State Putting Millions Into Renovating Tennis Stadium

Tennis stars arriving next week for the Connecticut Open will be greeted with a newly renovated players' center. 

It's the first major renovation to the Connecticut Tennis Center since the stadium opened in 1991, but it won't be the last. 

The state bought the struggling WTA tournament in 2013 for $618,000 to prevent it from moving to North Carolina. Since then, the state Bond Commission has approved spending more than $2 million on improvements, including a new press facility and heating system. 

Ben Barnes, the state budget director, said improvements are needed to help the tournament become self-sufficient. 

Others, including Republican state Rep. Christopher Davis, a member of the commission, said the state is wasting taxpayer money on a facility that holds just one major event a year. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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