New tennis center planned for Roswell, GA

B

brettatk

Semi-Pro
I heard on the news this morning that there are plans for a new tennis, pickeball, and fitness center to be built in Roswell, GA. Roswell is about 20 miles or so North of downtown Atlanta. The Krause family, who lost their daughter to cancer a few years ago, will name the center after her and will be providing the funds to build the center. It will consist of more than 135 tennis courts, including 80 clay courts making it the biggest clay court center in the nation as well as having an indoor facility.

This is huge news for the surrounding areas. They hope to have the first phase completed by Summer/Fall 2019. Hopefully USTA will consider moving a few of their Southern State/Sectional tournaments to this center. It would be more centrally located and much easier to access than some of the places they currently use.

newsEngin.22728858_Angela-Krause-Center---Concept-Rendering---JPG.jpg


Here is an article I found earlier this morning. I'm sure there will be more to come.

https://www.ajc.com/business/roswel...rnational-destination/1THyMktVJbltUHYiDB5N4K/
 
Last edited:
S

ShaunS

Semi-Pro
Wow, that is an impressive plan. I do wonder how some of these mega-centers manage to get enough large events to support that kind of dense footprint though.
 
OnTheLine

OnTheLine

Hall of Fame
ShaunS said:
Wow, that is an impressive plan. I do wonder how some of these mega-centers manage to get enough large events to support that kind of dense footprint though.
Click to expand...

Very neat and ambitious plan!

They are going to support it I bet with a junior academy as the primary revenue stream ... if they then have a robust adult league program with the clinics to go with it ...

Parking lot doesn't look big enough ....

And glad to see the p-ball courts sequestered over by the road and away from the civilized area. ;)
 
kimguroo

kimguroo

Legend
Nooooooooooo.
If they build Tennis center there, They have to take away MTB bike trails which is one of the best MTB bike trails in GA. I don’t understand why they pick big creek park since the place is very active MTB bike trail.
My wife sent the article and I was so excited then I saw the place and started wondering that there is no way to build this facility without taking away MTB bike trails. Visit one of MTB organization facebook and they said Tennis facility will take away most of MTB trails. If big creek MTB Park is inactive, I might agree to have another facilities but it’s very active MTB bike trails. Really I don’t understand how this thing happens since Roswell is very bike friendly city.
Looks like the vote was already passed and they are okay to build......
too bad news for MTB bikers in GA T_T
 
Last edited:
kimguroo

kimguroo

Legend
Holcomb Bridge Road to Old Alabama Road is already congested intersection. City of Roswell tried everything but they can not solve the problem.
MTB trail should be saved. City of Roswell does not need this huge tennis facility.
They should convert Roswell park to smaller version of this facility with paved hiking trail.
 
B

brettatk

Semi-Pro
I'm sure it all came down to money. A smaller complex built recently in Rome, GA projected a $30-$50 million dollar annual economic boost. This one should bring in considerably more for the city of Roswell. It stinks that they going to wipe out MTB trails but perhaps they'll relocate them to another part of the city if possible.
 
Last edited:
W

WhiteOut

Semi-Pro
sureshs said:
That should be looked into carefully. Foliage should be selected for maximum sound absorption.
Click to expand...

could even build ~5ft high grassy mounds around the outer court line where the tree line is rendered. would be great for spectators to be able to sit in the grass/shade of trees in both directions to enjoy watching their respective players' matches. would also help block wind.
 
W

WhiteOut

Semi-Pro
I so wish my city had an outdoor public and lit tennis facility like this, or the one I've played at The Plaza in KC...doesn't have to be massive like this GA one...even 8 courts would be great for goodness' sake...
 
ace18

ace18

Professional
one of my teammates is one of the partners in this. he said the city council meeting, open vote, is Monday, August 13th at 7 pm at City Hall in Roswell. And we should get as many people as we can to show up, in tennis clothes.
 
woodje12

woodje12

Rookie
Dang a few of you beat me to it. My title was going to be Game, Set, Match for Atlanta Tennis.

Wow this would be amazing especially since it's predominantly clay. Would especially be helpful for ATLA instead of having to play championships out of Sandy Springs or the Dekalb Tennis Center (the Pyramid). Maybe they would start playing some later stage playoff matches there which would make it more enjoyable than just the finals.

Of course I doubt USTA would take advantage of it. Instead of leveraging the also outstanding Rome complex, they use Valdosta (just miles from the FL border and far, far away from the population center of the state...not to mention a little toasty in August???). Mind-boggling but about to head down for Mixed State Championship...

As for the MTB, I can sympathize with that and would not be surprised if this gets scaled back somewhat. I'm not sure 135 courts is really necessary. Even half that could comfortably hold most tournaments with room to spare.

FYI there's a little more info in this article:
https://patch.com/georgia/roswell/135-court-tennis-center-planned-roswell
 
kimguroo

kimguroo

Legend
Roswell park already has at least 12 courts and many subdivisions have tennis courts.
East Roswell park has 8 courts and mostly empty (The reason might be almost every subdivisions has their own courts).

Also Old Alabama road is two way road. Having 135 courts will cause huge in and out traffic and the road does not have space to make four way road.

In my opinion, they should convert Roswell park to smaller version (about 60 courts).
 
kimguroo

kimguroo

Legend
woodje12 said:
As for the MTB, I can sympathize with that and would not be surprised if this gets scaled back somewhat. I'm not sure 135 courts is really necessary. Even half that could comfortably hold most tournaments with room to spare.

FYI there's a little more info in this article:
https://patch.com/georgia/roswell/135-court-tennis-center-planned-roswell
Click to expand...

They will take away 2/3 of MTB trails.
Big creek MTB trail is well maintained and very active MTB trail in GA.
There is no reason to take away popular MTB trails and convert to largest tennis facility.
I am against this. Definitely I will vote for “no” for this.
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
ace18 said:
one of my teammates is one of the partners in this. he said the city council meeting, open vote, is Monday, August 13th at 7 pm at City Hall in Roswell. And we should get as many people as we can to show up, in tennis clothes.
Click to expand...

I have alerted the two gentlemen below and they are showing up in pickleball clothes:

laguna-del-sol-play.jpg
 
B

brettatk

Semi-Pro
I hate to say it again but money is going to win out every time. How much revenue are the MTB trails making the city compared to the $50 million the tennis facility will bring in? I really can sympathize with you about losing something you are passionate about. Perhaps if residents of Roswell could actually vote on this then the outcome might be a different one.
 
kimguroo

kimguroo

Legend
brettatk said:
I hate to say it but money is going to win out every time. How much revenue are the MTB trails making the city compared to the $50 million the tennis facility will bring in? I really can sympathize with you about losing something you are passionate about. Perhaps if residents of Roswell could actually vote on this then the outcome might be a different one.
Click to expand...
MTB trails do not make any money. It’s not about money. Also I am more passionate about tennis than Bike but the place is special for MTB trails. I believe Roswell residents will vote “no” and reject this proposal.
It will cause so many problems especially traffic. Old Alabama road is too small to do any expansion and has heavy traffic.
 
T

tennis tom

Legend
How will this complex generate income? In my area there are many public and club courts going empty, maybe it's different in this area. Personally, it seems very impersonal to me--kinda' like the Costco of tennis complexes. You'll probably get a good warm-up in wending your way out to your court--maybe they'll have golf carts.
 
Last edited:
MathGeek

MathGeek

Hall of Fame
tennis tom said:
How will this complex generate income? In my area there are many empty public and club courts empty, maybe it's different in this area. Personally it seems very impersonal to me--kinda' like the Costco of tennis complexes. You'll probably get a good warm-up in weeding your way out to your court.
Click to expand...

I've seen many woefully underutilized tennis courts in the greater Atlanta area. Maybe the clay would be a game changer. I'm often in the greater Atlanta area for consulting work, and I'd probably drive 40 minutes once a week for a clay court if they were $20 or less for a weekday evening match.

I also hate to see good MTB trails go. The MTB trails I've ridden in greater ATL get a lot more use than the tennis courts, and use is steady through the week. But ultimately, I'm a believer in our republic. If the people in the town approve the tennis courts as the use of the public land, then it should be tennis courts. The county I spend most time in NE GA had decreased public tennis courts and put in MTB bike trails in the past 5 years.

Even in the tennis Mecca of greater Atlanta, tennis seems to be in a gradual decline. Hopefully, the clay courts will generate more interest and provide a venue for older folks to play longer with fewer injuries. But even if this facility succeeds, I see at least an equal number of hard courts in surrounding areas becoming underutilized and falling into disrepair. Dunno about Roswell, but Gwinnett, Hall, and Athens-Clarke are rapidly turning to other sports-I see more soccer than tennis on some local courts.
 
Moveforwardalways

Moveforwardalways

Hall of Fame
tennis tom said:
How will this complex generate income? In my area there are many empty public and club courts empty, maybe it's different in this area. Personally it seems very impersonal to me--kinda' like the Costco of tennis complexes. You'll probably get a good warm-up in weeding your way out to your court.
Click to expand...

Trust me. It will be packed.
 
bcart1991

bcart1991

Professional
As an avid tennis player and MTB'er in the Atlanta area, this is a poorly-chosen location for this complex.

The Big Creek Greenway is heavily utilized by locals and non-locals, and the roadway is not ready for big traffic numbers. There are many already-paved locations that could be used for this tennis center. Erasing half of a large recreational area is a detriment to the area.

They just tore down the Stone Mtn complex from the Olympics from non-use, and there are a few other large tennis complexes in the area (N Fulton, Bitsy Grant, Chastain Park, etc.). No real need for this other than to fatten local politician's pockets.
 
G

Gemini

Hall of Fame
The only way I can see a facility of this size sustaining itself is by hosting a large number of year round entry-fee tournaments along with attracting a decent base of ALTA/USTA teams and leagues. The clay courts would be nice for those older players that want gentler playing conditions but I don't see this place sustaining itself on the general public alone. I'd love to see clay courts that are well-maintained and not mere dust bowls like some that I've played on here in Atlanta.
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
Gemini said:
The only way I can see a facility of this size sustaining itself is by hosting a large number of year round entry-fee tournaments along with attracting a decent base of ALTA/USTA teams and leagues. The clay courts would be nice for those older players that want gentler playing conditions but I don't see this place sustaining itself on the general public alone. I'd love to see clay courts that are well-maintained and not mere dust bowls like some that I've played on here in Atlanta.
Click to expand...

Will they end up competing for national events with the USTA NTC in Orlando, with both centers suffering? Many junior and college tournaments, like the NCAA finals, are being held there. Georgia and Florida are next to each other. I hope the two centers don't cannibalize each other.
 
G

Gemini

Hall of Fame
sureshs said:
Will they end up competing for national events with the USTA NTC in Orlando, with both centers suffering? Many junior and college tournaments, like the NCAA finals, are being held there. Georgia and Florida are next to each other. I hope the two centers don't cannibalize each other.
Click to expand...

No. Florida weather year round is better than Georgia weather when it comes to tennis. Also, Atlanta/Roswell is not Orlando for obvious reasons. I can see the Roswell facility being a regular host for a number of Southern sectional events. You could host junior and adult tournaments of various classifications all at once with that number of courts.
 
MathGeek

MathGeek

Hall of Fame
Gemini said:
No. Florida weather year round is better than Georgia weather when it comes to tennis. Also, Atlanta/Roswell is not Orlando for obvious reasons. I can see the Roswell facility being a regular host for a number of Southern sectional events. You could host junior and adult tournaments of various classifications all at once with that number of courts.
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong, N GA has it's share of hot and humid summer days. But from May-Sept, I'll take the weather in N GA over Orlando.
 
G

Gemini

Hall of Fame
MathGeek said:
Don't get me wrong, N GA has it's share of hot and humid summer days. But from May-Sept, I'll take the weather in N GA over Orlando.
Click to expand...

That may be the case..but N. GA is not really a resort town either. Disney and all the surrounding venues are a selling point that Roswell/Atlanta does not have. But overall, you get more days of play overall year round in central Florida due to relatively warmer temps in the winter.
 
kimguroo

kimguroo

Legend
bcart1991 said:
As an avid tennis player and MTB'er in the Atlanta area, this is a poorly-chosen location for this complex.

The Big Creek Greenway is heavily utilized by locals and non-locals, and the roadway is not ready for big traffic numbers. There are many already-paved locations that could be used for this tennis center. Erasing half of a large recreational area is a detriment to the area.

They just tore down the Stone Mtn complex from the Olympics from non-use, and there are a few other large tennis complexes in the area (N Fulton, Bitsy Grant, Chastain Park, etc.). No real need for this other than to fatten local politician's pockets.
Click to expand...
Strongly I agree.
I lived in the area for more than 10 years.
I moved about 5 years ago but still in the same area (probably 2-3min from The proposal place).
Honestly I am not affected by anything but I want to preserve big creek area instead of massive tennis center.
East Roswell tennis center has 8 courts and not busy. Most of surrounded areas have tennis courts.
They said they will always reserve courts for residents but reality is much less Roswell residents will be there since their court fee will be much higher than Roswell city public tennis courts which is $3 (usually per night if courts are not busy). Still decent amount of people shows up free hour for Roswell public tennis courts.
I strongly think they will charge at least $5 per a hour for resident so it will be easily paying $10-15 per a night.
This one will be very risky and too big to be fail since they can not restore the area like before, if something goes bad.

I thought residents can vote but it will be open vote for city council so very likely they will pass the proposal.....
 
Tee1Up

Tee1Up

Rookie
It will probably end up like all of the other Atlanta courts, have a big USTA Jr tournament, play 1 match at 8 am and then play your next match at 6 pm. Gotta get those ALTA matches in.
 
Chingoo1255

Chingoo1255

Rookie
I mountain biked there and it is a nice park. I'd rather it stay that way and bring the clay courts to Duluth-ish. Old Alabama is too congested as it is and there aren't enough courts in Duluth as it is. I'm sure it'd be full just like Hudlow is in JCB. it's just too bad it's too far for me to go to Roswell to play all the time.
 
Moveforwardalways

Moveforwardalways

Hall of Fame
1. There is a lack of public clay courts in the Atlanta area, and this fills that gap.

2. Would not shock me to see the Atlanta Open 500 ATP event move here (and onto clay) from Atlantic Station. Atlantic Station is a suboptimal tennis venue, and this facility promises to be world class. I wonder what the stadium/show court will look like. If they preserve many of the older growth trees from BCG right there, this could be one of the more beautiful tennis facilities in the country.
 
P

philxor

Rookie
I'm an avid tennis player and certainly play tennis more than I mountain bike but as a resident who lives about 1/4 mile from this location it's a terrible idea. I've used the area since I moved here in 2007 and it's one of the great benefits of this area of East Roswell. The place is packed all day on the weekends with all ages of riders.

There is huge opposition to this with Roswell residents, with very little actual support. There is a change.org petition (which I signed) that has almost 14K signatures in 2 days and there will be hundreds of people showing up on Monday at the council meeting in opposition. My guess is they will postpone any voting on it for 30 days to get more community feedback.

They could certainly build a smaller version of this elsewhere, like one of the abandoned shopping centers in Roswell.
 
kimguroo

kimguroo

Legend
Someone in Facebook calculated how many courts are near the area.
It was about 5 miles radius, the person found about 290 courts. They try to sell with 80 clay courts but hard to believe that anyone tries to travel 30-40min to Roswell since there are several clay courts in their areas.
there will be no stadium or bigger courts so impossible to have ATP level tournaments.
Also if they can host ATP level tournaments, the traffic will be disaster.

city Council members will vote so It might pass but residents will try to block this as much as possible.
Unfortunately, if city tries to sell this land, it won’t be able to preserve this green area in the future.
I hate to say this but I prefer to see Tennis center instead of other developments.

In my opinion, convert East Roswell park might be better idea. It will be smaller but they can do at least 60-80 courts with rearranging soccer and softball fields. Probably disk golf space has to go though.
It will boost east Roswell economy since many businesses do not do well there.
 
kimguroo

kimguroo

Legend
The project was canceled.
Glad the the Mayor hears voice of Roswell residents.
After thursday’s Surprising news, people started to organize and gather information.
There were almost 25000 petition signed, very doubtful information was revealed about this project (not sure those info were accurate though).
Hope this area is preserved forever.

Looks like they will continue to explore possibilities though.
Converting east Roswell park might be one possible place but not sure their residents will agree since it’s quiet neighborhood.
 
J

jcgatennismom

Hall of Fame
The metro area could use more public clay and indoor courts so hopefully a downscaled project in a different location is still an option. I dont think the original scale could have been supported with the large facility in Rome too. Current southern clay junior tourneys have been played in Hilton Head or in Columbus, Birmingham, etc. Of course national clays are played in Florida. Dont know where adults tourneys are played. For some reason those areas in GA/AL have more public clay courts than Atlanta. Players practicing for clay tourneys that dont want to drive to Sandy Springs or dont train at a pricey academy or private club with clay have had to rely on the generosity of friends who live in gated communities with clay courts. Having public clay courts N of the Perimeter would be great for juniors and adults who want an easier workout for their joints.

A downscaled project could also promote high level junior tennis in Roswell. At least 1/3 of the top juniors in the southern section come from the Atlanta area but most live and/or train either inside Atlanta, off the 141 corridor-Norcross,Johns Creek/Alpharetta/Cumming area or Cobb County (Marietta). The 4 star and better players that live in Roswell usually train elsewhere. In spite of all the adult interest in tennis in Atlanta and tons of juniors, talented coaches come here and leave because players are spread over too many academies. There are also international pros and juniors that come here to train. Having a site with a lot of clay courts could attract others who currently are training in Hilton Head or Florida.
 
West Coast Ace

West Coast Ace

G.O.A.T.
130 courts? I love tennis and I think that’s a joke.

Having said that, I would have flown in to hit on the red clay; hope they find a more suitable location that doesn’t ruin someone else’s recreation and build a more reasonably sized venue.
 
atp2015

atp2015

Hall of Fame
West Coast Ace said:
130 courts? I love tennis and I think that’s a joke.

Having said that, I would have flown in to hit on the red clay; hope they find a more suitable location that doesn’t ruin someone else’s recreation and build a more reasonably sized venue.
Click to expand...

Apparently they settled on zero courts at the moment.
 
kimguroo

kimguroo

Legend
atp2015 said:
The city of Roswell does not like tennis ?

http://amp.fox5atlanta.com/news/city-of-roswell-cancels-70m-tennis-center-plan
Click to expand...

We love tennis but we don’t need 135 courts which need to demolish green area.
The area is one of the most active MTB trails and monthly visitors are very high rates.
Also traffic is too bad since Old Alabama road is two way road and there is no space to add or expand additional road. Someone calculated tennis courts and we already have over 60 courts within a 4 mile radius of Big Creek.

City of Roswell announced this massive project on Thursday without hearing from public and tried to vote this proposal on Monday. Residents were very upset about this process and over 25000 petition was signed.
Many people worked diligently and found questionable info regarding on this project.
Looks like krause family decided to pull this project because of negativity From Roswell residents. They made right decision in my opinion.

Unfortunately city spokeswoman stated that “park where the tennis center would be built had long been part of a master plan that included an arts center, an aquatic center and other construction. The city never intended to keep it wooded forever, she said.”

Looks like more organizations have clear goals to keep this area as it is now and this will be huge issue for next mayor election.

Also why Fox News said the development cost was 70mils instead of 50mils???
20 mils difference is huge. I believe original plan was 50 mils proposal.
 
Last edited:
B

brettatk

Semi-Pro
I was for the tennis center but after hearing that this has been in plans for almost a year and they just let the word out a couple of days before the council was going to vote on it, I think the Krause family made the right decision to withdraw. That shows how much they care about the city of Roswell since it almost certainly would have passed if it had gone to a vote. Perhaps they can find another location even if it is on a smaller scale. I also heard what kimguroo said about the park is eventually going to be built on. The intention was to never keep it like it is currently. It will take a monument effort to save that green space forever.
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
It would be interesting to see if the money would be forthcoming if the tennis center was not allowed to carry anybody's name.

Personally, I am against naming any public facility after individuals, including the case when the individuals were directly connected to the facility or excelled in the activity. Political and social winds come and go, and it becomes a problem down the road.
 
S

sovertennis

Professional
kimguroo said:
Nooooooooooo.
If they build Tennis center there, They have to take away MTB bike trails which is one of the best MTB bike trails in GA. I don’t understand why they pick big creek park since the place is very active MTB bike trail.
My wife sent the article and I was so excited then I saw the place and started wondering that there is no way to build this facility without taking away MTB bike trails. Visit one of MTB organization facebook and they said Tennis facility will take away most of MTB trails. If big creek MTB Park is inactive, I might agree to have another facilities but it’s very active MTB bike trails. Really I don’t understand how this thing happens since Roswell is very bike friendly city.
Looks like the vote was already passed and they are okay to build......
too bad news for MTB bikers in GA T_T
Click to expand...

I compete in their annual MTB race last year, and agree that the trails are terrific and it's sad that all that forest will be plowed under to build tennis courts.
 
kimguroo

kimguroo

Legend
sovertennis said:
I compete in their annual MTB race last year, and agree that the trails are terrific and it's sad that all that forest will be plowed under to build tennis courts.
Click to expand...
Krause family withdrew the plan so The area will be preserved for a moment. Unfortunately city members keep trying to get rid of the area. This will be big issue for Next election.
 
Big_Dangerous

Big_Dangerous

Talk Tennis Guru
OnTheLine said:
Very neat and ambitious plan!

They are going to support it I bet with a junior academy as the primary revenue stream ... if they then have a robust adult league program with the clinics to go with it ...

Parking lot doesn't look big enough ....

And glad to see the p-ball courts sequestered over by the road and away from the civilized area. ;)
Click to expand...

Lol, it does appear that way, but then again courts will take up a lot more space - I mean if you have 50 courts, even a parking lot with 150-200 spaces would seem small.
 
Big_Dangerous

Big_Dangerous

Talk Tennis Guru
sureshs said:
It would be interesting to see if the money would be forthcoming if the tennis center was not allowed to carry anybody's name.

Personally, I am against naming any public facility after individuals, including the case when the individuals were directly connected to the facility or excelled in the activity. Political and social winds come and go, and it becomes a problem down the road.
Click to expand...

So I take it you aren't a fan of the Billie Jean King Nat'l Tennis Center, The Rafa Nadal Academy, The Bollettieri/IMG Academy, The Evert Academy, etc.?
 
Nacho

Nacho

Hall of Fame
I mean, I always applaud the dedication and money put towards tennis, but a center of this magnitude in Atlanta seems a little extreme. Does Atlanta really have a need for this many courts? I would always rather see money go to improvements to historic public facilities or to promote college tennis rather then a facility to cannibalize other facilities in the area. But, money to tennis is always a good thing, its the only way the sport survives with the USTA running things
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

TW Staff
*Alpharetta/Roswell GA Players!* TW + Wilson Clash Bus Tour Event *2.14.19*
Replies
23
Views
1K
mad dog1
mad dog1
TW Staff
TW + Wilson Clash Tour Bus EVENT 2.14.19 (attn: Alpharetta/Roswell, Georgia RESIDENTS)!
Replies
18
Views
1K
TW Staff
TW Staff
Nacho
Abbreviated scoring and Bitsy Grant Tennis Center, Atlanta, Georgia
2
Replies
66
Views
3K
Nacho
Nacho
NonP
UTS Court Speed Ratings for Grand Slam Tournaments Since 1991
2
Replies
61
Views
3K
Silverbullet96
Silverbullet96
Ft.S
JTCC Holiday Doubles Championship
Replies
15
Views
908
dsp9753
dsp9753
Top