With the closing of the Maryland Farms YMCA and the additions to the YMCA at Concord Road, Brentwood has lost 23 tennis courts in the last year, while at the same time being home to one of the top 10 largest groups of tennis players in the United States. Because of this, the City of Brentwood has had an ad hoc committee researching a proposal to build a new Racquet Center in Crockett Park. The proposal will be presented at the City Commission Information Meeting on November 9, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. in the second floor Annex Room at City Hall.
The final report states that the Ad Hoc Committee recommends building a Brentwood-owned and managed Indoor Racquet Facility in Crockett Park. It is estimated that the new facility will cost close to $12 million. However, if the suggested fee structure is utilized, Brentwood can conservatively see close to $750,000 in annual profit. Using these profit numbers, it is projected that it will take less than 16 years to pay off the debt.
A new building for the Racquet Center would have 350 parking spaces; a shared entry area containing a reception desk, gathering area, and bathrooms; and separate buildings or wings for the eight pickleball courts with the option to expand to 10, and the six tennis courts with the option to expand to seven.
According to Brentwood Vice Mayor Ken Travis, at the July 24, 2023 city commission meeting, the Board of Commissioners voted to create a committee to study the design options, operating policies and procedures, cost and revenue projections and answer the question, “should we build a racquet facility in Crockett Park?”
Williamson County initially proposed a partnership, but before agreeing to the partnership, some commissioners suggested more due diligence on the subject to ensure the best financial decision was being made for the City of Brentwood. On August 30, 2023, Williamson County withdrew their offer for a potential partnership.
“The Brentwood Racquet Facility Ad Hoc Committee consist[s] of seven members,” explained Travis. “[It] is comprised [sic] of five residents of Brentwood appointed by the Board of Commissioners, one member of the Park Board appointed by the Park Board, and one member of the Board of Commissioners. All board members are …residents of the community. Over 40 people applied to be on the Committee! This volunteer committee saved the city thousands of dollars, and they have completed a very comprehensive report.”
In the report, the committee offered a compilation of statistics related to the playing of both tennis and pickleball in Brentwood. Three salient points were brought out in the report about tennis in addition to the fact that more than half of the city’s tennis courts had been closed down.
- There are about 6,000 active tennis players in Brentwood.
- Out of those entering the lottery for available court use during the winter months only 12% were able to be granted access to that space.
- About 700 kids are on the “Youth Programming” waiting list at current facilities.
While looking into building a Racquet Facility for Brentwood, the Ad Hoc Committee also researched the need for pickleball courts, as it is the fastest-growing game in the United States. Available courts in Williamson County are used almost 100% of the time.
According to the committee’s report, “The 2023 Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s (SFIA) Topline Participation Report announced that pickleball continued to be America’s fastest-growing sport for the third year in a row….”
The entire report can be viewed here.
Supporters of the Racquet Center are asking community members to write Brentwood Commissioners at: [email protected].
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