By Erica Solvig
The Cincinnati Enquirer

MASON - With all three pieces of the funding puzzle in place, officials say they're finalizing a deal to keep a world-class tennis tournament in Warren County.

Deerfield Township, Warren County and its Convention and Visitors Bureau agreed last week to help the operators of the Western & Southern Financial Masters buy the ATP Tennis Center.

The city of Mason agreed to its part of the financing last month.

Tennis for Charity Inc., a private, nonprofit group that holds the franchise for one of nine ATP men's tennis tournaments held in the United States annually, needed the contributions to buy the ATP Center from its owner, Carl Lindner's American Financial Group. Paul Flory, who runs the Masters, said they are working out the final details. A decision on the deal should be made this week.

"We're pleased that the municipalities came through on their part," he said, but declined to comment further.

The ATP Tennis Center, on 90 acres near Paramount's Kings Island, includes three stadiums and seven other courts.

It's home to the Western & Southern, a required stop for the top 50 male tennis players. The annual tournament draws more than 160,000 fans and another 35 million television viewers. The event boosts the regional economy by $23.3 million a year, according to a University of Cincinnati study.

"The project itself is not in the township, but there is a regional economic benefit and an image benefit to the region," Deerfield Township Trustee Randy Kuvin said after last week's trustees meeting. "We have a responsibility to come to the table and protect that."

Township trustees voted 2-1 to give $600,000 over 20 years in return for recognition of the contribution and public access to the center. They anticipate tax revenues from Deerfield hotels will exceed the $30,000-a-year investment.

Also last week, Warren County and its Convention and Visitors Bureau committed to give Tennis for Charity $3.65 million from their share of the hotel tax over 19 years.

In November, Mason agreed to pay $3.125 million over 25 years. The city gets some public access to the center, and it can use a stadium suite during the Masters for business-recruitment purposes.

"It is such a prestigious and high-profile event. If it went away, we certainly couldn't get something like this at this magnitude," said Shirley Bonekemper, executive director of the county visitors bureau. "It's one of the jewels in our crown as a tourism destination."

Mr. Flory has been trying for years to negotiate a purchase or long-term lease with American Financial. In October, he agreed to a $16.5 million asking price, even though a 2001 appraisal valued the land at $7.8 million based on its potential as an office park - the likeliest non-tournament use.

Next year's tournament runs Aug. 7-17.

Cindi Andrews contributed to this report.

E-mail esolvig@enquirer.com