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New W&S Open owner says a decision on moving will come 'after the tournament'

Beemok Sports and Entertainment President Bob Moran speaks at a tournament pre-party where he did not address the possible move until afterwards when reporters ask him about it.
Ann Thompson
/
WVXU
Beemok Sports and Entertainment President Bob Moran speaks at a tournament pre-party where he did not address the possible move until afterwards when reporters ask him about it.

Less than a month before top tennis players start arriving at the Western & Southern Open in Mason, new tournament owners, Beemok Sports and Entertainment, hosted a pre-party in downtown Cincinnati Thursday.

Beemok President Bob Moran touted tournament improvements, including a remodeled player lounge, a player terrace with fitness equipment, and a way for fans to personalize their experience. This involves computer software that picks the best ticket match based on three questions fans answer.

Moran did not have much to say about the tournament's possible move to Charlotte, N.C. "It's an ongoing process. It's not going to be until after the tournament," he told WVXU. "We're running dual pads in both Charlotte and Cincinnati to make the best possible decision for ownership.”

Beemok is planning to build a $400 million, 50-acre tennis complex in Charlotte, and is considering moving the two-week tennis tournament in Mason there. Beemok has asked the city and county government in North Carolina for hundreds of millions of dollars to build the facility. Charlotte city council has approved spending up to $65 million. That could be matched by the state.

RELATED: Could the Western & Southern Open move to Charlotte?

Meanwhile, the city of Mason, Warren County, and the state of Ohio are putting together a package to try to retain the tournament. They have offered $15 million. In a statement Mason said, "The Western & Southern Open is a top priority for the City of Mason as well as our region. We are proud of our legacy of tennis. Regional and statewide strength and alignment allows us to be nimble making projects of this scale and magnitude happen. Working with Beemok challenged us to further up our game. The lieutenant governor's office, state legislators, Warren County, REDI Cincinnati, Greater Cincinnati and Warren County convention and visitor bureaus, along with the Mason and Cincinnati business communities came together with a proactive, unified voice to secure this opportunity."

Earlier this summer Beemok said, “Our process in other cities follows the same course we have taken in Greater Cincinnati, to both present the benefits of the tournament to the local community as well as evaluate the opportunities and constraints the region presents. We've had productive conversations with state and local representatives in Mason and the surrounding area and have made considerable efforts to develop a potential master plan to expand the event in its current location."

In June, new Tournament Director Todd Martin told WVXU and other reporters he had to remain neutral in the "cat and dog fight."

RELATED: New Western & Southern Open director says he must be neutral in Mason-Charlotte 'cat and dog fight'

"I don't believe I have the right to root," says Martin. "I care a lot about this event. I care a lot about the sport. And I think the sport is going to be dramatically, dramatically better in the future."

Whether the Western & Southern Open stays in Mason or moves to Charlotte, the tennis tournament will grow by 2025. On the men's side, it will nearly double, as will the number of courts.

Martin says both cities are at very similar stages with architects and contractors to build or expand.

The tournament dates back to 1899 in Cincinnati. It's been in Mason since 1979.

Ann Thompson has decades of journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her reporting.