Gilroy Tennis Club christened court during tournament, but will
unveil it at July 25 ceremony
Gilroy – A single new tennis court is making a big difference in the tournament lives of Gilroy tennis enthusiasts and serving up a taste of what’s to come if the city creates a complex dedicated to the sport at Las Animas Veterans Park.
The Gilroy Tennis Club christened a sixth tennis court at Las Animas Veterans Park earlier this month during the Garlic Festival Tournament, but they plan to officially unveil the new addition during a July 25 ceremony.
Teams from Carmel, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Jose travel to Gilroy in the spring and summer for league play, and the additional court will allow six teams of doubles to match up. In the past, the lack of a sixth court forced tournaments to drag on through the day while one group waited on the sidelines to play.
The club’s ultimate goal continues to be the creation of a tennis complex at the park. For the last few years, the tennis club has advocated incorporating the Las Animas tennis courts into a larger facility – a move club leaders say is necessary to attract U.S. Tennis Association tournaments and establish a serious youth tennis culture in Gilroy.
An anonymous offer early in 2005 to pay the construction cost of six new courts – estimated at $500,000 – inspired mixed feelings among council members, who welcomed the idea of a free tennis complex but worried about public access issues, as well as the effects of increased lighting and the park’s suitability for a large-scale facility. The club planned to finance operation of the facility by charging hourly user fees.
Since then, the city has incorporated plans for a tennis complex into preliminary designs for a park master plan, but the issue of public access has yet to be sorted out.
Bill Reimal, a founding president of the tennis club, said the group has not given up on the idea.
“We proposed it once, but it kind of died. We’d like to pick it up again,” he said. “I think it will be beneficial to the city as well. Most of the courts would be managed by a tennis pro, who would rent the courts and give lessons. It would be a revenue gainer for the city and a few of the courts would remain open to the public for free.”
A tennis complex will reduce or eliminate the need to scatter matches at courts around the city, Reimal added.
City Council will review the proposed master plan for the park Monday night at 6pm in City Hall.
The newest tennis court, which replaced a volleyball court just south of the skate park at Las Animas, was made possible by a combined $72,000 from a private donor, a grant, and funds from the tennis club, as well as a donation of labor by Perma-Green Hydroseeding.
The dedication ceremony of the new playing space is scheduled for 6pm on July 25 at the new court.
