FERGUS – The Fergus Tennis Club needs more space and wants to partner with Centre Wellington to create a five-court, domed facility at a new location.
Sheila Hogarth, president of the Fergus Tennis Club, presented the club’s dilemma at an Oct. 30 council meeting.
Tennis, she said, is the leading sport in Canada, and has grown by 36% in the last two years.
With 450 members and only three courts, the Fergus club is stretched trying to accommodate both present and new members.
She said the infrastructure at the Tower Street courts needs to be replaced – at a cost of approximately $350,000.
What they’d prefer is a new facility with five courts, centrally located, with plenty of parking. And they’d like a dome so the sport can be played year-round.
A dome not only extends the season, it also extends the life of the court, Hogarth said.
She said the courts need to be resurfaced every 10 years at a cost of about $80,000. With a dome, that cost would instead be savings that could go back to the facility.
She said a new facility would cost about $1.7 million, but by selling the Tower Street property ($1-million value), re-allocating budgeted funds for repairs to the Tower Street courts ($350,000) and those in Elora ($180,000), and by taking advantage of a $200,000 Tennis Canada grant, that leaves an upfront cost of just $30,000.
If the club had to take it on themselves, they still could, she said.
Revenue from year-round memberships, court rentals, and tournaments will total $100,000 a year — some of which could be applied to the capital cost.
Councillor Jennifer Adams pointed out the township plans to update its Parks and Recreation Master Plan, pending budget approval – a process that includes a land needs assessment.
With that in mind, council made no motions or decision on the matter but accepted the delegation for information.
