HUNTSVILLE – Tennis, anyone, will soon take on a new meaning following the approval of a major expansion and upgrade at the Huntsville Tennis Center as demands for court time increase and the city continues to woo sports events.
The Huntsville City Council approved a $4,639,000 construction deal with Chorba Contracting to enhance the facility at John Hunt Park.
“We are pumped,” said Joc Simmons, director of Tennis at the Tennis Center. “We’re full with tournaments in the evening, so this helps alleviate some of our overflow. We have to turn people away in the evening. This will help just being able to get everybody out on the court.”
The agreement is to build 10 hard courts with lighting and to renovate six existing hard courts into clay courts. The project also includes a small restroom pavilion to support the courts, additional parking, sidewalks, landscaping and irrigation.
Construction will take about 16 months. When complete, the center will offer 36 soft courts and 10 hard courts for local and tournament play.
Simmons said the expansion will allow the tennis center to bid on tournaments that may bring as many as 500 players to Huntsville.
“We’ve worked on this project for a long time and we’re eager for construction to get started,” said Parks & Recreation Director James Gossett. “The Tennis Center is a crucial part of the offerings at John Hunt Park and we’re excited to see this asset accommodate more players.”
