Request for Proposal for a Tennis & Education Facility in Harlem
Introduction
You have been selected to submit a proposal to provide a potential site/facility/development solution to Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program (“HJTEP”) for its requirement of a new tennis and educational facility. While HJTEP would prefer to own its new premises, it is open to all alternatives that meet the objectives further described within this RFP. You are requested to submit your written response to the RFP at your earliest convenience.
Please submit your response and/or questions to:
Arthur Mirante
Vice Chairman
Savills, 399 Park Avenue, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10022
T : +1 212 588 3468
M : +1 646 732 8120 amirante@savills.us
Barry Finkelman
Senior Managing Director
Savills, 399 Park Avenue, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10022
T : +1 212 588 3461
M : +1 917 837 9049 bfinkelman@savills.us
Brad Wolk
Vice Chairman, Integrated Consulting Strategies
Savills, 399 Park Avenue, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10022
T : +1 212 326 8646
M : +1 917 533 8656 bwolk@savills.us
History and Mission: Empowering Youth Today & Tomorrow Building Champions In Life
Since its founding in 1972, the nonprofit Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program (HJTEP) has served more than 25,000 youth ages 5 to 18 in Central Harlem on a “first come” basis, fulfilling its mission to build champions in life through tennis, education, and wellness programs.
HJTEP is headquartered at the Harlem Armory Center which currently provides four indoor courts for after-school programming Monday –Saturday, serving 800 youth annually with a waitlist of 500 more. HJTEP also offers summer camp programs for 150-300 youth at six public courts located in Harlem.
HJTEP student-athletes are engaged and remain with the program for an average of seven years, and several alumni have returned as coaches, demonstrating the lasting impact of the HJTEP program on youth development and community engagement.
HJTEP programs teach beginners to play the sport of tennis and offer a pathway to earning college scholarships. In addition to on-court instruction, HJTEP’s Learning Resource Center (LRC) offers academic assessments to provide HJTEP participants with appropriate academic support. HJTEP studentathletes maintain a 3.1 GPA on average and receive homework help, private tutoring, SAT/ACT prep, and College/Career counseling. The statistics for HJTEP student-athletes are impressive:
95%+ graduate from high school
80%+ attend leading colleges and universities
65% receive non-athletic financial aid to attend college
25% earn tennis scholarships to continue to play and attend college
$1.1M in academic scholarships and financial aid was awarded to HJTEP students in 2023
In addition to academic and athletic support, the cornerstone of HJTEP’s wellness program is Tennis Against Obesity (TAO), which helps students, parents, and schools recognize and combat obesity by offering fitness and nutrition guidance. Guided meditation and mindfulness sessions complement the wellness program, promoting mental wellness and physical fitness. HJTEP empowers students to grow into well-rounded individuals ready to succeed in all aspects of life through a holistic approach to personal development and character building.
Property Objectives
HJTEP’s goal is to develop a site in a strategically placed location within the Harlem community to further promote and expand HJTEP’s mission. The following program requirements are flexible given the mandate to remain in Harlem.
A new facility will ideally include:
Indoor tennis courts
Outdoor tennis courts
Pickleball / junior courts
Office space
Classroom space
Locker rooms
Flexible multi-purpose room
Fitness center
Cafe
Lounge
The facility will additionally provide for:
Meaningful branding and signage opportunities
Flexibility to modify the site composition to meet program changes
Reasonable and stable occupancy costs over the lease term
HJTEP has outlined an example of the desired configuration for the proposed facility below. The ultimate size and configuration of the entire facility will depend on each site under consideration.
Site and Location
With the goal of remaining within the community, HJTEP has decided the preferred location of the new facility will be in Harlem. If you control or are in the process of controlling opportunities within Harlem, we encourage you to submit site specific information.
Additional Criteria
Use
HJTEP should qualify for multiple use groups, including a community use which should provide for additional benefits and incentives for a larger scale development and project which should be a significant value add proposition for sites under consideration.
Lease Term
Should the transaction be structured as a lease, HJTEP requires a term no less than thirty (30) years with additional renewal right options as well as expansion options.
Rental Rate
As a nonprofit organization, HJTEP prefers a rent structure that is reflective of projected facility revenue.
Construction
HJTEP will rely on the owner/developer of the property to deliver a custom-built infrastructure with new mechanical systems in place (To be further defined).
Please provide information as to your experience and/or ability to fund a construction project, including any experience with financing related to projects for nonprofit organizations (i.e. private placements or tax exempt bonds through DASNY or the NY IDA).
Incentives
It is HJTEP’s intent to work with local government officials and municipalities to qualify for and receive incentives. This may provide additional value add to any owner as it relates to their existing site, additional sites within their portfolio and/or prospective sites they are considering. Please provide information as to any relationships and experience with such officials.
Key Program Differentiators
Aside from HJTEP’s extraordinary staff and leadership, HJTEP uses tennis as a vehicle for teaching the values of discipline, focus, strategy and thinking ahead.
“Thinking ahead” means more than where to place your next ground stroke to win the point. Thinking ahead and the other wellness, social/emotional learning and character-building goals for HJTEP are central to:
Enhanced educational programs Which include STEM, technology and financial literacy; and
Preparing students to enroll and succeed in college; and
“Building Champions In Life” off the court, as much, if not more than on the court.
Expanding the Footprint for
Future Conclusion
the
Following HJTEP’s 50th anniversary, the Board of Directors developed a strategic plan for the future and collectively committed to increasing HJTEP’s capacity to increase outreach to the greater Harlem community.
In consultation with architects, engineers, and tennis experts with experience in land use and development, HJTEP has endorsed a plan to build its own permanent facility.
With 500+ youth on the waitlist, HJTEP will triple its capacity with the new HJTEP Community Tennis Center to serve 2,500 youth annually and, for the first time, offer adult programs.
HJTEP’s facility will be the only public indoor tennis facility in Manhattan, which is long overdue. With no membership fees and readily accessible public transportation, HJTEP looks forward to a bright future, introducing new inclusive programs for adaptive students while upholding a respected standard of excellence for everyone who walks through its doors.
Please
www.hjtep.org
Contacts
Arthur Mirante Vice Chairman
Savills, 399 Park Avenue, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10022
T : +1 212 588 3468
M : +1 646 732 8120 amirante@savills.us
Barry Finkelman
Senior Managing Director
Savills, 399 Park Avenue, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10022
T : +1 212 588 3461
M : +1 917 837 9049 bfinkelman@savills.us
Brad Wolk
Vice Chairman, Integrated Consulting Strategies
Savills, 399 Park Avenue, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10022
T : +1 212 326 8646
savills.us
M : +1 917 533 8656 bwolk@savills.us The material in this proposal has been prepared solely for informational purposes and is strictly confidential. Any disclosure, use, copying or circulation of this proposal (or the information contained within it) is strictly prohibited, unless you have obtained Savills’ prior written consent. Neither this proposal nor any part of it shall form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any offer or transaction, or act as an inducement to enter into any contract or commitment whatsoever. NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IS GIVEN AS TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN AND SAVILLS IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO SUBSEQUENTLY CORRECT IT IN THE EVENT OF ERRORS.
