One former A-Game tenant from the once-functioning sportsplex now claims ownership broke their agreement to pay the club after the buyer backed out of purchasing the property.
Almost a month ago, Ohio-based Al. Neyer representatives said they would no longer want to buy the building to retrofit the space for a technology company at 215 Gothic Court. They said uncertainties, lawsuits and delays created a negative impact on their decision to redevelop.
Prior to the closing of the building, Sports Land Group, LLC said it would allocate a portion of the proceeds of the expected sale of the Sportplex facility to the Williamson County Select Volleyball Club Alliance and MDG Management to assist in relocation and other expenses triggered by the closure. The groups were allowed to stay until March 31.
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As part of a tentative mediation agreement, owners would have had to pay A-Game by May 15 for buying out the remaining 17 months of their lease agreement, which hockey held, too. If A-Game had not paid them by May 15, the club could come back to the sportsplex and operate again.
The settlement arranged for the the club to receive $1 million to relocate, according to an SLG statement from back in March. Alliance ownership has now said it did not get paid, nullifying their vacating agreement.
However, when the club told A-Game it was coming back, its owners said that was not a possibility.
“They told us it was no longer a sportsplex,” Alliance Volleyball Executive Director Jeff Wismer, said. “We have been told that the hardwood and net equipment is contracted to be sold, and that the hockey rinks are torn up.”
He explained either A-Game needed to pay the club the specific settlement amount or re-grant them access back into the building. Doors remained locked as of Wednesday to the facility, with the ice rinks melted and the space looking nearly empty.
“That did not happen,” Wismer said. “So we are now a club that has a lease until Oct. 1, 2017, who has a lease that should be again validated. We would like to go back and continue our lease, but we can’t.”
In recent weeks, Alliance Volleyball set up a short-term lease agreement with Quest Sports in Brentwood, while also using Currey Ingram Academy, Ensworth School and Harpeth Hall. Quest became the group’s home base for a couple of months while it evaluated longer-term plans starting in June.
While the hockey season wrapped up in March, following a 17-year run in A-Game, volleyball has until June before its teams are finished, with some ending in April and in May.
Ownership and the hockey, figure skating and volleyball clubs fought against the facility closing starting back in December. The groups have been in and out of court since then and staged a protest along Mallory Lane to rally for the facility to remain open. Ownership said throughout the process it had to sell, as it continued to lose money each month it kept the doors open.
“I absolutely agree with the Neyer comments about the building being toxic,” Wismer said. “The building is toxic, unless it is a sportsplex.”
Emily West and Zach Harmuth contributed to this story.
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