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Local physicians propose 18‑court tennis and pickleball complex; commission directs staff to meet
Summary
Two Augusta physicians presented a proposed public‑private partnership to build 18 outdoor courts, an events center and hotel on a 10.2‑acre site near I‑20. Commissioners voted to have county administration and Parks & Recreation meet with the developers and report back to the committee.
Doctor Troy Akers, a local emergency medicine physician and U.S. Army veteran, told the Augusta‑Richmond County public services committee that he and a business partner have under contract 10.2 acres adjacent to Interstate 20 and Wheeler Road and are proposing an 18‑court tennis and pickleball complex, a 100,000‑square‑foot events center with about 2,500 seats, a 15,000‑square‑foot public gym and a 200‑plus‑room hotel.
Akers said 12 courts would meet NCAA and USTA regulation sizes and that the project team has had “preliminary discussions” with Augusta University and Augusta Technical College but has no formal agreements. He said private money would be used and that, if the project proceeds, it would be structured as a bonded public‑private partnership. Akers provided projected economic figures drawn from third‑party studies, including a five‑year direct revenue estimate of about $13.9 million and a five‑year economic‑impact estimate he cited as roughly $157 million; he said those figures are based on external studies but did not provide the full studies during the presentation.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about what the developers were seeking from the county. Commissioner Kelvin Lewis (District 6) asked “what is your ask of this body,” and Akers replied that he sought initial endorsement to allow further meetings with county staff so the developers could return with a formal plan and specific dollar figures. Mayor Pro Tem Guilfoyle and Commissioner Francine Scott emphasized that county staff and the parks director should be involved early.
Commissioner Scott moved — and a colleague seconded — to direct Administrator Allen and Parks & Recreation Director Williams to meet with Doctor Akers and his team and return to the committee with a report. The motion passed unanimously.
The committee did not authorize any funding or enter into any contractual commitment at the meeting. The action was a direction to staff to meet with the proposers and report back with recommended next steps and any requested county participation.
Community and process notes: Commissioners referenced other regional examples of public‑private sports projects and discussed potential benefits to local programs such as Fleming Center’s NJTL program. Akers said his indoor pickleball facility attracted roughly 20,000 visits in seven months and asserted demand in Richmond County for additional outdoor and indoor facilities. He also said the developers had discussed potential USDA involvement but did not claim any binding federal or university commitments.
What happens next: Administrator Allen and Director Williams were directed to meet with the proposers and report back at the next appropriate committee cycle; no deadline beyond “report back to the committee” was set at the meeting.
