Evans physician-entrepreneur Troy Akers wants to bring a 66-court tennis-pickleball complex to West Augusta.
Akers, who runs the successful Dink’d Pickleball complex in a former Martinez grocery store, brought his proposal to an Augusta Commission committee Tuesday.
Akers, partnering in the venture with fellow emergency medicine physician Troy Coon, said he has a 10.2-acre site in District 3 near I-20 and Wheeler Road under contract.
Preliminary plans call for 18 championship-size tennis courts at the complex, which would attract frequent NCAA and other tournaments, Akers said.
The tennis complex would “supplement” Augusta’s existing tennis complexes at Newman and Fleming tennis centers and Diamond Lakes Regional Park, he said.
Plans call for 48 pickleball courts, with 24 inside and 24 outside. Akers said in seven months Dink’d has brought in 20,000 to play the world’s fastest-growing game, including many from Richmond County.
While many in Augusta play the game, Augusta has no facility dedicated to pickleball, he said.
“There’s currently no formal outdoor pickleball or indoor pickleball anywhere in Richmond County and we hope that this project would change that,” Akers said.
Other goals for the project include a 15,000-square-foot gym, a 200-bed hotel, 500-plus parking spaces and even a 100,000 square-foot commencement center, he said.
The public-private partnership could benefit from existing public funds and potentially bonded debt, he said.
The project has a projected five-year tax impact of $13.9 million, including $3.3 million in hotel taxes and $6.9 million in sales taxes. But its economic impact – estimated at $158 million, with the creation of 875 jobs – is far larger, according to Akers.
Akers compared the project to efforts in Macon and Rome, Ga., that have been successful.
Commissioner Tony Lewis asked Akers what he wanted from the city. Akers said to meet with city officials to develop a formal proposal.
Commissioner Francine Scott motioned to have Administrator Tameka Allen and Recreation and Parks Director Tameka Williams meet with Akers’ group to develop a proposal.
“Every time I’m at one of our centers they’re asking for pickleball,” Scott said.
