USTA executive director Gordon Smith touts proposed tennis center during speech to Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce
7 months ago | 2080 views | 5 
| 18 
| 
| 
| 18 | |
What you're seeing: The big brown building is the clubhouse. The 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 above and closest to clubhouse are QuickStart courts for teaching children the game.The other 50 are uncovered tennis courts.
Aerial view of the proposed Tennis Center of Georgia and the Armuchee Connector (contributed)
King and Queen Salon owner Regina Rainwater reacts to having her business honored Thursday night at The Forum as the Small Business of the Year by the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce. (Doug Walker, RN-T)
New Chamber Board Chairman Harry Brock (left) greets attorney Scott Smith on Thursday. (Doug Walker, RN-T)
Gordon Smith checks out one of his slides during his speech. (Doug Walker, RN-T)
Smith, a Rome native, provided three primary reasons that such a facility near Mount Berry Square mall makes perfect sense for Rome, Floyd County and the whole state of Georgia.
The tennis center would be good for business. A study conducted by the University of Georgia indicates that at the low end, the facility would bring $15 million in direct economic benefits to the Rome area.
The Mobile, Ala., tennis center is expected to bring $40 million to the Gulf Coast city in 2010. Birmingham, Ala., hosted the 2009 USTA Southern Sectionals and estimated that one event alone brought more than $5 million to the city.
Smith said the second reason it makes sense to bring the nation’s largest tennis center to Rome is that Rome is already a well-respected tennis community. The new facility would simply build on Rome’s history and reputation as a first-tier host city for significant tournaments.
Finally, Smith said tennis is a booming sport. He produced data from two different studies. One study, commissioned by the USTA, estimates tennis grew to more than 30 million active players in 2009. That represents 25-percent growth since 2003. The sport added seven million new players last year alone and participation is up in every major ethnic group.
A second study commissioned by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association indicates that the number of tennis players in America is up 43 percent from 2000 to 2008.
Smith, a former captain of the University of Georgia tennis team, said the number of courts being proposed for the Rome complex is critical to lure major events.
He also said that even during most tournaments, court space would still be available for the casual player.
Also during the chamber’s annual meeting:
Rome’s King and Queen Salon was named Small Business of the Year. Located at 172 Shorter Ave. in the MidTown Crossing shopping center, King and Queen Salon has been a member of the Greater Rome Chamber for more than 30 years.
King and Queen was recognized for its strong support of both the community and the chamber.
Owner Regina Rainwater has been a strong supporter of programs to heighten awareness of breast cancer problems and has been a major fundraiser for breast cancer awareness programs in recent years. “I do love giving back. My industry has been incredibly good to me,” said Rainwater.
Seven other firms were also nominated for Small Business of the year; AT&T All Wireless, The Catering Company at the Palladium, Lieberman Family Chiropractic, Old Havana Cigar Company, Service Master by Twins, Traditions of Rome and Right at Home of Northwest Georgia.
Todd Kelley with Rome’s United Community Bank was honored as the chamber’s Ambassador of the Year.
Kelley is a regular at ribbon cuttings, after-hours events and was the top producer during the chamber’s annual membership campaign in 2009.
Local attorney David Smith, a partner in the Smith, Haley and Lewis firm, was recognized as the winner of the Wesley Johnson Leadership Award. Smith has been active in a variety of community organizations and was the driving force behind construction of the handicapped-accessible treehouse that was built last year at Ridge Ferry Park.
Harry Brock is the new chairman of the chamber board, accepting the gavel from David Newby.
“There’s a place for you. Our membership needs to get involved,” said Brock.
“In the tough economy it is easy to let fear overcome us and we fail to see the opportunities that help us rise to new heights,” Newby told the business leaders from across the community.
The Chamber of Commerce’s executive committee for 2010 includes Brock; Greg Sumner of Professional Screening and Information Inc., vice chairman of membership and chair-elect; Lamante Attaud of TENDO Technologies, vice chairman of business and professional services; Angie Lewis of Citizens First Bank, vice chairwoman of government relations; Curtis Hart of Georgia Power, vice chairman of economic development; James “Doc” Kibler of State Mutual Insurance, vice chairman of community development; Newby of Profile Extrusion, immediate past chairman; Ron Tomlinson of the Coosa Valley Credit Union, treasurer; and Chamber President Al Hodge, corporate secretary.
The same argument was made when Rome Floyd tennis Center was built. Because of that facility millions of tax dollars are brought in from out of town. When tax revenue is brought in from out of town then that is tax revenue that does not have to be collected from you.