Hornig Capital Partners announces it has acquired the prestigious property
The iconic Port Washington Tennis Academy (PWTA) has a new owner. Hornig Capital Partners (HCP), led by local real estate developer/investor Daren Hornig, announces that it has acquired the famed property and has entered into a long term lease and partnership with Sportime Clubs, LLC, to operate it. The facility will be renamed Sportime Port Washington.
The PWTA was established in 1966 as a non-profit tennis facility and was where many legendary players, including John and Patrick McEnroe, Vitas Gerulaitis, Tracy Austin, and others, trained as juniors.
Sportime, which operates fifteen locations, has announced plans for the facility to become its fifth John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) location, and its second on Long Island. Sportime operates JMTA in partnership with the 7-time Grand Slam Singles Champion, and 10-time Grand Slam Doubles Champion, for whom it is named. JMTA’s arrival in Port Washington will be an extraordinary homecoming for John McEnroe, and for his brother Patrick, who is JMTA’s Co-Director. Sportime Port Washington will be a premier destination for adult and junior tennis on Long Island and will continue to be the largest indoor tennis facility on Long Island, featuring 15 hard and soft surface tennis courts. Sportime Port Washington will also be offering Pickleball, America’s fastest growing sport, with the addition of 10 new Pickleball courts in a dedicated building.
Facility renovations have commenced. The club’s exterior will be restored and refreshed, as the parties spend up to $7 million to modernize and upgrade the racket sports center. Improvements to the playing areas will include upgrades to the court surfaces, lighting, interiors and HVAC, with additional improvements to the facility’s locker rooms and public spaces, including the addition of three new bathrooms accessible to playing and dining areas. These substantial renovations are expected to be completed by August 2023.
Daren Hornig, Managing Partner of Hornig Capital Partners, who is an avid Pickleballer said: “I’m so proud that Hornig Capital Partners is able to bring this Long Island gem back to its former glory. In partnership with Sportime, we will make sure that the Port Washington Tennis Academy becomes the home of future tennis and pickleball champions.”
Sportime Clubs LLC President and Chief Executive Officer, Claude Okin said: “We are pleased to be partnering with Hornig Capital Partners to expand Sportime’s family of clubs on Long Island, and to bring the great Johnny Mac back to Port Washington, as we provide our members with what will be another beautiful, newly renovated, facility on the North Shore of Long Island. We also look forward to honoring the original mission of the facility, as JMTA will provide tennis as a pathway to education and lifelong health to thousands of young players at Port Washington. We are very excited about the future.”
There are plans to expand the outreach of the Johnny Mac Tennis Project, Inc (JMTP), the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which has been in existence since 2012, operating primarily in New York City, to include Port Washington. The goal of the charity is to transform young lives by removing the economic, racial, and social barriers to success through tennis; a mission that is remarkably aligned with the founding mission of PWTA. As part of its Port Washington operations, Sportime will outreach surrounding communities and provide scholarships and community-based programming, directly, and through JMTP.
—Submitted by Hornig Capital Partners
