Tennis club to get major revamp

The Thunder Bay Community Tennis Centre is getting a much-needed $765,000 facelift, but only after city council came through with an additional $239,500 from the city’s $1-million TBaytTel dividend reserve fund.

Council unanimously approved the request on Monday night, tossing aside the usual two-week period required to ratify funding requests, citing the urgency of the situation. The tender for the contract has a 60-day shelf life, which expires in mid-April. The extra money was needed when the lowest bid came in $265,000 more than the $500,000 they’d prepared for.

TBCTC president Lori Ruberto, wife of Coun. Aldo Ruberto, said the decision will save the club having to make patchwork repairs that would amount to little more than a Band-Aid solution. The club is contributing $75,000 to the project, including $25,000 more than it originally committed to provide.

It’s money well spent, Ruberto said.

“It’s going to mean very, very safe tennis courts. It’s going to mean a long-term facility that we can be proud of and the city can be proud of and all our kids and members and schools that participate at Thunder Bay Tennis Centre can enjoy for a long, long time.”

TBCTA board member David McCallum said the courts, as they stand, are becoming a health a safety hazard for their 350 to 400 members, day-pass users and semi-professionals at tournaments like the Mid-Canada tournament, who are resigned to play on the least ruptured courts.

“We needed to do something this year, and we’re happy to hear we’ve got the funding to make sure it’s a safe facility for the season.

Ruberto didn’t want to think about what would have happened had the money not been found. Council debated whether make a change to the budget, which has not been officially ratified and is thus still amenable, but decided against a last-minute tax-hike in favour of using the TBayTel fund.

“It would have been much like throwing tar in a pot hole,” Ruberto said.

The money is over and above the $116,000 the city had already committed to the resurfacing and repair project. The federal and provincial government have also provided matching $166,667 contributions through last year’s infrastructure stimulus packages. The projects must be completed by March, meaning a start date no later than August 2010 in order to get the work done before the frost sets in next fall.

The city also contributes between $8,000 and $10,000 annually to the centre to fund utility costs, the opening and closing of the clubhouse and grounds maintenance.

Beverly Ball, the city’s manager of recreation and culture, said the last major capital project at the centre was eight years ago, in 2002, and required minimal amount from the city.

“It was hugely funded from the volunteers, the association and the programs they run.”

“Really, the costs have not been great at all ... That’s good to know,” said Coun. Mark Bentz, weighing in before the vote.

The fix will see the courts dug up to a depth of one metre, proper fill laid to minimize frost heaves, then an asphalt and acrylic surface laid on top. The courts currently lie on top of a 15-inch layer of fill. Ideally, but a great deal more expensive, the courts would be built on a sub-surface that goes down three metres. Drainage work will also be done.

Manager of Community Services Greg Alexander said administration wholeheartedly supports the renewal plan, calling the centre key to the sport’s survival in Thunder Bay.

“This is our principal tennis centre,” Alexander said. “We really are hoping we can come up with a solution for them.

Council spent a few minutes debating how to proceed, discussing whether or not there was time to bring a report back detailing the benefits of various alternative surfaces, including clay and grass. Asphalt is the least expensive over the long-term, including maintenance costs.

McCallum said the work will shut the courts down for about four weeks and could impact the Mid-Canada Open, though not necessarily. Contingency plans include moving dates to work around construction. A second closure will be necessary later in the summer.

Ruberto said membership fees will be adjusted to reflect the down times.