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USTA breaks ground in Lake Nona

Orlando, Fla. - The United States Tennis Association today celebrated its arrival in Orlando, Fla., with a ground-breaking ceremony for the USTA National Campus, the New Home of American Tennis, in Lake Nona. The model tennis facility, expected to be completed in late 2016, will house the USTA’s Community Tennis and Player Development divisions. When completed, the facility will feature more than 100 courts, including red and green clay courts, hard courts, and youth tennis courts. The site, which will be open to the public, also will house a collegiate tennis center capable of hosting a number of college events and will serve as the home for the University of Central Florida’s men’s and women’s varsity teams.

“This is an historic day as the USTA continues to reimagine its future, and redefines how we deliver on our mission of promoting and developing tennis in the United States,” said USTA Chairman of the Board and President, Katrina Adams. “By housing our two divisions devoted to growing the game at all levels, and training the next generation of players and coaches, we can have a greater impact on the sport than we ever had before.”

The groundbreaking was attended by Adams and other senior USTA officials, senior officials from Tavistock Group and Lake Nona, along with City of Orlando Mayor, Buddy Dyer, and Orlando County Mayor Teresa Jacobs as well as a number of state and regional partners working with the USTA to make tennis’ governing body’s vision a reality.

The facility is being built in Lake Nona, an integrated, 11-square mile community in Orlando, anchored by clusters of excellence in health, sports, education and technology. With its parent company, the private investment organization Tavistock Group, the fast-growing community of Lake Nona has attracted business innovators and residents committed to building a total environment that enables meaningful and impactful lives.

The USTA facility will serve as a cornerstone for Lake Nona’s Sports Innovation & Performance District, an emerging athletic district with a focus on research, design, innovation and technology.

“Lake Nona is the ideal place for the USTA to grow and thrive,” said Rasesh Thakkar, Senior Managing Director of Tavistock Group. “We have a long history in sports, and together with the USTA, we will continue to attract innovators to Lake Nona to create opportunities that will advance sports science and athletic performance.”

The campus will be located on 63-acres of land and will include:

• Tournament and League Area - This area will include 32 Har-Tru green clay courts and 20 Plexicushion hard courts. The space will include player pavilions and a tournament administration building, complete with trainer rooms, officials area, a stringer area, player lounge, public restrooms, and a tournament check-in area. It will allow the USTA to deliver events like never before and will set a new functional standard for the sport.
• Collegiate Tennis Area - This area will feature 12 Plexicushion hard courts and one future tournament show court, and will serve as the home of the University of Central Florida’s men’s and women’s varsity tennis programs. The courts will be equipped with high-mast lighting for televised events and have elevated seating for 1,200 people with room on the north and south end for additional seating. The area will allow two collegiate matches to be played simultaneously. Additionally, it will feature a two-story pavilion for concessions, public restrooms, team locker rooms, and areas for trainers and officials.
• Team USA Area - This area will include 12 Plexicushion hard courts. The courts will be utilized by the 17 USTA Sections, along with local coaches and their players throughout the country to work collaboratively with USTA Player Development. The Team USA Area also will provide training facilities for tennis officials and coaches throughout the United States.
• High Performance and Player Development Area - This area will include eight “DecoTurf” hard courts and eight European red clay courts. The space will include a lodge that can house 32 boys and girls. The strength and conditioning area will include a sand and workout area. In addition, the area will be utilized for Team USA Events.
• Indoor Tennis Courts- Six Rebound Ace indoor courts with a viewing area.
• 36/60’ Family Tennis Area- These courts will include eight 36-foot and eight 60-foot PowerGame courts with a SportsBase that will enable youth and adults to develop their games.
• USTA Office Building - The ground floor will include a tennis pro shop, fitness area, locker rooms, player lounge, and café/restaurant with USTA offices occupying the second floor.
• Technology - The facility will be an epicenter for tennis innovation and education. It will incorporate the latest technology to provide an unparalleled playing, training and educational experience for players, coaches, officials and spectators.

The Tavistock Development Company is serving as the project developer, with DPR Constuction as the general contractor and HKS as the lead architect. California Products (hard court surfaces), Har-Tru (green clay court surface), and Connor SportCourt (Family Tennis Area 36/60 court surface) are providing the court surfaces for the facility.

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with more than 715,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, the highest-attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the Emirates Airline US Open Series, linking eight summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S. and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships and helps under-resourced youth and individuals with disabilities, and supports wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans and their families. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com, “like” the official Facebook page, facebook.com/usta, or follow @usta on Twitter.

Posted on April 8, 2015
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