Steering Committee To Push For Sony Open Expansion On November Ballot

Written by: Staff on 5th October 2012

Steering Committee To Push For Sony Open Expansion On November Ballot

epa03163234 Andy Murray of Great Britain serves to Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia during their match at the Sony Ericsson Open on Key Biscayne, Florida, USA, 28 March 2012. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT |

A steering committee has been named to lead a campaign for the upgrade of the Sony Open in South Florida . There is a ballot measure on the Miami-Dade ballot for the upcoming November election that would extend the tournament’s lease and approve up to $50 million in upgrades to Key Biscayne’s Crandon Park Tennis Center .

The organizers’ plan could only move forward if a two-thirds majority of voters vote for the measure, which is never easy under any circumstances.

The upgrades will only be paid for with tennis center and tournament revenues and private funds. No taxable funds will be involved.

The group will be chaired by tournament director Adam Barrett, of IMG, and includes US Fed Cup captain and area native Mary Joe Fernandez; Miami Herald columnist Stephanie Sayfie Aagaard; Key Biscayne Mayor Frank Caplan; Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Chairwoman Phillis Oeters, and William D. Talbert III, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.

If approved, the proposed park improvements would be the first major Tennis Center updates since 1994, when Stadium Court opened.

The need for a countywide vote stems from an amendment to the Miami-Dade County Home Rule Charter, which requires that two-thirds of Miami-Dade County voters approve extensions or modifications to leases and construction of any permanent structures in Crandon Park .

“The Sony Open is a world class tennis event and an asset to Miami that brings in the top men’s and women’s players and showcases the best of Miami to the world,” said Barrett,. “Just as other cities around the globe invest in their professional tennis facilities, we are proposing a series of improvements that will ensure the Tournament can remain at home in Miami for years to come. Best of all, the public will be able to enjoy a better park at no cost to taxpayers.”

The Sony Open’s proposed park updates include new green spaces, shaded areas, landscaping with plants and trees native to Key Biscayne, and show courts with comfortable seating. The tournament’s capacity, terms of use and limitations on height of park structures will remain in place. Miami-Dade County will continue to own and operate the Tennis Center , ensuring the improved facilities are open to the public for 49 weeks of the year.

“The proposed upgrades to the Crandon Park Tennis Center reflect a private investment with a public benefit,” said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Xavier Suarez, who sponsored the proposal for the referendum’s ballot placement in November. “Outside of the two weeks each year when Crandon Park is at the center of the international tennis world, the improved Tennis Center will be enjoyed by Miami-Dade residents. This is the way public -private partnerships should work in Miami-Dade County .”

The 2012 Sony Open drew more than 326,000 attendees, nearly 20 percent of who reside outside the U.S. , and resulted in the booking of more than 15,000 hotel room nights.

“The Sony Open is to Miami what Wimbledon is to London and the US Open is to New York ,” said Talbert. “Each year, the tournament imports the world and exports Miami ‘s brand across the globe, energizing our tourism economy and growing international appeal.”

The group has set up a website, www.parkpartnership.com, to solicit campaign contributions, recruit volunteers and push for the amendment.

It’s paid for by a new political action committee, Committee to Preserve an Ideal Partnership, which has raised $50,000 from IMG.

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: florida tennis news, Sony Tennis Open, Tennis News, US Fed Cup, Wta