A world-class tennis and pickleball facility could be coming to Clarence-Rockland.
SCORE Tennis Academy has selected the city as the home for its new eight-acre campus that will feature indoor and outdoor tennis and pickleball courts, accommodations, as well as food, retail, gym, and office space. The campus will feature a performance tennis academy that will house students year-round and be led by world-class sporting coaches.
SCORE Academy initiated its interest in locating in Clarence-Rockland.
“They approached us,” Mayor Mario Zanth said.
However, Zanth said the city was planning to develop more recreational opportunities but was going to wait until its new strategic plan was developed, but SCORE came calling before it could be completed.
The location of the new academy will be on Highway 17 beside the Rockland Arena, providing ready access for community members and visitors.
On January 17, Clarence-Rockland’s city council unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the city and Rockland Racket Sports, which will develop the project to house SCORE Academy. According to the MOU, the city will provide the land. In return, the academy will allow the general public to use the facility. Public use includes memberships, court rentals, leagues, camps, tournaments, and drop-in classes. Zanth said that in total, 70 per cent of the facility will be designated for community use. User fees will still apply for residents to use the SCORE complex, but they will be at a 20 per cent discount.
Under the terms of the MOU, the city will also establish a Municipal Capital Facilities Agreement with SCORE which will designate the new facility as an official public recreation facility. The designation will exempt the property from development charges, municipal property taxes, and school taxes. SCORE will be completely responsible for the cost of building and operating the facility. SCORE Academy has partnered with Rockland Racket Sport owners Aaron Markel and Brad Cartier to develop the project.
Zanth emphasized it will not impact property taxes because SCORE would be constructing and operating the facility.
“We’re not building it,” he said.
Markel, originally from East Africa, attended the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida in his youth. He is excited about Clarence-Rockland possibly having a place for potential future tennis stars to train and compete.
“I’m sure if my father were alive today, he would be proud to know that we are setting up a facility to help train the next generation of young boys and girls to chase their dreams whatever they may be,” he said in a recent speech.
The project still needs to go through the municipal planning process, which includes zoning, submission of project design, and site plan agreements, and it must be approved by Clarence-Rockland council. Zanth acknowledged there are citizens who are questioning the project. He said their concerns will be respected.
“We are always open to keep in mind the concerns of the citizens as all planning processes do,” he said.
If the project is approved, Phase 1 of the SCORE Academy will begin in the summer of 2024, with an indoor dome housing four tennis courts, ten or more outdoor pickleball courts, and a pavilion. Operations are planned to begin in the fall of 2024 with memberships and community access. Phase 2 will follow in 2025 with a larger main building that will house indoor and outdoor tennis courts, commercial spaces, a restaurant, and retail offerings. The cost of Phase 2 is projected to be $18 million.
“We chose Clarence-Rockland to be the new home of our academy because it’s a growing and vibrant community that already has a strong history of supporting and promoting sporting enterprises,” said SCORE CEO Sean Sweeney.
According to Tennis Canada, the sport has dramatically increased in popularity over the years, but there remain facility challenges that SCORE Academy will help address. Zanth said there is potential for sports-based tourism and development in Clarence-Rockland.
“We have to try and promote the city to be visible,” he said.
