74-court campus coming to parcel Berry donated to Rome/Floyd County.
MOUNT BERRY, Ga. — The Tennis Center of Georgia (TCG), which is scheduled to open in Fall 2015, will be located on 30 acres of Berry College’s property. It therefore represents significant commercial development of Berry land.
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Construction will begin in 2015 on the Tennis Center of Georgia at Berry College,
which will be the largest tennis center in the Southeast.
(Photo illustration provided by Max Wave Media)
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“The tennis center is an exciting project because it promises to bring many visitors to Rome and Floyd County,” said Steven Briggs, president of Berry, in an email. “Rome already hosts a number of tournaments each year, and this project will grow that capacity substantially.”The donation of 30 acres by Berry, a 26,000-square-foot campus, might seem statistically small, but in helping to create the largest tennis complex in the Southeast, Berry hopes to reap benefits that include increased attention, interest in attending Berry and good relations with Rome.
In explaining the donation, Briggs said it is important for Berry to contribute to the area’s well-being. And having more people visiting Rome is certainly in the college’s best interest.
“It will also be tremendous to have one of the top tennis facilities in the east situated in our backyard,” he said.
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Plans for the tennis center call for 74 tennis courts and
an 8,000-square-foot clubhouse.
(Photo illustration provided by Max Wave Media)
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Plans to add on later
The donation of 30 acres came with an option to buy an additional 40 to 45 acres, according to Danny Price, general counsel at Berry.
“We expect to locate a hotel facility,” Price said. “The center is designed to host large competitions and [the competitors] will need a place to stay. It will also give us another facility for people visiting the college. It would also be good to have a bit more retail.”
Construction of the TCG will be funded by the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or SPLOST. The decision to use the SPLOST, an optional one percent sales tax paid by the community, was reached on Nov. 5, 2013, after years of debate on how to fund the project.
City officials are expecting a big impact from the TCG. The Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia conducted an analysis that projects an economic impact to the community of $16 million to $30 million annually, according to Rich.
“The impact will come from increased outside visits to our community, which creates retail sales, hotel stays, etc,” Rich said.
Many benefits expected
Greater Rome Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Lisa Smith said she believes the TCG will
- bring more tournaments and visitors to Rome;
- increase adult and youth league play;
- develop wheelchair adaptive play;
- promote healthy lifestyles;
- increase media awareness to Rome and Floyd County;
- bring in money to the community through sports travel.
Plans call for 74 tennis courts and an 8,000-square-foot clubhouse. The complex will also have 10-12 youth-only courts, which will be a smaller size for youth-appropriate lessons and training.
The Coosa Valley Tennis Association has a national reputation for being one of the best tennis hosts, hosting 8 to10 quality tournaments per year, according to Price. Rome is also central to the largest tennis playing population, he said.
“And the United States Tennis Association is behind us 100 percent,” he said.
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Where the tennis center will be built, adjacent to Mount Berry Square Mall.
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The courts will be located behind the Rome Braves Stadium across from the Mount Berry Square Mall. The mall parking will be expanded to accommodate overflow for the tennis center.
The City of Rome and Floyd County have partnered with Berry and several other organizations on the project, according to Lisa Smith, executive director of Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau, one of the participating organizations. Others include The United States Tennis Association and the Coosa Valley Tennis Association.
Note: Reporter Alyssa Maker contributed to this report.