St. Johns Racquet Center

St. Johns Racquet Center
General information
Type indoor tennis and racquetball courts
Location Portland, Oregon
Address 7519 N Burlington Ave
Country United States
Coordinates 45°35′29″N 122°45′17″W / 45.59139°N 122.75472°W / 45.59139; -122.75472Coordinates: 45°35′29″N 122°45′17″W / 45.59139°N 122.75472°W / 45.59139; -122.75472
Current tenants Portland After-School Tennis & Education
Groundbreaking 1976
Opened 1979
Cost US$883,537 (US$2,885,573 adjusted for inflation)
Owner City of Portland
Technical details
Structural system prefabricated
Design and construction
Architecture firm Richard L. Glassford and Associations
Structural engineer Hess Building Company
Other information
Number of rooms 3 tennis courts, 4 racquetball courts
Website
St Johns Racquet Center — PortlandOregon.gov

The St. Johns Racquet Center is an indoor tennis and racquetball facility located in the St. Johns neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. It opened in 1979 and is owned by the city and managed by Portland After-School Tennis & Education (PASTE). It was previously operated by Portland Parks & Recreation.

History

The St. Johns Racquet Center was planned in 1976 but delayed until 1979 after problems with shipment from the manufacturer Hess Building Company. The 27,500 ft.2 prefabricated building cost US$648,000 (US$2,116,325 adjusted for inflation) was designed by Richard L. Glassford and Associations and manufactured in the Midwest United States.[1] The total construction cost reached US$883,537 (US$2,885,573 adjusted for inflation), most of which came from Economic Development Administration, when the building was erected.[2] A failed plan in 1981 called for part of the racquet center be made a roller rink.[3]

In October 1981, a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) round robin tournament was held at the racquet center.[4] The maximum capacity of the building in accordance to the fire code is 20 people.[5] Threats to close the center came in 1983 from Portland Parks & Recreation commissioner Charles Jordan.[6] Instead the hours of operations were cut.[7][8]

A racquetball club known as the "Smashers" was organized at the center in 1984.[9] The center held a table tennis tournament in 1987 and 1988.[10][11] Plans to allow an private company operate the center were drawn up in 1994 but were quickly abandoned.[12] A similar plan came up in 2006 and also failed.[13] A plan to tear the center down to construct an apartment building was proposed in 2007 but was shelved and it was never recommended again.[14] The center hosts several Portland Interscholastic League tennis matches.[15] It is currently operated by Portland After-School Tennis & Education (PASTE).[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Gozette, Janet (27 November 1979). "St. Johns sports court". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 52.
  2. ↑ "St. Johns housing: a severe loss". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. 29 May 1981. p. 40.
  3. ↑ Sinovic, Steve (28 April 1981). "Community pushes roller rink idea". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 42.
  4. ↑ "Briefly ...". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. 16 October 1981. p. 67.
  5. ↑ Sinovic, Steve (5 May 1981). "Fair Share, Ivance discusses issue". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 32.
  6. ↑ Williams, Linda (26 June 1963). "Lack of use may close St. Johns indoor tennis center". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 32.
  7. ↑ "Briefly ...". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. 9 July 1983. p. 16.
  8. ↑ Jeffries, Pat (19 July 1983). "Groups explore ideas to improve court use". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 65.
  9. ↑ Falk, Susan (2 March 1984). "Group has 'smashing' time using racquet facility". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 83.
  10. ↑ Hauser, Susan (30 March 1987). "OMSI offers championship ping pong". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 25.
  11. ↑ Schneiderman, Floyd (28 February 1988). "Table tennis club keeps right on pinging". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. F12.
  12. ↑ Pickett, Nelson (3 February 1994). "Private operator sought for city tennis center". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 4.
  13. ↑ Beaven, Stephen (7 December 2006). "Will tennis center become elites clubs". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 12.
  14. ↑ "Ideas for St. Johns sites". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. 8 February 2007. p. 10.
  15. ↑ Ulmer, Jerry (22 May 2010). "Another year, another win from the title". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon.
  16. ↑ "History". Portland After-School Tennis & Education. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
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