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Commission Needs To Keep Eye On The (Tennis) Ball

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 28, 2007

Marketing studies and sports' league officials suggest Pasco County could become a big player in the amateur sports market. But county commissioners, most notably Michael Cox, are getting way ahead of themselves by agreeing to explore the possibility of building a multipurpose complex for tournaments and other competitions.

They only need to think back to about five years ago, when the commission voted to build a tennis stadium in Wesley Chapel in partnership with Saddlebrook Resort, and take a look around now. Construction hasn't even started on the facility, which is expected to cost at least

$8 million - all tourism tax dollars - because of a variety of issues, none of which is expected to kill the project.

It makes much better sense to fully concentrate on starting and finishing the stadium. With tennis tournaments and other events, the stadium will give the county a good niche in the highly competitive tourism market in the Tampa Bay area. And all indications are that the facility will fill a huge need for organized tennis in and outside the area.

County officials also need to be prepared in the event additional tourism tax dollars are needed for the project. It was only a few months ago that commissioners learned they needed to allocate an additional $2.2 million toward it, bringing the anticipated cost to the approximate $8 million. It would be foolish to even begin thinking about investing remaining - and future - tourism tax dollars in another sports facility at this point.

This isn't to suggest that a multipurpose sports facility, as championed by Cox, isn't worthy of consideration. Players and families traveling to softball and other tournaments that last for more than a day will result in overnight stays, additional tourism tax dollars and help the economy. But now isn't the appropriate time. County parks could always be used for these events.

In addition, the county could face competition just across its southern border: Hillsborough County Commissioner Jim Norman is pushing for a $40 million sports facility just south of Crystal Springs along Paul S. Buchman Highway that would target the same market.

It's good that Cox and other commissioners are enthusiastic about sports, which provide good, clean fun and promote good values, but they shouldn't get ahead of the game. It took years for the county to commit to its first 'bricks and mortar' tourism project - the tennis stadium. Build it first and gauge its success before tackling another project.

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