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HomeMy WebLinkAboutProposed Construction Project 01-26-01 WLISKI044 MIDWEST SECTION "Building the Future" Proposed Construction Project in the Cily of Carmel January 26, 2001 Carmel, Indiana • • • • United States Tennis Association MISSION The mission of the USTA/Midwest Section is to "Promote and Develop the Growth of Tennis" throughout the Midwest, focusing on the establishment of competitive, developmental, educational and recreational tennis programs for individuals of all ages and skill levels without regard to race, creed, color or national origin. The USTA/Midwest Section also promotes health, character, fair play, sportsmanship and social responsibility through tennis. HISTORY The USTA/Midwest Section is incorporated as a not-for-profit 501(c) 4 corporation and is one of 17 sectional offices of the United States Tennis • Association. Currently the USTA/Midwest Section boasts close to 70,000 individual members and 1,000 member organizations. It is the second largest section of the United States Tennis Association, the national governing body for tennis in the U.S. The USTA/Midwest Section is composed of 14 districts in seven states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Originally, the section was named the Western Tennis Association and was founded on July 13, 1895, when about 20 of the leading tennis players in the Midwest came together at the Chicago Beach Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. It was at that now-historic meeting that the Western Lawn Tennis Association was formed. Initially, the Western Lawn Tennis Association governed all tennis clubs west of the Alleghenies, thus the "Western" name. In 1920, the Western Lawn Tennis Association became a member of the United States Lawn Tennis Association. Its jurisdiction was reduced to include the state boundaries of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin, minus small sections of Illinois in the metropolitan St. Louis and Quad Cities areas. In 1926 the Kentucky counties of Boone, Campbell, and Kenton, across from 1 • Cincinnati, were transferred from the Southern Lawn Tennis Association to the Western Lawn Tennis Association and the name of the Southern Ohio Lawn Tennis Association was changed to the Ohio Valley Lawn Tennis Association. Sixteen West Virginia counties became part of the Western Lawn Tennis Association and the Ohio Valley Lawn Tennis Association in 1964. In 1971 the word Lawn was officially dropped from names of the United States Tennis Association and all sectional and district associations. Northern Michigan became the 14th and final district in the USTA/Midwest Section in 1973. Eight of Wisconsin's Minneapolis-area counties were transferred to the Northwestern Section establishing the current boundaries of the USTA/Midwest Section in 1981. In 1984 John F. Hennessey, George M. Lott, Jr., Frank A. Parker, and James C. Stewart, became the first four inductees into the USTA/Midwest Section Hall of Fame. Eleven years later the Thomas Markin Racquet Center, on • the campus of Kalamazoo College, became the home of the USTA/Midwest Section Hall of Fame. Following the retirement of long-time Western Tennis Association's Executive Director Kay Schubert, the sectional office was moved from Springfield, Ohio, to its current home in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1991. On the first day of the 104th meeting of the Western Tennis Association in Toledo, Ohio, a new chapter was added to the rich history of the association. On December 5, 1997, one hundred-two years, four months and 22 days after being formed in Chicago, Ill., the Western Tennis Association changed its name to the USTA/Midwest Section in Toledo, Ohio. The name change officially took affect on January 1, 1998. • 2 • • • Midwest Youth Tennis Foundation MISSION The Midwest Youth Tennis Foundation, Inc., is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization incorporated in September 1992 to provide opportunities and support for youth tennis through educational and charitable activities throughout the USTA/Midwest Section. OBJECTIVES The Midwest Youth Tennis Foundation works to establish an effective communication network throughout the USTA/Midwest Section. In addition, the Foundation conducts fundraising activities that will provide greater educational opportunities for the youth living in the USTA/Midwest Section. Assisting communities and individuals in need of financial assistance is the Midwest Youth • Tennis Foundation's highest priority. PROGRAMS/SERVICES Following are some of the programs and services that the Midwest Youth Tennis Foundation provides annually: O Provides seed grant money for quality youth tennis programs. O Assists young players who are in need of financial assistance in order to compete at higher levels. O Subsidizes activities in the USTA/ Midwest Section Multicultural Participation Program. O Presents the Tim & Tom Gullikson USTA/Midwest Section Scholarship to one boy and one girl annually. O Assists schools in the USTA/Midwest Section in meeting equipment needs to provide students the opportunity to experience tennis as part of their • physical education classes. O Provides tennis camp scholarships to young athletes in need. 3 • • • 0 Promotes the implementation of USA Tennis youth programs and the USA Tennis Player Development program throughout the USTA/Midwest Section. 0 Coordinates with the USTA/Midwest Section staff to improve the system for delivering USA Tennis programs to local communities. Building the Future PURPOSE In support of our mission, the USTA/Midwest Section and the Midwest Youth Tennis Foundation are proposing the construction of a 25,000 square foot office building for its use to provide value to its stakeholders, individual and organizational members, and the City of Carmel through a well-executed strategic asset allocation initiative. The purpose of the project is to plan and provide facilities for the Association's volunteers and staff in order to execute its mission in an effective and efficient manner. PROPOSED OFFICE BUILDING To meet the needs of the Association's volunteers and staff, the potential exists to construct a facility in Carmel, Indiana that would become the permanent home of the USTA/Midwest Section, Midwest Youth Tennis Foundation and the Midwest Tennis Hall of Fame. The possibility also exists to house other tennis associations, such as the Central Indiana Tennis Association, Indianapolis Community Tennis Association, Hamilton County Community Tennis Association and USA Tennis NJTL of Indianapolis. Thus, the building could be the home to a large tennis family. S 4 • • • PROPOSED SITE The proposed site is an undeveloped 1.92 acres of land located just East of the Five Seasons Sports Country Club on 1300 East 96th Street, Indianapolis Indiana. It is positioned between 1-465 to the North and East 96th Street to the South. The parcel of land is located two miles West of Keystone Avenue and one mile East of Meridian Street. The site features a highly visible view to the general public traveling East on 1-465. The piece of land backs up to woods and the Monon Trail. The site is currently zoned R-1 Residential District and it will require a zoning variance to be able to host an office building. PROXIMITY TO TENNIS FACILITIES The location of the proposed office building provides an excellent • opportunity for the Association to utilize the tennis courts at the adjacent club for USTA programs and activities. IMAGE AND AWARENESS ENHANCEMENT One focus of the project is to enhance the image and awareness of the sport of tennis through public relations efforts and effective marketing of its brand identity. The City of Carmel has a thriving business community. One of the best business addresses in the country is the Meridian Corridor in Carmel, the second largest concentration of office workers in the state of Indiana. The Meridian Corridor is home to some of the top corporate names in the United States, such as Delta Faucet, Thomson Consumer Electronics, Macmillan Publishing, and Conseco. Likewise, 96th Street and Meridian is becoming one of the most prominent spots in the Indianapolis area with the development of Parkwood. The • corporate park is home to many other top corporations. It is our belief that the United States Tennis Association's regional office along the 96th Street 5 • • • corridor would fit well with the current businesses and corporations that are located in this area. The city's business leaders and involved citizens work with the City of Carmel to continue to make Carmel a city in which people want to do business. Through partnerships with its citizens and its businesses, Carmel's elected officials and boards and commissions are working together to develop and implement innovative strategies to lead the city. The relocation of the USTA/Midwest Section and its Foundation to Carmel will compliment this important strategy. Positive and effective promotion of the sport with a well-positioned office building that prominently displays the corporate logo will in turn make people aware of the Association, and at the same time attract attention to the City of Carmel. To further enhance the city's image, the USTA/Midwest Section will be a visible entity within the community that presents a positive image of itself • and the sport to the community. 6 S • Summary SUMMATION The mission of the USTA/Midwest Section and its Foundation is to "Promote and Develop the Growth of Tennis". This mission can be best achieved through effective and efficient productivity from its volunteers and staff that work in an environment that enhances their efforts. The City of Carmel is a tremendous city with a strong and growing economy. The city has established itself along side the metropolitan area of Indianapolis, which is a major transportation hub and is known as the "Amateur Sports Capital" of the world. The addition of the USTA regional office will strengthen Carmel along those lines. The strategic location of the proposed site, which is in a highly visible setting, would give the Association a prominent position in the Carmel community and in the Midwest. In addition, the proposed building could provide a permanent residence for a large tennis family of organizations. We believe that the construction of a facility makes common and practical sense from a business perspective. The potential strategic asset that the City of Carmel would acquire with the construction of an office building to house the USTA/Midwest Section and its Foundation is a significant one. The relocation of the USIA to Carmel will provide long-term economic, health and philanthropic benefits to its community. In conclusion, this capital project will help "Build the Futures" of the City of Carmel, the USTA/Midwest Section, and the Midwest Youth Tennis Foundation concurrently. • 7