According to Freedom of Information Act documents, George Cartledge, III was begging for the Countryside tennis building as far back as November 18, 2010 but the city rebuffed all of the Grand Piano and Furniture President’s proposals. Cartledge and his wife Barbara, along with the Bernard and Hearp families were prepared to renovate the tennis building and even offered to buy it for $250,000.
This group was negotiating with Johan Kriek, a former two-time Australian Open Grand Slam winner and four-time senior Wimbledon champion. They were trying to find a public indoor tennis facility where junior tennis players could train in an academy run by Kriek himself.
There were to be clinics and programs with exhibitions at one of the city’s outdoor facilities. Kriek charges $3000 for exhibitions, explained Barbara Cartledge in an email to Planning Administrator Chris Chittum on November 28, 2010. Tickets would be $25 to $50 per person. All proceeds would go directly to the city.
“This would benefit the city by bringing in many people from outside areas to Roanoke. It benefits the Visitor and Tourism of the Roanoke Valley and would create an incredible buzz in the tennis world,” said Barbara Cartledge in the email.
The group wanted to repair and begin use of the Countryside tennis building by January 3, 2011. In addition, they offered $1500 a month to lease it as one possible option.
The intended length of the lease was unclear because by December 29 Cartledge was told by the city: “No can do.” An email revealed that Chittum went up the ladder to the city manager’s office. With a “CC” to Assistant City Manager, Brian Townsend, Chittum said in an email to Cartledge, “They have discussed and concluded that it would be best to let the planning process for Countryside run its course.”
“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news,” said Chittum in the email.
The city’s “no can do” has become yet another lost opportunity as the Wimbledon champion moved on to Roanoke County where he apparently found a friendlier place to do business. He is giving lessons to kids ages 7 through 18 for $1200 per month at the Sun Indoor Tennis Center on Starkey Road.
The pattern of “No” was evident when Tamea Woodward of EastWest Dyecom, Inc. spoke to city council recently and in no uncertain terms told them how difficult it was to do business in Roanoke City.
She said she was told directly by fellow business colleagues that “you are crazy if you try to start a business in the city.” It took her 18 months before she was up and running. Woodward offered her services to help them do better. She scoffed at the Economic Development Department. Council asked for a report from the city manager a month ago.
Kissito Healthcare wanted a large portion of the Countryside golf course property the city purchased in 2005. The purchase could have paid off the loan on the $4.1 million property but another chorus of “no can do” came from the city on that proposal in March. The city’s inflexibility forced Kissito to move on to other property.
According to Tom Clarke, CEO of Kissito Healthcare, the Countryside property was the preferred location. They had received approval in March to be a PACE center (PACE stands for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) that would provide adult day care and home based services thereby avoiding nursing home institutionalization. As part of the proposal, Kissito would have fulfilled their promise to the state to have the center operational by the summer of 2012.
Now all that’s left for the Countryside property is what amounts to a roll of the dice by the city on an “urban village.” But, not a single developer or realtor showed up for the open house the Planning Department held for them.
The city continues to make the $400,000 yearly bank payments on the property.
