The Indian Wells Tennis Garden will now "feature new, larger stadium seats, seat-back chairs at the practice courts and a sports bar -- featuring dozens of TV screens -- as part of new upgrades taking place," according to Denise Goolsby of the Palm Springs DESERT SUN. ATP/WTA BNP Paribas Open CEO Raymond Moore said, "We don’t have a final cost yet -- we’re still working on budgets and we’re making ... some changes to design. It is a large investment by [tournament/facility Owner Larry Ellison], who continues to push the envelope." Goolsby noted the tournament is the "fifth largest tournament -- in terms of attendance -- in the world." Moore: "Our goal is to get to 500,000 people -- attendees -- and if we hit 500,000, that will be more people than the French [Open] and Wimbledon. We’re right there on the cusp." He added, "The seating in the lower bowl -- which is just over 6,000 seats -- all those seats will have cup holders in them. We’re taking the existing seats out of Stadium 1 and repurposing them and putting them on the practice courts, so there will be very few temporary bleachers out on the practice courts." Goolsby noted upgrades outside of Stadium 1 include a new sports bar "to be located in the northeast corner of the tennis village," featuring 57 TV screens. Also in the works is a "new, 5,000-seat stadium -- featuring a tennis museum -- that’s planned to be built and opened in time" for the '17 event. A reception area for VIPs "is being built on the west side of the tennis garden, which will include valet parking" (Palm Springs DESERT SUN, 11/10).
SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE: ATP/WTA Miami Open Exec VP & Tournament Dir Adam Barrett said that IMG, which owns the event, "would consider moving" it if the tourney "does not get court approval to upgrade its facilities." TENNIS.com's Kamakshi Tandon noted the tourney "received government approval for construction improvements to the site," but was blocked by a court order sought by private individuals that "protested some of the changes, including the removal of some green clay courts." Another court hearing "is scheduled on the issue." The event "has been criticized, including by some players, for not maintaining and improving its once top-notch facility" (TENNIS.com, 11/10).
