Friday, December 12, 2003
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Friday, December 12, 2003 |
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Pro shop vacancy a concern By J. FRANK LYNCH The temporary closure of the Pro Shop inside the Peachtree City Tennis Center concerns some members of the club, who say the bare floors and empty racks send the wrong message, especially to visitors in town for tournaments, that the entire facility is in decline. That concern was expressed by a handful of tennis proponents at an early meeting of the Peachtree City Tourism Association, when it became clear that transition of the Pro Shop lease wouldn’t be a clear hand-off. Patrons of the Tennis Center enter and exit the facility through the Pro Shop, which also handles court assignments, registration and fees. Virgil Christian, former executive director of the Peachtree City Development Authority, had run the shop as a private business until Nov. 30, when the DAPC officially ended its 10-year contract to run the center and the Fred Brown Jr. Amphitheater. Christian resigned his DAPC position effective Oct. 31, and while the Tourism Association Board of Directors did consider extending Christian’s lease until a new tenant could be found, that idea was nixed at the last minute, sources say. Since the city assumed the operation of the Peachtree City Tennis Center at the last minute starting Dec. 1 of this year, the Pro Shop has temporarily discontinued the sale of most inventory, said Betsy Tyler, city spokeswoman. But City Manager Bernard McMullen assured Tennis Center patrons that reopening the pro shop is one of staff’s top priorities. “We’ve been discussing various options with the Tennis Center employees and getting input from local venders regarding the operation of the pro shop,” McMullen said. Several retailers have approached the city about continuing the operation, said McMullen, but no serious offers have been considered yet. “We expect to have a decision on how to proceed by late December, with the shop back in full operation by the end of January,” McMullen said. Until the shop is reopened, the Tennis Center will continue to provide basic services such as racket stringing and the sale of tennis balls for patrons of the facility, in addition to the membership task, Tyler said. The Ashland Grille restaurant adjacent to the Pro Shop is not affected and remains open.
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