A local entrepreneur wants to build a 50-court tennis center in northwest Raleigh to accommodate the sport’s growing popularity and to host tournaments.

Rob Autry is asking Raleigh if he can lease 48 acres of city-owned land near the Brier Creek community so he can build a facility with six indoor courts and dozens more open and covered courts for tennis, squash and pickleball.

The City Council on Tuesday was open to the idea of a tennis center, which some say would be the largest facility of its kind in North Carolina.

“(Tuesday) was a significant milestone for us,” Autry said. “That was the point in time for them to say, ‘Hey, we have issues and it might not be worth it to press forward.’ But thank goodness they said, ‘We’re in favor of this, and you’ve got our endorsement to go ahead and draw up a contract.’ ”

Raleigh owns 110 courts, which aren’t enough for the local demand, said Ken Hisler, assistant parks director. Raleigh has more U.S. Tennis Association members than any city in the Southeast except Atlanta, he said.

The city is in the process of adding eight courts to the eight existing ones at the Biltmore Hills Community Center in Southeast Raleigh, but some say that’s just a start.

A $25 million tennis center built by Autry’s investment group, Triangle Racquet Sports, would help fill a need without costing taxpayer money, City Manager Ruffin Hall said Tuesday.

“What the city’s really doing is leveraging our land asset in exchange for a tennis facility in a location with a high demand for tennis,” he said. “There’s really not any city money in this deal, and there is a strong demand for tennis across the city.”

Autry, the founder of Café Carolina restaurants and Raleigh sports tech company Vstrator, is a former tennis coach and an active player. He said he had been considering a project like this for about 10 years, but the economic downturn halted any plans. Now, he said, the time is right, and he hopes to open the facility by late 2019 or early 2020.

Raleigh has owned the site since 2003 at 6205 Mount Herman Road, on the east side of U.S. 70 just north of Interstate 540.

The City Council is expected to vote on a lease agreement in about six months. Under a proposal, the city could lease the land for $1 per year for 50 years.

Raleigh would get a cut of the center’s revenue – about $275,000 a year, Hisler said. He expects the center would have an estimated $3.5 million impact on the economy as players, families and fans would travel from other areas and stay at hotels and eat at local restaurants.

One of the tennis courts would serve as “center court,” with a maximum seating capacity of 2,500 people for major matches.

“It won’t be the Australian Open, but we could certainly have championship events,” Hisler said.

Raleigh leaders have said they also want the site to feature a small park with a playground, walking trail, restrooms and picnic shelters.