A formal economic impact study is under way on a proposed 74-court tennis complex, but officials estimate the $13 million facility could bring in as much as $20 million a year to the community.

The latest design of the mega tennis center boasts 60 regulation courts, including six stadium courts and four covered courts, plus 14 smaller QuickStart

courts for children. A 12,000-square-foot clubhouse would anchor the complex.

“This would be the largest facility in the country, and maybe the world,” said Lisa Smith, executive director of the Greater Rome Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We get about a $6 million-a-year impact from tennis now, but this could bring us a nationally known tournament like the Davis Cup and open us up for Southeastern states and collegiate sports.”

The players already in the game: Berry College, Rome, Floyd County, the three-county Coosa Valley Tennis Association, the United States Tennis Association and anonymous private donors. Backup is also expected from the state of Georgia and corporate sponsors.

Berry has offered a 30-acre site behind Mount Berry Square mall where the Armuchee Connector is under construction, along with students in its work experience program to operate and manage the complex.

The local consortium pulled in experts from the USTA to design the tennis center to make it suitable to host major tournaments in addition to local league and community play.

The QuickStart courts in the most recent design add more focus on youth tennis. QuickStart Tennis is the USTA’s format for learning tennis, designed to bring kids into the game by utilizing specialized equipment, shorter court dimensions and modified scoring, all tailored to age and size for children younger than 10.

“It makes sense to have something like this in Rome,” said Scott Bentley, president of the CVTA, which has committed to help with raising the money. “Geographically, we sit almost in the middle of the Southern Tennis Association. That’s nine states.”

Floyd County would build and own the recreation facility, which would put it in line for state and federal economic development grants.

County Manager Kevin Poe and City Manager John Bennett are among the public officials who have spent months researching the potential benefits.

“This is the first project I can remember where it won’t matter that we’re not on the interstate,” Bennett said. “And tourism is a clean industry.”

Bentley said tournaments now held in Rome “fill up every hotel room within a 50-mile radius,” so the benefit would spread throughout the region.

“That makes it even more attractive to the state to help,” he said.

Once the economic impact study is in hand, Bentley said, fundraising can start in earnest.

“The proposed timeline is three to four years,” he said. “I realize we’re looking at a depressed economy, but what better time to bring this to our area?”

A separate initiative dreamed up by Smith would have the county offer incentives for retail hospitality projects, similar to the incentive program in place for industries.

“It would have to be something like a theme park or a major hotel conference center,” she said. “This is not being done in Georgia, and it would position us to go out and get what we want.”

A prime location would be on the proposed Armuchee Connector near the tennis complex, she said, although other sites could be targeted as well.

Smith has organized a Dec. 2 meeting to start examining the concept. Committee members include representatives from the Rome City and Floyd County commissions, the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission and the Georgia departments of economic development and community affairs.

What the center will offer

The big brown building is the clubhouse.

Four courts below the clubhouse are covered courts.

The six courts to the left of clubhouse are stadium courts.

The 14 small and mid-size courts to the top closest to clubhouse are QuickStart courts.

The other 50 are uncovered tennis courts.