Western & Southern Open not moving to Charlotte; proposed tennis complex scrapped

CHARLOTTE — A world-renowned tennis tournament will not be relocating to Charlotte, meaning there is no future for the proposed tennis complex that would go into the future River District.

The Western & Southern Open is going to stay in Cincinnati, according to a post on X that was shared Tuesday.

The Charlotte City Council had approved spending up to $65 million to help build a major tennis stadium and complex, in what would be called the River District. State lawmakers also earmarked another $20 million to help build the $400-million complex.

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But the proposal also hinged on convincing Beemok Capital to build the complex and move the Western & Southern Open to the Queen City by 2026, according to our partners at the Charlotte Business Journal.

With the news Tuesday that the tournament would be staying in Cincinnati, Channel 9 has reached out to local and state leaders to learn what will happen with the money that was slated for the complex.

According to a statement from a Mecklenburg County spokesperson, the funds set aside from the project will remain in Mecklenburg County.

“Staff is disappointed the Western & Southern Open did not relocate to Mecklenburg County,” said a statement, in part, from Mecklenburg County. “We are grateful for the opportunity to work on this exciting project, and especially thank the Board of County Commissioners and the City of Charlotte for their support. As a result of this recent news, no tax dollars were or will be dispersed.”

The Founder of Beemok Capital, Ben Navarro, said in a statement: “The leaders in Charlotte and the state have been incredible partners as we’ve evaluated our options. This was a very difficult decision, and we are deeply appreciative of the time, energy and resources that were invested alongside us.”

Beemok said in a statement that “the consistent escalation of costs to construct a facility of this scale proved to be too much.”

The River District’s Future

Charlotte City Councilmember Malcolm Graham told Channel 9′s Genevieve Curtis that development will continue at the River District. He says construction on affordable housing and retail shops is underway currently.

“It won’t grow as fast based on not having the tournament here; the tournament would have accelerated its growth,” Graham said.

Graham said he doesn’t think the city got played by Beemok Capital.

“I think it came down to a business decision,” Graham said. “It’s a lot cheaper to renovate an existing facility than move.”

The councilman told Curtis that the teamwork between the city, county, and state shows that the region can be competitive in bringing big businesses, sports, and entertainment to the area.

(WATCH: NC state budget includes money for west Charlotte tennis complex)

NC state budget includes money for west Charlotte tennis complex

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