HUNTSVILLE — Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and city officials were on hand Thursday to celebrate the popularity and expansion of the Huntsville Tennis Center.
The event was slightly different from traditional groundbreakings in that instead of shovels and the traditional “first dig, officials received rackets and launched tennis balls into the air to mark the occasion.
“Improving quality of life for our residents is the driving motivation in everything we do,” Mayor Tommy Battle said. “The Huntsville Tennis Center is a tremendous asset, and we are excited to see this project started.”
Tennis Center Director Joc Simmons said interest in the sport continues to grow, with the city’s population, and the expansioin helps meet that increase.
“The Tennis Center is booked to capacity several nights each week,” he said. “We have about 35,000 sign-ins each year and that doesn’t include tournaments, junior events, camps, special events and other activities throughout the year.
“Given that heavy demand, this expansion is greatly needed.”
The Huntsville City Council in June approved a $4,639,000 construction contract with Chorba Contracting for the project.
“The Council is elated to join the administration in supporting this project,” said City Councilman Bill Kling. The center is in his district. “Tennis has long been a favorite activity in Huntsville and it’s great exercise for all ages.”
Parks & Recreation Director James Gossett said the center is a keystone of the city’s John Hunt Park recreation areas.
“John Hunt Park is the centerpiece of the Huntsville recreation scene, and the Tennis Center is a big part of that,” Gossett said. “This investment will greatly enhance tennis opportunities and attract more players to Huntsville.”
The expansion will include building 10 hard courts with lighting and converting six existing hard courts to clay courts. The project also includes a small restroom pavilion to support the courts, additional parking, sidewalks, landscaping, and irrigation.
Construction is expected to take approximately 16 months.
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