SPRING HILL, Tenn. (WKRN) — The United States Tennis Association (UTSA) has withdrawn from a multimillion-dollar development that’s been in the works for years, according to a Franklin-based real estate company associated with the project.
According to a press release from SouthStar, LLC, the company agreed to provide the opportunity for a USTA tennis facility in the Legacy Pointe development in Spring Hill in 2022. SouthStar agreed to provide a location to construct the facility and allow the USTA to bring local, regional and national tournaments to Middle Tennessee.
In order to build and support operations for the project, which would have significantly affected area development, the USTA had to raise several million dollars. A statement from the City of Spring Hill said the USTA withdrew because the organization could “not raise enough capital within the timeframe outlined by the development.”
According to SouthStar’s plans for Legacy Pointe available online, the facility was expected to take up about 136,000 square feet and serve as a regional headquarters for the USTA. The plans indicated the facility was expected to bring more than 450,000 USTA visitors to the area each year and draw $10-20 million in guest expenditures.
“While this outcome is not what we had envisioned, we want to express our sincere gratitude to SouthStar and the city of Spring Hill for their support and partnership throughout the process,” USTA Tennessee President Carol Wrinn said. “USTA remains committed to promoting and developing the game of tennis, and we look forward to finding new ways to work together in the future.”
Without USTA’s involvement in the project, SouthStar has started to explore replacement options that would benefit the Spring Hill community.
“We’ve been working with the USTA for almost three years to bring the regional tennis facility to fruition,” SouthStar president Glenn McGehee said. “Unfortunately, it’s a tough fundraising environment out there right now and the organization was unable to secure the funds necessary to move forward with the project. We are all disappointed as this project would have been a great addition to Legacy Pointe and the Spring Hill community.”
SouthStar broke ground on the 213-acre mixed-use development last May. Legacy Pointe will feature residential, commercial, offices and greenspace. The project will also include a four-lane road connecting Crossings Boulevard to Kedron Road, which is scheduled for completion this year.
The City of Spring Hill said despite the USTA’s withdrawal, the Legacy Pointe development will continue to improve connectivity in the area through the four-lane connector—a project more than a decade in the making.
