Construction on the world’s largest racquet sports facility set to begin in Raleigh
Construction on what’s being called the world’s largest racquet sports facility will begin this summer in Brier Creek.
Swing Racquet + Paddle has received $10 million from the city of Raleigh, its latest injection of support from the city.
“Big ideas and bold moves require collaboration,” said Stephen Bentley, the city’s parks, recreation and cultural resources director, during a Raleigh City Council meeting Tuesday. “A lot of us have put in a lot of time and thought so that we can make sure this project moves forward.”
The 44-acre facility, located on 6121 Mt. Herman Road, will include:
- 28 tennis courts
- 25 pickleball courts
- 16 padel (a mix of tennis and squash played in doubles) courts
- four beach tennis/volleyball courts
- a ping-pong lounge
- a walking path and nature trail
- restaurant and retail space
The $125 million project will be open to the public on a pay-to-play basis, similar to other courts in the city of Raleigh’s park system, Bentley said.
Project years in the making
The project has been years in the making with the city first agreeing to lease city-owned property in 2018.
Raleigh owns the property, and Swing will pay $275,000 in annual rent with a 3% increase each year. That will generate $20 million over 50 years for the city in rent payments.
Officials with the racquet sports facility also agreed to provide an annual grant to the Raleigh Youth Council; commitments to free community events at the facility and offsite; scholarships to Raleigh youth and families to play at the facility; and employment opportunities through city programs.
“Our intention, over the course of time, is to put a racket and paddle in every citizen’s hand in our community, and getting people off their armchair and swinging,” said Rob Autry, one of the founders of Swing.
This facility is expected to draw significant tennis and racquet tournaments and events, and bring 1 million visitors to the facility each year.
“Knowing that District E is not part of a lot of city funding projects like (bus rapid transit) and Dix Park, I love that we are highlighting this area and making this a destination for the Northwest portion of Raleigh, which I promise is, in fact, still part of Raleigh,” said Council member Christina Jones, who represents this portion of the city.
This story was originally published February 21, 2024 at 7:30 AM.
