Expanding the

Peachtree City Tennis Center with seven covered courts (to battle the

elements) and more office space comes at an estimated price tag of $2.4

million.

But, as Tate

Godfrey told the Peachtree City Council Thursday night, such an expansion

will help the facility attract more prestigious tournaments and bolster

the economic benefit to the community. For instance, the weekend tournaments

help fill up hotel rooms that normally are vacant, he added.

Godfrey estimated

the current that the tennis center brought an extra $4.4 million into

the city economy last year. With the expansion, that number could jump

to as much as $10 million a year, he added.

The expansion

would bring the number of courts at the facility to 25. It would also

add more than 9,500 square feet of office space that can be used for administration

and a pro shop, Godfrey said.

Currently,

the tennis center leases office space off site, Godfrey added.

The expansion

could also be funded by increasing the city's motel and hotel tax from

its current 3 percent to 5 percent, he added.

"We presented

this plan to council at its retreat two years ago, and now we feel the

time is right," Godfrey said, speaking for his fellow members of

the Peachtree City Economic Development Authority, which oversees the

tennis center and the city's amphitheater.

The tennis

center currently has 620 members and 31 employees, and it also hosts play

for various leagues such as the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association. Under

the direction of Virgil Christian, the 1998 Georgia Tennis Professional

of the Year, the center has grown in renown since its inception, Godfrey

added.

The city's

hotel-motel tax is incredibly low as it stands now, Godfrey said. The

city of Atlanta's is set at 17 percent, he said.

Councilman

Robert Brooks said it was a good idea to expand the tennis center to bring

more prestige to Peachtree City. He believes that south Fulton County

will boom with several golf courses in the coming years and Peachtree

City needs to set itself apart.

The tennis

center also has played an integral role in the community by offering classes

for high school coaches and hosting events for local youths, Brooks added.

"It's a world-class center," Brooks said, "...

and this is something that would not be subsidized by the local taxpayer."

Council did not commit to the project, but Mayor Bob

Lenox said it would be a good idea to check with area hotel and motel

operators before proceeding the plans.