[tennisbiz] Re: Indoor/Outdoor Tennis Centers built as Public/Private Partnerships - Success Stories?

The Seattle area is in the formative stages of building an approximate $ 7M,
fourteen court indoor/outdoor public tennis center. This indoor/outdoor
tennis center is to be built on "allocated" public land with private money.
Local architects preliminary designs are being finalized. The facility will
probably be run under 501-c-3 nonprofit status. A local advisory board has
been meeting for over fifteen months providing input on design, organization,
fund raising, etc. Name fund raisers have been interviewed by the advisory
committee. Feasibility studies are planned.
Some of the questions being reviewed are:
   1. Should a public indoor/outdoor tennis center have a nursery? If so,
why? If not, why not? Have recently built public indoor/outdoor tennis
facilities OR private indoor/outdoor tennis facilities given up on nurseries
for younger children? Or not?
Are increased liability insurance costs an issue here?
   2. Amenities in recently built (i.e., within the last five years) public
indoor/outdoor tennis centers include? Sauna? Whirlpool? Separate locker
rooms for juniors? Other?
What are the minimum "amenities" a "class" or "above average" public
indoor/outdoor
tennis facility should consider? Are increased liability insurance costs as
issue here?
   3. Naming rights for public tennis center -- is $1M -- $2M a fair
contribution for naming rights for our facility? Should other naming "rights"
be sold for money? Have other public indoor/outdoor tennis centers sold
"rights" to any other aspects?
   4. Nonprofit ownership structures other than a 501-c-3 -- do any other
nonprofit structures exist? do they work? Success stories?
   5. Fund Raising success stories - How did you secure the private money you
needed to built your public indoor/outdoor tennis center? Success stories?
Were you able to raise the money without the help of a professional fund
raiser? If you used a professional fund raiser, what did you pay for their
services? A flat fee? or a percentage?
   6. Start up funds -- basic operating funds of $100,000 to $200,000 for
pre-construction costs for secretarial, printing, legal, accounting -- how
did you do it? Success stories?
   7. With no mortgage(i.e. assuming we raise enough money) and no land
cost(i.e. park district is "allocating" land) how did your facility determine
"fair" rent to park district for use of "allocated" land? rent increases?
We are seeking information, referrals to any person or organization who has
built or been a part of building anything close to the size of our project.
Our advisory committee is facing the same challenges and opportunities other
advisory committees before us have faced. We are seeking to maximize how our
committee spends our time and resources.
Thanks in advance for your help and cooperation.
For better tennis and more new tennis players,

Bill Thompson
President
Worldwide Intelligent Tennis Services ( WITS )
"In tennis as in life you must always keep your wits about you!"
20220 13th Ave NW
Shoreline, Washington 98177-2124
Phone: 206-542-2850
email:fintenpro_at_aol.com

p.s. Eventhough we are building a public indoor/outdoor tennis center, we
will also greatly appreciate input from the private sector. If you are an
owner, manager or tennis director with specific knowledge or experience with
any of the above areas, we will benefit from both your successes and your
near misses. Thanks again!


 
Received on Mon Mar 11 2002 - 22:15:28 CST