Delray Beach Tournament Director Wants Stadium With Roof

Written by: Staff on 11th October 2012

Delray Beach Tournament Director Wants Stadium With Roof |

Wimbledon and the Australian Open have roofs. Roland Garros is getting one. The US Open eventually will too, but there are no solid plans for it yet. The Masters Series at Indian Wells, Miami and Cincinnati don’t have ones, either But guess what? The tournament director of the Delray Beach, Florida tournament, which is an ATP 250 (the tour’s smallest level) wants the City to give up part of its ownership to build a new stadium with retractable roof that could accommodate more tournaments and other entertainment events.

“It would have to be torn down,” Mark Baron, the tournament director for the International Tennis Championships told the Sun-Sentinel of the current stadium. “The first step is to see what could be built there.”

Baron has plans for a 7,500-seat facility where the tennis stadium now sits. He has made presentations to the City Commission, Palm Beach County and the state, among other governing bodies.

“I have never seen anything more drastic than when a stadium is built that is multiuse,” Baron said. “One of the great things a multiuse stadium would bring here is economic impact.”

The current stadium is not configured to host concerts or big shows. The City is said to spend about $1.5 million a year sponsoring events such as the ATP tournament and an ATP Champions Tour event. Its current agreement with Baron makes the city responsible for security, cleanup, prize money and maintaining the center to ATP standards.

Delray Beach uses the tournament to promote tourism. Baron said a retractable roof is a must, as are skyboxes for sponsors. “There are a few things that must happen, and the No. 1 thing is a retractable roof,” Baron said. “No promoter is going to put up the amount of dollars needed to fill a stadium if there are chances of rain.”

Baron said the city wouldn’t have to spend a dime to build the new stadium, but it is unclear who would play for the construction, which would cost between $35 million and $55 million.

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: American tennis news, Delray Beach tennis tournament, florida tennis news, International Tennis Championships, Mark Baron, Sports, Tennis News