. Tennis Association who likewise has ties to Rome.

-Earlier this week, the chamber's Directions bimonthly publication included a four-page report on the tennis project. Directions normally is home to briefer chamber-friendly updates although it continues to improve in content and design.

-Add to that the media briefing conducted Thursday that included a show of force with County Commission Chair Eddie Lumsden, Rome Mayor Wright Bagby, County Manager Kevin Poe, City Manager John Bennett, statements read from state representatives Katie Dempsey and Barbara Massey Reece, etc. That's three substantial "hits" in eight or so days.

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Tennis Center of Georgia media release:

(Media release) Local and State dignitaries announced on Thursday the plans for the Tennis Center of Georgia. Representatives from the City of Rome, Floyd County, Berry College, Coosa Valley Tennis Association, Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau touted the project as one with a tremendous economic impact, both state-wide and locally.

The project was conceived and planned, and will be constructed and operated, as a true public/private partnership between Rome, Floyd County, Berry College, and members of the local tennis community. This type of joint effort, with shared responsibility and support for a project that provides benefits of economic impact, job creation, and tax revenue, is uniquely consistent with the type of projects the State of Georgia has promoted as the way things should be done. Once the complex is funded there will be no additional requests for State aid relative to the operation and upkeep of the facility – it will stand on its own and be the responsibility of the partners.

The project would be built on 30 acres of land currently owned by Berry College on the new Armuchee Connector behind Mount Berry Square Mall.  The number of courts total 74 with 14 being “quick start” or reduced sized courts for youth.  The current layout of the complex was developed by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) based upon the original design by Berry College.

Rome is an ideal spot to locate this project due to the incomparable reputation of the local tennis community and their experience in hosting and staffing tournaments.  Tournament organizers at all levels have already heard of what is planned and are requesting regular updates on when the new facility could open and bid to host their tournaments.  Rome is also accessible from several interstates, ideally central to the southeastern region, and close to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which will provide an economical and direct route for participants from all over the country.

The short and long term impact of the proposed tennis complex is significant in terms of job creation, dollars spent in our state, and expansion of tax revenues for local and State governments.  The Selig Center for Economic Development at UGA was engaged by Berry College, and in conjunction with the United States Tennis Association and local officials have projected at a minimum, based upon the lowest expected range of tournament participants, the center can produce an economic impact of over $16 million dollars per year.  This figure does not include the jobs created in the short run in constructing the complex, nor the long-term job creation from the hospitality, retail and service oriented businesses that would seek to locate near the facility.

ConnectSouth, a public affairs company, has been hired to assist with the pursuit of State bond funding for the proposed Tennis Complex.  The effort is being coordinated through the Greater Rome Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Funding from the County and City comes from specific portions of the Hotel/Motel Tax and contributions from the Chamber and tennis community.  Specifically, $7.5 million is being sought in State bond funds.  The current working budget for the project is $13.6 million.