Charlotte reveals how much it could pay to land $400M River District tennis project
It’s an investment that could bring an event bigger than both the Wells Fargo Championship and the President’s Cup, one Charlotte councilman says.
Giving up to $70 million of city money in “Project Breakpoint,” a proposed tennis facility with public courts and stadium that would host the Western and Southern Open, would be an “ace” for Charlotte, Councilman Malcolm Graham said.
“It’s an international branding opportunity.” Graham said. “Those who are tennis players know for sure that in Charlotte ... there are no public clay courts available. This will create a public opportunity for players like me with bad knees to play on clay courts, which are better than hard courts.”
The Western and Southern Open, hosted now in the Cincinnati area, is one of the world’s most prestigious tennis tournaments. Tournament owners Beemok Capital, based in South Carolina, said during a presentation to city and county officials this month the event could have a $275 million economic impact and bring 350,000 people to Charlotte.
Beemok Capital pitched a $400 million public-private partnership to bring the tournament here. The project would include four stadiums, five additional match courts and a mix of hard, clay and indoor tennis and pickleball courts near the Catawba River in an area being branded The River District.
Beemok bought the rights to the tournament for several hundred million dollars and wants to expand the event from one to two weeks in 2025, Chief Operating Officer Ford Perry said.
The Western and Southern Open already attracts the world’s top men’s and women’s players, ranking just behind Grand Slam tournaments in prestige. A Charlotte location for the tournament would span 150 acres along the Catawba River and include 100 acres for parking.
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But Beemok officials said they want Mecklenburg County, the city of Charlotte and North Carolina to cover more than $130 million in costs for the project. It’s unclear how much Mecklenburg County and the state are willing to commit. Tracy Dodson, the city’s economic development director, said Charlotte can afford to commit between $60 million and $70 million.
“When we talk about public money, this is not your property tax or your sales tax or limited to that,” City Councilman Ed Driggs said. “I would expect to see a substantial portion payable from hospitality taxes that people pay when they stay in hotels and eat in restaurants.”
A battle between Queen cities
But there’s still a possibility the tournament could stay closer to a different Queen City — Cincinnati. Beemok officials say they’re also talking to other cities, but did not disclose which ones Monday night.
Officials from Mason, Ohio — the Cincinnati-area city that currently hosts the tournament — told the Cincinnati Enquirer earlier this month they’re working with the state to keep the tournament in Ohio.
The Ohio budget passed by House lawmakers in April also includes a one-time allocation of $22.5 million to keep the Western and Southern Open in Mason. The budget is still awaiting approval from the Senate, according to the Butler County Journal-News.
The state senator representing Mason, the Ohio State Senate president and representatives of Mason City Council did not return a request to comment about their plans Monday.
East Charlotte residents feel left behind
Residents who live near the former Eastland Mall site say they feel left behind during discussions about Project Breakpoint to the River District, said Councilwoman Marjorie Molina, who represents east Charlotte
Council members said Monday they’ve received emails and calls from east Charlotte residents asking why the city can find millions of dollars for a tennis project near the Catawba River while Eastland Yards sat empty for years. Nonprofit Carolina Serves has proposed a different tennis facility for the Eastland Yards site.
“I definitely understand the sentiment in the community.” Dodson told Molina. “They feel like they waited a long time, and they have, but our commitment is, we gotta get it right.”
Members of neighborhood advocacy group Charlotte East sent questions to council members about the Eastland and Breakpoint projects, which Molina said her constituents feel like they are still waiting for answers on.
“After 11 years of waiting — Eastland is still nothing more than a pile of dirt,” President Greg Asciutto wrote in one of the emails.
This story was originally published May 23, 2023 at 9:42 AM.
