Tennis serves up a pretty big economic boost for Rome and local leaders have been talking about creating a tennis complex that could attract major events and bolster local coffers even more.

If a 55-court tennis center idea unveiled Wednesday gets traction, Rome could become a premiere tennis destination with a $20 million-a-year impact, say collaborators.

Berry College hopes to team up with the city, county and community to build a recreational crown jewel for Greater Rome.

College administrators met with local officials to discuss details about the proposed complex that could be constructed on a 23-acre tract of Berry’s river farm property. The land is part of an 80-acre undeveloped parcel of agriculture and forestry land next to the mall that will be separated from Berry’s other property by the new Armuchee Connector. Work on that road project could start next year.

“The health and vitality of our community and the quality of life here matter deeply to us,” Berry President Stephen R. Briggs said. “So we’re looking for ways to enhance our community.”

He says the college would like to be part of creating something “that would attract people to Rome and improve the area for the people who live here. We also want to create a sense of excitement about the future — to show that Rome is a community that’s on the move.”

He said potential benefits for Rome would include economic development, increased tourism and visibility, higher-caliber tournaments and a first-class facility for recreational players. “Potential benefits for Berry include increased opportunities for students participating in our work experience program and increased visibility for the college and our athletics program.”

Courting the dream

Berry had consultants draw up two conceptual designs featuring 49 outer courts around a central core of six “championship” courts with seating for more than 360 spectators.

Under the proposal, Berry would commit the land to local government through a long-term agreement but would “in principal, like to retain ownership,” said Briggs. In addition, the college would help operate and manage the facility through its student work program, providing experience for business and sports-related majors while defraying operational costs for the Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority, which would have oversight of the complex.

“This is the way we need to do things in our town, through partnerships, and I’m very excited that Berry is willing to put this on the table,” Rome Mayor Wright Bagby Jr. said. “It will take a lot of hard work, and a lot of creative work on finances, but it will make us unique in the South.”

The United State Tennis Association agrees. Virgil Christian, USTA director for community tennis development, said if Rome builds the 55-court facility, it would be the second largest in the country.

“You’d have more courts than the U.S. Open,” said Christian, referring to the Billie Jean King National Center in Flushing, N.Y., that’s home to 33 courts and the Grand Slam event. The largest tennis facility is the 60-court Mobile Tennis Center in Alabama.

Christian says the proposed center would “put Rome right at the top as the dominant and most impressive tennis facility in the country.”

He said the proximity to the Atlanta airport is a another plus.

“This is very exciting. This level hasn’t been seen before, and you have the people there to do it.”

Ball in Rome’s court

Now that the idea has been conceived, the real leg work begins.

Floyd County Manager Kevin Poe said a committee will look at options, including expanding the partnership to include other private entities that could benefit. There are hopes the owners of Mount Berry Square and other property in the area might want to participate, he said.

“We don’t have the answers right now,” Poe said. “But at some point we’d have to come back to the city and county commissions with a concrete plan spelling out how we’d move forward, where the funding would come from, who would operate it — something they could say yea or nay to.”

Lisa Smith, executive director of the Greater Rome Convention and Visitors Bureau, estimates that the economic impact of the tennis center could be as much as $20 million a year.

Smith said a facility with 55 courts, a 12,000-square-foot building with “everything done top of the line” could have a $10-million price tag. But, she said, the USTA estimates that a facility that size could be built for $5-7 million.

Smith says the plan is to secure as much private funding as possible from underwriters, foundations, grants and national sponsors. “We would be very diligent in working to seek private funding.”

The city has $500,000 in 2006 SPLOST money earmarked for 10 tennis courts and Smith said that would make good seed money.

Rome City Manager John Bennett agreed. “Our plan all along as been to make those 10 courts part of a larger tennis center.”

Local officials originally were eyeing a spot on Riverside Parkway and talking about a center with as many as three dozen courts. But Smith says more calls were coming in from events looking for venues with more than 50 courts.

“We were originally looking at a facility that could generate $5-6 million a year. But by adding another 20 courts we could more than double the economic impact.”

Richard Garland, RFPRA executive director, says he sees great potential in the proposed partnership and the facility that could result. “In terms of both the design work that has already been done and the future potential of student assistance with operations and maintenance, this plan represents the most viable option we have seen for making a tennis complex of this type a reality in Rome and Floyd County.”

Tennis City

“Building on Rome’s already considerable reputation in tennis circles, the proposed facility could make Greater Rome a major tennis destination for players,” said Smith.

USTA’s Christian said he thinks Rome is the ideal spot for such a center.

“There are events out there looking for a facility of that caliber,” said Christian. “People are key. Rome has people that year in and year out prove it. You have a reputation for running great tennis events.”

He said with that track record, the collaborative public-private spirit here and the proposed tennis complex that Rome “could write your own ticket” on major tennis events.

Bill Thornton, past president of the Coosa Valley Tennis Association, said the center would be a major asset to Rome. “With 55 courts you could host a national event on site. It would be a great draw.”

But Smith and Thornton stress the tennis center would be for all tennis players, not just big events.

“It would mean we could host the major events and still have enough courts for league and recreational tennis,” said Thornton.

Those involved say they hope the facility could be open by the time the Armuchee Connector is completed in 2011. For that to happen, Poe said, construction would have to start by late 2010.