Tamiami Tennis Academy may build up Manatee tennis training

MANATEE -- A proposed sports academy that could boost Manatee County's reputation as a tennis training ground may soon be producing the next generation of the sport's stars in an unlikely place.

A Palmetto company headed by a Russian national is asking permission to build its proposed Tamiami Tennis Academy on a 4-acre lot on a busy stretch of 14th Street West south of Bradenton. Aimed at youth players, the academy would feature seven lighted, outdoor tennis courts, one indoor court and a small strength training and office building.

The project is a desirable one in the eyes of county government officials. They are pushing redevelopment along that portion of Tamiami Trail and in the southwest portion of the county overall. Karen Stewart, the county's economic development program manager, said sports performance facilities are a top priority for county government. It gave the proposed tennis academy project "rapid response" status to reduce the amount of time it takes to get it through planning approvals.

Tamiami Tennis Academy would be small compared with other local tennis training facilities. IMG Academy boasts the largest at its El Conquistador Parkway campus. Just down the street, United Tennis Academy added six clay courts last year to its previous inventory of 15.

Sergey Ibragimov, who heads the development company building the new academy, said he hopes to begin construction within three to four months. Located between a Lowes shopping complex on Cortez Road West and the Palm Village mobile home community, the academy would be built on a rare piece of nearly vacant land. The area is primarily home to retail businesses and housing.

Ibragimov's company purchased the land for the tennis academy in December for $637,500.

When it opens about a year from now, the academy will train about 30 athletes at a time.

Documentation submitted to the county shows that about 90 percent of those players will be younger than 16.

Ibragimov said he intends the academy's reach to be throughout the Bradenton area and beyond.

"We hope that our students will be the guys from Bradenton and Sarasota, as well as international students," he said.

The academy's location gives it access to two major transportation routes, U.S. 41 and Cortez Road.

Ibragimov said that will translate into "good accessibility."

Three employees will work at the academy training players at any one time.

The site will be almost completely covered with courts, a parking lot and buildings. The indoor court will be under 13,500 square feet of roof. The training and office facility will measure about 4,500 square feet.

That building will also house a pro shop, sauna, showers and changing rooms.

Four small drainage ponds will treat storm runoff from the property.

Matt M. Johnson, Herald business reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7027 or on Twitter @MattAtBradenton.

This story was originally published March 22, 2016 at 11:02 PM with the headline "Tamiami Tennis Academy may build up Manatee tennis training ."