Should enough money be found, plans are to have two of the southern most tennis courts located near the high school reconstructed this summer, giving older players a softer surface to move about on and tennis players overall a much better surface to practice and play on.
Rod Wannebo and several other members of the Cook County Tennis Association (CCTA), attended the January 27 Cook County Board of Commissioners’ meeting seeking motions of support and some money from the board, but let Cook County Community Center Director Diane Booth speak on their behalf.
The first grant application is due February 15, said Booth.
Booth asked the board to approve two motions for the CCTA. The first was to reconstruct the two southern most tennis courts at the Cook County Community Center with Novo Pro Bounce as the recommended material at an estimated cost of $145,000.
Novo Pro Bounce was picked over asphalt (also called post-tension concrete) because it doesn’t crack as easily and isn’t as expensive to install.
The second motion, which was approved by the board, was to use of $4,000 from the $60,000 set aside by the county board for tennis court reconstruction from the 1 percent sales tax funds. That money will be used to hire Fred Kolkmann to build and design specifications for the two courts with the understanding that the design and build specifications will be used for grant writing and fundraising purposes for tennis reconstruction.
Kolkmann has 40 years of experience and has built more than 2,000 tennis courts in his career.
Booth said organizations that give money for tennis court reconstruction expect to see design and build specifications in grant applications sent to them, and that without those specifications, it would be very hard, if not impossible to qualify for grants.
CCTA looked at two types of reconstruction materials. The first used post tension concrete, which they decided wasn’t a good fit for the county because of high cost of installation and problems with the asphalt cracking due to the harsh weather. A number of colleges and community centers have used Novo Pro Bounce over the last 15 years in northern climates and that has proven to be far more durable than post tension concrete, said Booth.
Nova Pro Bounce ads say that it is a “patented and proven cushioned overlay system engineered to eliminate cracks and the need for re-construction.”
That said, courts have to be resurfaced every 7-10 years and have a warranty of five years. It is expected that these courts will last 20 to 30 years even in northern climates like Cook County has to offer.
Created by NGI Sports, the monolithic overlay system poses no harm to the environment or to human health. It offers a cushioned surface and is made from eco-friendly materials.
Grant money is being pursued by the CCTA from the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and USTA Northern. Booth, an expert grant writer, is also looking for available money to help fund this work, she said.
Commissioner Garry Gamble said he was uncomfortable with language in the first motion that indicated that the county would fund the balance if the tennis association couldn’t come up with the money beyond the $60,000 the county was willing to donate to the reconstruction project.
Booth said the tennis association’s plans were to raise the rest of the money with her assistance, but added, “Will they come back to you? Hopefully not. Could they come back to you? Sure. But it’s not their intention.”
In 2008, the courts were transferred from School District 166’s ownership to the county. A memorandum of understanding was reached between the CCTA and Cook County. Provisions included having the school receive first priority use of the courts for school activities, with the CCTA providing programs and activities for county youth/adults and tourists and the understanding that the county would maintain the courts.
If enough money is found and the weather cooperates, reconstruction could take place in June or from mid- June to mid-July. One of the goals is to get the courts in playable shape in time for the annual Fisherman’s Picnic tennis tournament.
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