Rome to Take Over Management of Rome Tennis Center After Unanimous Committee Vote

The City of Rome is preparing to take over management of the Rome Tennis Center after the General Administration Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to allow its management contract with Cliff Drysdale Management (CDM), a subsidiary of Troon, to expire.

During the meeting, Tourism Director Lisa Smith outlined the history of the facility’s management and presented options for the center’s future.

Smith told committee members that the City’s five-year contract with CDM expires Nov. 1, 2026. She explained that following the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the facility to close temporarily and disrupted staffing, the City issued a request for proposals before entering into the management agreement with CDM in 2021.

Under the current contract, the City pays CDM a monthly management fee of $10,000 while also covering the facility’s operating expenses, employee salaries and capital costs.

Smith credited Rome Tennis Center General Manager Colt Gaston, a CDM employee, with helping drive the facility’s success over the past five years. She said the center has significantly expanded its tournament schedule and doubled its economic impact during that period. If the City assumes management, Gaston and the facility’s staff would become City employees.

Committee members weighed the advantages of continuing with professional management against bringing operations in-house. Among the benefits discussed for City management were faster local decision-making in hiring, finance and information technology, as well as greater operational flexibility. Members also noted that CDM does not operate a competing tournament facility and that the current contract contains no non-compete provision preventing the City from managing the center independently.

The committee also heard that much of the facility’s programming and tournament recruitment is already handled by the City’s tourism staff in partnership with Gaston, rather than by CDM.

Following the discussion, Commissioner Bill Collins made a motion to allow the current management agreement with Cliff Drysdale Management to expire and for the City of Rome to assume direct management of the Rome Tennis Center. Commissioner Wayne Robinson seconded the motion.

The motion passed unanimously.