The Las Vegas City Council today awarded a contract to CJMS Tennis Management Company to operate the Amanda and Stacy Darling Tennis Center, located at 7901 West Washington Ave. Entering into this public/private partnership is estimated to save the city more than $200,000 annually. This comes at a time when the city is facing a significant budget shortfall of about $47 million. 

Most importantly, the agreement means the facility will continue to operate.  The Darling Tennis Center is one of the finest public tennis venues in the country, but due to the economy, the city was considering closing it to save money.  This agreement allows the center to stay open.

A competitive Request for Proposals process was conducted to solicit proposals from qualified companies to operate and manage the Darling Tennis Center, which is located on Bureau of Land Management land subject to the Recreation and Public Purposes Act. The city RFP evaluation team determined that CJMS Tennis Management Company submitted the proposal most advantageous to the city for all elements of the center.

The principals in CJMS Tennis Management have a Nevada tennis pedigree.  The company consists of members of the Querrey and Foley families.  One of the partners is Sam Querrey, a current star in men’s professional tennis and a member of the U.S. Davis Cup Team.  The Foleys, Jeff and Sandy, have been associated with Nevada tennis for a number of years.

The city has already entered into successful similar public/private partnerships at other city facilities such as the Durango Hills and Centennial Hills Community Centers. In those locations the city owns the facilities, but they are operated by the YMCA.  The contract with CJMS is very similar.

The negotiated contract requires CJMS to pay utilities, daily maintenance and routine court resurfacing at the center. At the same time, the city has the ability to approve all fees and program schedules, and will receive monthly reports showing attendance, complaints and any cancellations.

“This type of creative thinking is essential in this poor economy to keep city facilities and amenities open,” said Ward 4 Councilman Stavros S. Anthony, who represents this area. “The agreement gives residents and tennis enthusiasts the best of both worlds.  The city retains its ownership of the facility, but is able to have a private company operate it in the most efficient way possible.  This is a win/win for everyone.”

The Amanda and Stacy Darling Memorial Tennis Center, the largest of its kind in the state of Nevada, consists of 23 tennis courts including one main court with stadium seating for approximately 2,800 spectators. It also includes a small pro shop, locker rooms and office space. The tennis center is part of the Charlie Kellogg and Joe Zaher Sports Complex.