Gwinnett Acquires Stone Mountain Tennis Center
Share this post by emailBy Camie Young
Senior Writer
Gwinnett Daily Post
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
LAWRENCEVILLE - An Olympic venue will become a county park.
Commissioners agreed Tuesday to operate the Stone Mountain Tennis Center, though the center’s 8,000-seat stadium will be demolished before the county takes over the location.
“That’s the gateway to our county along (U.S. Highway) 78,” Commissioner Mike Beaudreau said. “It’s a really good thing.”
For a decade after the Olympics, the Stone Mountain Memorial Association attempted to bring success to the center, but after a $1.5 million loss on a tournament in 1997 and annual losses of $200,000, it was padlocked two years ago.
Recently, officials attempted to market the stadium as a potential concert venue, but Curtis Branscome, CEO of the association, said there were no takers.
“We just couldn’t make it work, so we wanted to get some use out of it,” Branscome said. “I would rather it be successful and useful and functional.”
Built for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, the stadium had water leakage problems and had a high cost to maintain, Branscome said.
The 15 tennis courts, though, are in good shape, and Branscome said the county parks department, which has experience in running tennis facilities, will be better suited to managing the center.
Commissioners engaged in a 50-year lease with the association, at a cost of $1 a year. Branscome said the 24.5 acres must remain a recreational venue, but the association has approval rights for any further development of a park.
Phil Hoskins, director of Gwinnett’s community services department, said the county will take over the tennis center on Jan. 1, but it would likely open to the public in mid-2010.
History:
• Stone Mountain Tennis Center Improvements Cut - CorinthHills.org March, 2009
• RaiseTheRoofGwinnett.com - CorinthHills.org December, 2007
• Stone Mountain Tennis Center - Wikipedia
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3 Responses To “Gwinnett Acquires Stone Mountain Tennis Center”
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Adobe Acrobat
May 20th, 2009 at 9:29 AM
I wish they could make the tennis center an amphitheater like in Suwannee with a nice park surrounding it. I am just not sure how much space is around the center.
May 21st, 2009 at 8:33 AM
I meant to include this in the history segment:
ATLANTA — (SportsWire) — June 9, 1999
The NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons have signed a letter of intent to pursue moving the team’s headquarters and training facilities from Suwanee, Georgia, to Stone Mountain Park in suburban Atlanta. The agreement was made between the Falcons and Silver Dollar City, Inc., and includes responsibilities from Knoxville-based developer Partners & Associates, the Stone Mountain Memorial Association, and DeKalb County. The facility would open for the 2000 season.
The move would make the Falcons the first professional sports team to house its offices and practice facilities at a major attraction. Stone Mountain Park attracts four million visitors annually, making it Atlanta’s (and Georgia’s) most popular attraction. The Park is owned by the State of Georgia and operated by Silver Dollar City, Inc., through a long term lease with the Stone Mountain Memorial Association. The commitment to the Falcons is part of an effort to upgrade the attractions within the park and build attendance to six million.
“We believe a move to Stone Mountain Park could provide Atlanta with the showcase facility in the NFL,” Falcons president Taylor Smith said. “Having a setting that already attracts four million people gives us some unique marketing opportunities. Also, to be located in a natural setting at the base of one of the world’s natural wonders provides a very dramatic setting for our home.”
The initial plan is for a 70,000 square-foot building that will include the Falcons offices as well as locker rooms and workout facilities. The site will also include three outdoor fields and one domed practice area. A Falcons/NFL museum and other Falcons related attractions are also being considered as a part of the sports complex.
Under the terms of a proposed contract, the team would lease a 30-acre tract of land that was formerly part of the old Stone Mountain Airport, which has been closed since 1996. The site is between West Park Place and Bermuda Road, near the Olympic Tennis Center, and within the boundaries of the Stone Mountain Park.
The letter of intent provides for a period of time for the developer to meet a selection of objectives, including successfully marketing sponsorships and naming rights. Says John Russell, vice president & project manager of Partners & Associates,” The combination of the Atlanta Falcons and Stone Mountain creates unique and unusual marketing opportunities that can be leveraged to benefit promotionally oriented businesses. Sponsorship contracts will, in turn help to finance the construction of the facility.”
Silver Dollar City, Inc. won the long-term lease of Stone Mountain Park in a State conducted competitive bid process completed in 1997. In addition to significant capital improvements to the property that have already been completed since the acquisition of the lease, Silver Dollar City officials estimate that an additional $50,000,000 to $75,000,000 will be invested at the property by their company over the next three to five years. “We are obviously very committed to this property,” says Ned Stancliff, Senior Vice President of Silver Dollar City. “We believe that Stone Mountain has the potential to be a national caliber destination attraction, and our association with Falcons can help us to achieve that goal.”
Silver Dollar City’s landlord agrees. “We are excited about the partnership between Silver Dollar City and the Falcons” says Curtis Branscome, chief executive officer of the Stone Mountain Memorial Association. “It is one that can be good, not only for SDC and the Park, but also for the Stone Mountain community, DeKalb County and the City of Atlanta.”
In addition to SDC and SMMA, DeKalb County was instrumental in the negotiations resulting in the Letter of Intent.
“I am delighted that the Falcons are considering DeKalb County as the home for its new training facility,” said DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Liane Levetan. “We would welcome the Falcons as part of our DeKalb family. Their presence at Stone Mountain Park will certainly add to this outstanding, world-class park and its current attractions.”
The arrangement was actively endorsed by the Atlanta Sports Council, the Metropolitan Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the DeKalb County Development Board, the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, the DeKalb Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism.
May 22nd, 2009 at 5:17 AM
I don’t understand Beaudreau. He appears to be the only decent one of the bunch, but I still don’t know if I’ll vote for him again. He claims that he struggled with his decision to vote for the stadium project. I want a commissioner that goes with his gut. Mr. Beaudreau, how much is this tennis center project going to cost us? Demolition, maintenance? Beaudreau recently fought the BoC on another greenspace purchase and was the only opposing vote. He seems to be all over the place.