Ravenwood Country Club, an 18-hole golf, tennis and swimming club situated behind the Stones River Greenway, is set to become green space under an acquisition agreement approved by the Metro Council Tuesday.
Council members approved the $2.8 million purchase of the 181-acre private Hermitage country club Tuesday night. Club owner David Watkins, the second party in the deal, will continue to manage the club through 2013.
Dollars used to purchase the land came from Mayor Karl Dean’s open space fund, which began with a balance of $5 million. Earlier this year, Metro purchased East Nashville’s 135-acre Cornelia Park Airpark for $1.2 million to expand nearby Shelby Bottoms.
The two purchases are part of Dean’s open space plan, which seeks to preserve land that could otherwise be developed.
Jim Fyke, a special assistant at the Metro Finance Department, has said Metro would not continue operating the club’s golf course, but could perhaps make use of its swimming and tennis facilities. The club, revamped with trails, will become a part of the city’s greenway system.
After Metro takes full control over the club after Dec. 31, 2013, the new park space would be open to the public.
Part of the council’s vote Tuesday also approved an agreement with Eddie Phillips, who owns an adjacent subdivision called The Reserve at Stone Hall. In previous years, Phillips had contributed $266,000 to upgrade Ravenwood Country Club’s tennis and swimming facilities.
Because of Phillips’ obligation to build new amenities for The Reserve homeowners, Metro has agreed to transfer 5 acres of land to Phillips. He plans to build a new pool and tennis courts for the Reserves development, according to the council’s legal analysis.