Augusta staffers fight investor’s plan for $80M tennis, pickleball complex
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Augusta municipal employees urged city leaders to reject a private developer’s plans to invest tens of millions of dollars by partnering with the city on a massive pickleball and tennis complex.
The committee of city officials feared it would endanger their plans for the Fleming Tennis Center.
It was the first time Commissioner Brandon Garrett could city officials trying to turn down an unsolicited proposal.
Augusta Commission on Tuesday didn’t follow the committee’s recommendation, but the commissioners didn’t say yes, either.
After pleas, Augusta leaders decide to let Diamond Lakes sparkle
Augusta Commission decided Tuesday to move forward with improvements at Diamond Lakes Park.
Instead, city Tameka Allen’s team, a finance team and the interim city attorney will meet with the investor and his legal team to discuss a path forward.
Investor Troy Akers came forward in February with the plan for his sports facility off Interstate 20 near Doctors Hospital.
He proposed 18 championship-size tennis courts and 48 pickleball courts – half of them indoors. He’d also like to build a hotel as part of the attraction, plus a 15,000-square-foot gym with a walking track.
The 18 tennis courts would be funded by the city, while the rest of the complex would be funded by the developer.
He says it amounts to an $80 million project, and he’s only asking for 10% from the city.
It would create 875 jobs by his estimation – 350 of them direct and 525 indirect.
Job hunt continues for some as summer begins in the CSRA
Whether it’s students looking for summer jobs, college grads hoping to start their career or parents relocating their family while school is out, summer is a busy time for those looking for a job in the CSRA.
And all he’s talking about so far is the first of six phases.
“Even if you’re not a pickleball or a tennis player, the amount of tax revenue that this project would bring would benefit everybody,” he told News 12 on Tuesday.
“This would bring hundreds of millions of dollars of economic development and investment throughout the course of the life of the project,” he said. “Just in a few years, we can be known for a lot of things. We can be known for golf and tennis and pickleball.”
MORE ABOUT THE PLAN:
His goal is to bring back tennis to Richmond County and introduce and grow kickball here, which he said “would put us on the map in the state.”
Pickleball is wildly popular and only growing – and Akers ought to know. He’s the same person behind the Dink’d indoor pickleball complex in Columbia County.
But his plans for Augusta are much bigger.
Still, a committee of city officials formed to evaluate the plan – officials from the Parks and Recreation, Housing and Community Development Department, Planning and Development and Finance departments as well as the City ’s Office – wants to snub the plan.
Georgia invaded by stinging ants that can send you to hospital
A venomous ant species known as the Asian needle ant is becoming more common in Georgia, and experts are warning residents to be on alert.
The committee said in a memo that its recommendation was made “after a thorough review.”
What’s behind that recommendation to turn down a private developer who wants to invest in the city, leasing the tennis courts to Augusta for only $1 as long as the city would pay for maintenence, taxes and utilities?
A memo from the committee indicates the officials were rankled by plans to fund the project with SPLOST 8 money redirected from the Newman Tennis Center. Instead, the city officials want to spend the money on repairing and resurfacing 18 existing tennis courts and making some other improvements there.
In any case, “SPLOST 8 funding was already approved by the Augusta voters and the governing body,” the committee wrote. “These funds cannot be reallocated.”
READ THE COMMITTEE’S MEMO:
The committee also apparently didn’t like the idea that the private management company for the new facility would also oversee some programs at the Fleming and Diamond Lakes tennis centers.
“The project’s viability is further questioned due to unknown projected revenues from sources to include rentals, tournament hosting fees, hips, pro shop sales, and hotel room rentals,” the committee wrote. “Lastly, the proposal puts at risk the future of Newman tennis center due to the request to redirect funding to the new proposed center.”
Akers thinks the committee has things wrong.
“The goal is not to take away tennis but to grow the sport,” he said.
Chick-fil-A is Georgia’s favorite fast-food chain, study finds
According to Google data, Georgia residents searched online for Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A more than other chains.
But he said the project will die if the city turns him down.
“I believe in Augusta. I believe in this commission. I believe in the mayor. More importantly, I believe in the voters and what they want to bring,” he said.
“The goal of this again is just to bring good things to Augusta, and we’re willing to keep the fight up as long as we can.”
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
