$750,000 grant to revamp tennis courts

ROSEBURG, Ore. – Roseburg will get a brand new outdoor tennis and pickleball facility thanks to a $750,000 state grant won by Roseburg Parks and Recreation and an effort to raise matching community funds.

The sizeable grant, which was won by Roseburg Parks and Recreation Program Manager Velorie “Val” Ligon, will fund half of a complete overhaul of tennis courts more than half a century old. An expected $1.25 to $1.3 million renovation will include eight new tennis courts, 10 dedicated pickleball courts and new fencing, lighting, seating, entryway and security system.

“Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States. Parks and Recreation is excited to give residents an opportunity to play this sport outdoors in Roseburg,” said Roseburg Public Works Director Dawn Easley.

Money from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s Local Government Grant Program, funded by the Oregon State Lottery, will be used to replace the Stewart Park courts that are owned by the City but operated and maintained by the nonprofit Umpqua Valley Tennis Center, which has already begun a campaign to raise matching funds from the community.

“I would like to thank and recognize the Umpqua Valley Tennis Center for their partnership and stewardship of these popular facilities. We look forward to the renovations and serving people of all ages with the improved courts,” said Roseburg City Manager Nikki Messenger.

The grant is one of the biggest ever won by Roseburg Parks and Recreation. Roseburg Parks were notified in an email Thursday, Sept. 21, the grant had been awarded to revamp low-cost courts where adults pay just $2 a day for unlimited play and anyone under 18 always plays for free. The outdoor facility currently contains 11 tennis courts and a space at one end that’s striped for four pickleball courts, but players must bring their own pickleball nets.

The facility has always enjoyed strong community support. The facility first opened in 1959 with six outdoor tennis courts in City-owned Stewart Park. Two projects to grade that area in the late 1960s and add storm drains and underground electrical wiring were funded with $70,000 – half from federal Land and Water Conservation Fund money that was matched by City funding, said Ligon.

In 1970 during a U.S. tennis boom, six more outdoor tennis courts were added, along with lighting, fencing and drinking fountains, at a cost of $30,000 split between Land and Water Conservation Fund money and City funding.

Interest in year-round play was strong enough by 1989 that the tennis community began to raise funds to build three indoor tennis courts. The community donated $1.6 million to add the indoor courts plus court viewing area, locker rooms, a pro shop and offices. UVTC now promotes tennis in the area through low-cost junior tennis programs in partnership with local schools and nonprofits, as well as offering instruction, league play and social activities for players of all levels.

The courts sometimes hold puddles of standing water after rainfall due to uneven surfaces. Over the years, the outdoor tennis courts have been resurfaced more than once and cracks up to three inches deep have been sealed repeatedly.

“They’ve been really well-taken care of – that’s why they’ve lasted as long as they have,” Ligon said. “The outdoor courts have way outlived their useful life.”

The refurbished facility will include all-weather courts covered with a more permeable, premium Plexipave surface; energy-efficient LED lights for night games and tournaments; new nets and posts; a hitting wall; black vinyl perimeter fencing; and improved seating.

“Everything within the current footprint will be new,” Ligon said Friday, Sept. 22, during a visit to the old tennis courts.

Conceptual drawings have been created. Work on Phase 1 design plans can now begin. Construction is hoped to begin as early as spring 2024 and be completed by fall, she added.

Ligon began working on the grant with UVTC last fall and submitted the application before April 1. Ligon, who grew up in Roseburg, remembers when the existing tennis courts were brand new. Her parents still live near the facility. The tennis courts are popular with players of all ages and serve as the high school tennis team’s home courts, so their refurbishment means a lot to the community.

“It’s very exciting to get to be a part of this,” Ligon said.

Easley and Ligon will talk about the grant and renovations at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, on News Radio 93-9 FM and 1240 KQEN’s “Inside Douglas County” with News Director Kyle Bailey.

To learn more about the project or fundraising campaign, visit the Umpqua Valley Tennis Center website.