| CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- After 28 years on Hilton Head
Island, The Family Circle Cup tennis tournament will move to a planned
$9 million clay court complex on Daniel Island in suburban Charleston next
year.
The Charleston City Council voted 9-3 on Thursday to approve the proposal.
The tournament, one of the oldest in women's tennis, ends its three-year
contract with Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head with this year's event, scheduled
April 17-23.
The Family Circle has been considering other venues because of scheduling
conflicts on Hilton Head, which also plays host to the MCI Classic on the
PGA Tour.
The move caps almost three months of negotiations between the city and
the German publishing giant Gruner-Jahr, which owns the magazine and the
tournament.
The city would spend $9 million to build a 17-court complex on a 30-acre
site off the Wando River on Daniel Island.
The center court would have 3,500 seats and seating could be expanded
to 10,000 during the tournament. The facility would be available for use
by the public when not being used for tournaments.
Construction of the tennis complex is scheduled for completion March
15, 2001, in time for next year's tournament April 14-22.
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