Private company to run Darling Tennis Center

By Sun Staff (contact)

Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2010 | 3:21 p.m.

A move by the city of Las Vegas to allow a private company to operate the Amanda and Stacy Darling Tennis Center will save the city an estimated $200,000 annually, the city said in a news release.

On Wednesday, the city council awarded a contract to CJMS Tennis Management Company to operate the tennis center, which the city was considering closing in response to an estimated budget shortfall of $47 million.

Under the contract, CJMS will pay utilities and will provide daily maintenance and routine court resurfacing at the center. The city will be involved with fees and program schedules. It will also 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,” Ward 4 Councilman Stavros S. Anthony, who represents the area, said in a statement. “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 Durango Hills and Centennial Hills community centers are operated under similar public-private partnership arrangements, city officials said. Those community centers are operated by the YMCA.

The Amanda and Stacy Darling Memorial Tennis Center, 7901 W. Washington Ave., is the largest facility of its kind in Nevada. The tennis center is part of the Charlie Kellogg and Joe Zaher Sports Complex.