Sports Council head tries to save Olympic tennis stadium

The head of the Gwinnett Sports Council is leading a crusade to save the Olympic tennis stadium at Stone Mountain.

Lee Baker of Lilburn says the facility, slated for demolition this fall, could serve as a draw to the area if marketed correctly. He said different groups have tried to operate the center, but all have failed because they can’t see beyond its original purpose.

“People in Atlanta play tennis. They don’t watch it,” he said.

Baker wants to see the stadium covered and marketed for events other than tennis. The facility has locker rooms and meeting space beneath it, he said, and would be ideal for school competitions, concerts and festivals.

The facility is owned by the Stone Mountain Memorial Association, a state authority that oversees the 3,200-acre park. Gwinnett County last month signed a 50-year lease to operate 15 outdoor tennis courts and support facilities at the site. The contract calls for the Memorial Association to demolish the stadium, which it says has deteriorated.

The county will pay $1 a year to lease the 24.5-acre site located at 5525 Bermuda Road.

Curtis Branscome, Stone Mountain Memorial Association chief executive, said the association tried three different approaches to make the facility pay for itself. None worked.

“We had high hopes for the stadium and the whole facility after the Olympics,” he said.

The association lost $1.5 million trying to operate national tennis tournaments. In 1998, it turned over operation to Peter Burwash International, a specialist in tennis marketing. After several years, Branscome said, they were losing $200,000 a year.

Finally, the association turned the reins over to the nonprofit Georgia Tennis Foundation, which over three years averaged losing $200,000 a year.

Branscome said the stadium was built to last one month and would require massive renovations to maintain. A roof or dome, he said, would cost a minimum of $2 million.

“We’re not pouring any more money into that facility,” he said.

Dwight Harrison, vice chairman of the Evermore Community Improvement District, said the organization heard a presentation from Baker at its May meeting, but the board of directors has not taken an official position.

“Personally, I think it could be a huge benefit to south Gwinnett,” Harrison said, “and I wish Lee all the luck.”