Sales tax-funded tennis expansion could come at Albany State West campus

ALBANY — Albany tennis enthusiasts want to raise some racket — or rackets — in the future with an expansion of the facilities at Albany State University.

The issue of locating additional tennis courts and amenities in the area was precipitated by a letter, sent by Albany Mayor Bo Dorough to Dougherty County Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas. Part of that letter dealt with $1.7 million in special-purpose local-option sales taxes raised to improve tennis facilities in the county.

Albany Tennis Association representative Wes Sadler, addressing tennis expansion during a Monday virtual County Commission meeting, said that the consensus is to expand the existing facility at Albany State for a number of reasons.

“We came up with that site because it’s already a site of community recreation,” he said, noting that people engage in walking, soccer and other activities on the university’s West Campus. “Private and public schools practice and hold matches there, (and) the ASU team as well.

“We feel like with the activity and traffic there it’s a good location to expand.”

The association has established a collaborative and is looking to boost tennis play in the community. It also currently works with groups including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany and local schools.

“We’d like to see tennis participation expand from 400 to 3,000 over three years,” Sadler said.

Over the years, the city has made several proposals for tennis facilities but has been unable or unwilling to maintain its own tennis courts, Cohilas said.

“At Tift Park, you can see what used to be a fine tennis facility,” he said. “(Now) it looks, frankly, unsavory.

“Right, wrong or indifferent, the city’s plans have fallen through time and time and time and time again.”

The county stands ready to fulfill its commitment on funding tennis through the $1.7 million approved by voters in the sales tax referendum, Cohilas said. The county should discuss the expansion with the University System of Georgia and other potential partners to leverage the available cash.

The sales tax dollars are not sufficient in themselves to build a facility from scratch, but could be used to expand an existing one, he said. The national and state tennis associations also can provide assistance, particularly with design, Sadler said.

The city’s responsibility in the effort is in providing a tennis director, Cohilas said. During the discussion, commissioners expressed support for Cohilas’ assessment.

“Your board backs you 100 percent,” Commissioner Clinton Johnson told Cohilas.

Johnson recommended that the county’s Recreation Committee be involved in further discussion on tennis expansion. Cohilas agreed and suggested a community collaborative also be involved.

Later in the meeting Cohilas addressed other city-county issues, and said that the county has been instrumental in the development of downtown — from the courthouse facility to two parking decks, the Flint River Resource Center and its development of a trail connecting Radium Springs with the city that will include a stretch from Albany State to downtown. It also provided assistance for the relocation of the Albany Museum of Art to downtown.

The trail will provide Albany State students “for the first time, the ability to walk downtown without having to cross Oglethorpe (Boulevard),” Cohilas said. “I think we see every school year a student being hit crossing Oglethorpe.”

Commissioner Victor Edwards suggested that the county communicate better its contributions inside the city limits, including funding for parks and other facilities used by all residents.

Another suggestion from Commissioner Anthony Jones was for city and county board members to meet in order to make sure they are on the same page and working on a shared vision.

“I think it’s important to let people know how the county and city have worked together and what happens when we don’t work together,” Cohilas said. “It’s confusing, because so many people think the county is only the unincorporated area, when in reality the county has spent millions and millions of dollars in the downtown area.”

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]