Rays stadium project raises concerns about future of HCC tennis center
Tennis players worry about stadium plans
Could a new Rays stadium mean it's game over for Hillsborough College's popular tennis center? Members of Tampa's tennis community are worried that's the case. FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - The proposed new Tampa Bay Rays stadium is raising questions about what could happen to Hillsborough College's popular tennis center.
Removing the tennis courts
What we know:
The tennis center sits on HCC's North Dale Mabry campus, where plans call for the new Rays stadium to be built.
The facility includes 10 clay tennis courts, 12 hard courts and 15 pickleball courts. We're told nearly 1,200 people use the facility each week and about 26 percent of all tennis played in Hillsborough County takes place there.
The center also hosts more than 100 U.S. Tennis Association adult teams, along with college and high school athletes, youth programs and programs for people with disabilities.
Tennis advocates say they expect the courts to be removed as part of the stadium project, but they are concerned there is not yet a concrete plan for replacing them.
The Rays stadium agreement moved forward in August, with the proposed ballpark planned for HCC's North Dale Mabry campus.
Players worry about future
What they're saying:
For people who regularly use the tennis center, the concern is what happens to those programs if the existing courts are demolished.
Esther Segall, a volunteer with Tennis for Fun, said the organization supports the Rays coming to Tampa but does not want the tennis community to be overlooked.
"We welcome the Rays, everybody's excited about the Rays and that baseball is coming and all of that," Segall said. "But we don't want to be an unintended consequence."
Segall said the facility is especially important for athletes with special needs who participate in Tennis for Fun programs.
High school tennis coaches are also concerned about losing a place to practice and compete.
Dr. Hubert Toney Jr., a tennis coach at Cambridge Christian School, said his team uses the HCC courts for both practices and matches.
"These courts are very important here," Toney said. "We practice here at these courts and we also have our matches at these sports."
Toney said eight other high school teams also use the facility for practices and matches, with each school fielding two teams.
The facility is also home to Hillsborough College's three-time national champion women's tennis team.
Hillsborough College response
The other side:
Hillsborough College acknowledged the importance of the tennis center in a statement to FOX 13:
"Tennis has long been an important part of Hillsborough College, and we are proud to be home to a three-time NJCAA national championship program. For years, our tennis complex has provided opportunities for student-athletes and community members alike, and we recognize the important role public courts play in expanding access to the sport. As future development opportunities at the Dale Mabry Campus continue, the College remains committed to supporting its tennis program and working with community partners on future tennis facilities that serve both student-athletes and the community."
Rays CEO Ken Babby has previously said the team is committed to building a world-class tennis facility as part of the Tampa stadium project.
The Source: Information for this story came from interviews about the Hillsborough College tennis center, along with publicly available records for the center.