Vernon Krause, the owner of four metro Atlanta automotive dealerships, said he and his wife wanted a way to honor their youngest daughter, Angela, who died of a rare form of cancer in 2015. Angela Krause Varner was an avid player in high school and played on a club team at the University of Georgia, her father said. “She loved the game,” Vernon Krause said. “She played on her high school team and played ALTA until she was pregnant with her second child and contracted cancer. “She wasn’t a college star or anything like that. She just loved tennis. She’s the kind of person we want to attract,” her father said. Vernon Krause connected with Danny Carlson, the CEO of training academy Atlanta Tennis Inc., whose organization had a vision for a tournament and training center that would rival any in the nation. Serving local tennis The partners said they plan to break ground on the center early next year and open the first phase in summer or fall of 2019. Development is planned in three phases, and will include two dozen pickleball courts, a pro shop, concessions and fitness center. Carlson called the center the “premier” tennis and pickleball destination in the country, and said it will vie nationally for league and college tournaments. Daily operations will include tennis and pickleball classes for youth and adults, and Atlanta Tennis plans programs for special needs children and veterans. The clay courts will be one of the center’s key selling points. Clay courts are in short supply in public facilities, and Carlson said the Roswell facility will have double the clay courts of the next largest rival. “It’s the preferred surface. If people have the option they’ll play on clay,” he said. The late Angela Krause, left, shown here with her daughter Ava, is the namesake for a planned tennis complex in Roswell. The planned Angela Krause Tennis, Pickleball and Fitness Center at Big Creek Park is expected to include 135 tennis courts, of which 80 will be clay courts. Backers say it will be the largest clay court tennis complex in the nation. SPECIAL Though the center has national aims, it will cater to the local tennis community. A fact sheet for the development states that Roswell residents will have use of the facility for a special resident fee. In a news release, Gordon Smith, CEO of the United States Tennis Association, said “Roswell is at the absolute heart of one of the largest concentrations of active tennis players in the entire country, making it the perfect location for this project.” “This facility will not only serve the local tennis players and community members, but also will quickly become one of the most sought-after clay court venues in the U.S. for both national and international tennis tournaments and events,” he said. Over the past year, the men have scouted locations for a center that is expected to cost $40 million to $50 million to develop, though they said that investment could grow. Details about financing aren’t final, but construction and operations will be managed by the foundation, with events and programming managed by Atlanta Tennis. Roswell officials said the complex will be built and operate with no financial burden on the city. “This will be a world-class facility that brings people from around the world to the city,” said Mayor Lori Henry. “It creates a destination and it will be a huge economic driver.” Roswell Inc., the city’s nonprofit economic development arm, said a formal economic analysis for the complex has not been crafted. But an analysis for a smaller tournament facility in Rome projected a $30 million to $50 million annual economic boost. The development team has examined other large-scale tennis academy and tournament facilities in other parts of the country and analyses of those sites have estimated similar economic impacts. Steve Stroud, executive director of Roswell Inc., said cities are looking at ways of leveraging city property to drive tax revenue, and the project will attract players to stay in area hotels and shop and dine in the city. The project will could prove to be a catalyst for revitalization of retail centers along the Holcomb Bridge Road and Old Alabama Road corridors,” he said. “This bring a definite destination to the east side of (Ga.) 400,” he said. Angela Krause Tennis, Pickleball and Fitness Center What: A planned tennis complex with 135 tennis courts, of which 80 will be clay surface. The project also is expected to include an indoor tennis facility, pickleball courts, a pro shop, concessions and fitness center. Estimated development cost: $40 million to $50 million Timeline: Partners plan to break ground early next year and open the first phase by fall 2019.<doc-sep>Business 135-Court Tennis Center Planned For Roswell The Angela Krause Tennis, Pickleball and Fitness Center would be built on 60 acres of land at Big Creek Park, if approved by city leaders. Reply ROSWELL, GA — The largest clay court tennis center in the nation could soon open up in Roswell. The Angela Krause Tennis, Pickleball and Fitness Center would be constructed on 60 acres of land in Big Creek Park along Old Alabama Road through a partnership in the city. The new, 135-court facility is expected to come up for consideration under a memorandum of understanding agreement at the City Council's Aug. 13 meeting. If approved, the $60 to 70 million project would break ground in 2019, develop in three phases, and include more than 80 clay courts when finished, which is more than double the number of clay courts currently available at any location around the country. The facility would also feature traditional hard courts and grass courts, as well as a tournament-size, 24-court pickleball facility. The tennis center project is being developed by Roswell residents Vernon and Marie Krause, in honor of their daughter, Angela Krause, who passed away at age 29 after battling ALK, a rare form of non-smokers lung cancer. She was diagnosed three days after giving birth to her son and passed away less than four months later in February 2015. Angela was an avid tennis player and member of UGA's club tennis team. "Creating this center to celebrate Angela's life has been a deeply bittersweet, yet incredibly rewarding, labor of love for our entire family," said Vernon Krause. "Angela's warm smile, sense of humor, and love of life made her beloved by family and friends, and our hope is that everyone who enters the doors of this place will experience the type of warm welcome and inviting environment that will truly honor her memory." As they looked at potential locations for the tennis center, the family said Roswell made sense for several reasons, in addition to its personal connection to the city. "We are grateful the Krause family chose Roswell and are honored to partner with them," said Roswell Mayor Lori Henry. "This is a wonderful example of the great things that can happen through a public-private partnership." The Roswell area has more than 15,000 active tennis players within its boundaries. There are also more than 75,000 active players within a 10-mile radius of the city, making it one of the largest concentration of tennis players in the United States. Roswell is also centrally located within the U.S. Tennis Association's Southern Section, which is the association's largest region, boasting more than 50,000 members in metro Atlanta alone. ALTA is also the largest metro tennis league in the world with 80,000 members, and T-2 Tennis reports an estimated 60,000 tennis players in the metro region. "The city of Roswell is at the absolute heart of one of the largest concentrations of active tennis players in the entire country, making it the perfect location for this project," said Gordon Smith, executive director & CEO of the United States Tennis Association. "This facility will not only serve the local tennis players and community members, but also will quickly become one of the most sought-after clay court venues in the U.S. for both national and international tennis tournaments and events." (For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here)<doc-sep>“We’ve had a lot of support from the whole community,” Wender said. “It was easy to see this was trying to be pushed through. It just wasn’t all above board. “We’re happy to get things slowed down. We feel good,” he said. Vernon Krause, a Roswell resident and owner of four metro automobile dealerships, dreamed up the tennis center as a memorial to his late daughter, Angela, who died in 2015 after contracting a rare form of cancer. On Facebook, the Krause family said “we are hopeful that the mayor and council will schedule town hall meetings so that everyone can have a say, and a decision can be had as to what is the best use of their land (known) as Big Creek Park.” “We were told that the land was purchased to be an active park, as opposed to its current use as a passive park,” the statement said. “With that information in mind, we felt as though a world class tennis, pickleball and fitness center would be a nice amenity for the citizens of Roswell. If this facility is not wanted by the majority of its citizens, we will look for another venture which will be a memorial for our daughter, Angela. For all off you that have expressed support, we thank you and hope that a positive resolution can be found in the near future.” But residents had said they were disappointed by how quickly the process was moving, and they wanted more opportunities to weigh in. By Sunday night, some 23,000 signatures were on a petition opposing the center on Change.org. “The way it was handled was horrible,” said Stephanie Sears, president of the Barrington Farms Homeowners’ Association. Sears’ neighborhood connects directly to the park, where mountain bikers have about six miles of trails and Cub Scout packs go for nature walks. The tennis center would be built on about a third of the park’s 168 acres and would include more than 135 tennis courts, including 80 clay courts and an indoor facility. The proposal, Sears said, “came out of nowhere. …We all really feel bamboozled.” Matt Harrell, president of the Spring Ridge Homeowners’ Association, said he was disappointed that no community conversations had been scheduled. Wender, who leads the mountain bike organization, said Friday he feared Old Alabama Road, where the park is situated, couldn’t handle the additional traffic the tennis center would bring. “A lot of people like those woods,” said Wender, who estimated about 10,000 riders per month use the trails. If the proposal goes through, he said, about half the trails would be destroyed. “We just keep paving stuff,” he said. Julie Brechbill, a Roswell spokesperson, said on Friday the park where the tennis center would be built had long been part of a master plan that included an arts center, an aquatic center and other construction. The city never intended to keep it wooded forever, she said. Brechbill said she had received more than 100 emails about the project, most of them in opposition. But some residents were in favor of the project. One, Donna Neidorf, said in an email that she was “thrilled” by the news. “I totally support this being built and will use this facility constantly!” she wrote, with nine additional exclamation points. Brechbill said the project was still in the beginning stages. Residents expected a hearty turnout against the proposal at Monday’s council meeting. Wender said his group made about 200 red T-shirts and the mountain biking organization expects to show up at the council meeting just in case. On Sunday night, Henry thanked the Krause family for their desire to invest in Roswell. The mayor said the residents east of Ga. 400 had told the city a destination east of the highway was a top priority. City officials have sold the complex as an economic driver that would attract youth, college and adult tournaments from around the nation. “When Mr. Krause approached the Mayor’s office with the generous offer of investing upwards of $50 million in a world-class tennis facility for the east side of Roswell, we were very excited about the project,” Henry said in the statement. “We believed it would have been an economic catalyst for the east side, drawing other investment into that area and being a driver for redevelopment along the Holcomb Bridge Road corridor east of (Ga.) 400.” But the mayor said the community’s voice has been heard, “so we will not be moving forward with it.” “In the coming months, we will hold a town hall meeting for further input from residents on the possibility and location of a tennis center in Roswell,” she said.<doc-sep>
The nation's largest clay tennis court facilities could be approved by city officials on Monday. ROSWELL, Ga. -- Local officials are proposing the nation's largest clay center tennis court be built in Roswell, and some local residents are up in arms over the plans. The Angela Krause Tennis, Pickleball and Fitness Center is a 135-court facility that, under current plans, would be housed on 60 acres in Big Creek Park, an area that has almost eight miles of biking and hiking trails. The Roswell city council is scheduled to vote on the plan on Monday, Aug. 13. If approved, the three-phase, $60 to 70 million project would break ground in 2019. Its 80+ clay courts would be more than double the number of clay courts anywhere else in one location. It would also feature traditional hard courts and grass courts, as well as a 24-court pickleball facility. The project was proposed by Roswell residents Vernon and Marie Krause in honor of their daughter, Angela, who died at age 29 after battling a rare form of cancer. Angela was an avid tennis player and member of UGA's club tennis team. “Creating this center to celebrate Angela’s life has been a deeply bittersweet, yet incredibly rewarding, labor of love for our entire family,” said Vernon Krause. “Angela’s warm smile, sense of humor, and love of life made her beloved by family and friends, and our hope is that everyone who enters the doors of this place will experience the type of warm welcome and inviting environment that will truly honor her memory.” The project has the support of Roswell Mayor Lori Henry, who said, “We are grateful the Krause family chose Roswell and are honored to partner with them. This is a wonderful example of the great things that can happen through a public-private partnership.” “Not only are we thrilled about the benefits this will bring to our residents, we are excited about the sense of community pride this project will give to all of us in Roswell.” But some residents said they aren't thrilled with the plans. Community members say it took almost two decades to develop Big Creek Park into what it is today, full of trails and biking areas. “Big Creek Park is special to me,” said Shawn Brunner, owner of Fresh Bikes, who grew up nearby. “It’s a place that I learned to mountain bike at 20 years ago." It has been seven years since Brunner decided to open up his bike shop down the street from the park, thanks to the help of community members and organizations like Roswell Alpharetta Mountain Bike Organization, RAMBO. “I wanted to strategically locate my business as close to Big Creek because it’s special to me and because the mountain bike trails give my customers the ability to ride.” But Thursday, Brunner said he found out Roswell city leaders are planning to vote on the 60-acre land that could be transformed into the new tennis center. “This is my livelihood,” Brunner said. “I have a 3 ½ year daughter. This is how I support my family. I was shocked and frustrated and a little bit angry, to be honest. There was no communication from our civic leaders.” A petition opposed to the new complex has gained 7,000 signatures. “I think tennis courts are a great idea in general,” said biker Gary Daniels. “I just don’t think this is the right place for tennis courts.” Supporters say Roswell makes sense for the facility because more than 15,000 active tennis players reside in the city, and more than 75,000 other players live within 10 miles of the city. Roswell is also centrally located within the U.S. Tennis Association’s southern section, which is the association’s largest region, with more than 50,000 members in metro Atlanta. But opponents say the project will destroy 65 acres of greenspace that house the Big Creek Trail System. They plan to show up in full force at Monday's meeting: "Roswell is at the absolute heart of one of the largest concentrations of active tennis players in the entire country, making it the perfect location for this project," said Gordon Smith, executive director and CEO of the U.S. Tennis Association.