The ceremony began with various members of the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners - including Chairman and CEO Richard A. Oden, Post 1 Commissioner Oz Nesbitt Sr. and Post 2 Commissioner JaNice Van Ness - speaking about the project they helped spearhead.

"We would like to thank the taxpayers for giving us all this wonderful facility to enjoy," Van Ness said.

The new tennis facility was funded by a county Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), a program which uses one percent of local sales tax to fund capital projects.

Although the matter of who will actually run the day-to-day operations of the facility is still up in the air, one thing was made clear from all participants on hand - this project is all about giving back to the community.
"It is a world-class facility," said Billy Helton of the Piedmont Area Tennis Association.

Local tennis buffs can really take advantage of the center's opening for the next month.

"We hope to attract two-day tourists from the Atlanta area and beyond, as well as get youth involved at the center," said Assistant Director of Rockdale County Parks and Recreation Chip McGinley.

The Rockdale Tennis Center has already been approved by the Atlanta Lawn and Tennis Association (ALTA) for league play, and is actively looking to host USTA tournaments and local events.

The facility will be the official site of the Kim Atkins Memorial tournament from August 21-23.
Call the center at 770-278-7251 or visit www.conyerstennis.com for more info.