Local developers want to turn the former Olympic tennis venue near Stone Mountain into a mammoth sports, commercial and residential complex that would host young athletes from across the country.
The 207-acre complex on West Park Place, near U.S. 78 on the Gwinnett-DeKalb county line, would include a 7,000-seat arena, 33 sports fields, 700 hotel rooms, 915 town homes and 180,000 square feet of commercial space, according to plans submitted to Gwinnett County.
David Stedman, a partner in the proposed Stone Mountain Athletic & Recreational Training Center, cautioned that the project is in its early stages and would take a decade to fully develop.
“We’re very optimistic that we have an idea that, with a little nurturing, could be a tremendous thing for the entire state,” Stedman said.
The area surrounding the proposed development has seen tough times since the 1996 Olympics drew thousands of people from around the world to watch tennis in the shadow of Stone Mountain.
Several prominent retailers -- including Target, Best Buy and Cub Foods -- have left in recent years. And the tennis stadium has languished.
After the Olympics, the Stone Mountain Memorial Association, a state authority that owns the 8,000-seat stadium, tried various ways to make the facility pay for itself. None of them worked, and the stadium -- in need of upgrades -- was scheduled for demolition last year.
It didn’t happen because the association didn’t want to spend the money to tear it down. Meanwhile, the Evermore Community Improvement District, headquartered at the former pro shop, commissioned a study that concluded a renovated stadium could drive economic development.
Stedman wouldn’t discuss a specific time line for developing the proposed private, for-profit sports and commercial complex.
"I think this is a very credible project," he said. "In order to make something like this happen, a lot of people have to come together for the common good."
The developer -- SMART Center I LLC -- has asked Gwinnett County to approve a mixed-use redevelopment overlay district for the tennis stadium and adjoining property, including the vacant Target store.
The request was on the March agenda of the Municipal-Gwinnett County Planning Commission. However, SMART Center partner Tom Pugh said the company isn’t ready to proceed and has asked that the item be removed from the agenda.
Stedman said the complex would include a tennis academy and fields for baseball, football, lacrosse, soccer and other sports. He said the existing outdoor tennis stadium would be preserved and eventually covered. The complex also would include a sports medicine facility.
Stedman said the complex would host athletic tournaments for youths and others that would draw families from across metro Atlanta and out of state. He said its proximity to Stone Mountain would be a big draw for families looking for a vacation destination.
The proposal drew positive but cautious responses from local officials familiar with it.
“We think it’s a great idea,” said Jim Brooks, executive director of the Evermore CID. “It is certainly a lofty undertaking. We wish them the very best.”
Bill Stephens, chief executive of the Stone Mountain Memorial Association, said “significant questions” about the project remain. “Our board will do its due diligence and answer those questions," Stephens said. "We’re willing to listen.”
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