THUNDER BAY — The Thunder Bay Community Tennis Centre (TBCTC) is partnering with the Thunder Bay Pickleball Association to raise funds for a covered facility for racket sports.
They're proposing to erect an air-supported bubble over six tennis courts – including two new ones – at the existing tennis centre at Chapples Park, similar to what used to be in place at Confederation College.
The tennis courts would accommodate eight pickleball courts on the same surface.
It's estimated that the project will cost approximately $3 million.
Dave McCallum, president of TBCTC, says the city would contribute $1.5 million for the project.
"Right now we're working to do our due diligence with the city. We're working closely with city management right now on that," McCallum said.
A spokesperson for the city was not immediately available for comment on Monday.
McCallum said an application has also been made for a provincial grant of $1 million.
The remaining $500,000 will be raised in-house, and roughly one-quarter of that is already in hand.
"Our planned opening was the fall of 2021...that is the original and hoped-for opening, and we're just going to see. The next couple of months are very crucial for us, to see how quickly we can get the funding secured and do all the due diligence," McCallum said.
However, he added that if the fall target can't be met, the project will proceed as quickly as possible after that.
McCallum said the business case for the project shows increasing demand for year-round tennis and pickleball facilities in Thunder Bay.
"Both are growth sports right now...they are continuing to grow, with the push for lifetime sports, an aging demographic, and the results with our Canadian tennis players are on the international stage."
He said there would be about 1,000 regular users of the tennis courts, plus several hundred pickleball enthusiasts.
"We are at a great point for racket sports. Usership is going up," McCallum said.
