St. Johns Racquet Center
| Portland Tennis & Education (formerly St. Johns Racquet Center) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Former names | St. Johns Racquet Center |
| Alternative names | PT&E, Portland Tennis & Education |
| 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 |
| Current tenants | Portland Tennis & Education (PT&E) |
| Groundbreaking | 1976 |
| Opened | 1979 |
| Cost | US$883,537 (US$3,709,154 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 |
| Known for | Public tennis & pickleball. Nonprofit after school programming. |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 3 tennis courts, 4 classrooms. |
| Website | |
| St Johns Racquet Center — PortlandOregon.gov | |
Portland Tennis & Education (formally St. Johns Racquet Center) offers a variety of classes, drills, mixers, & private lessons for tennis & pickleball players of all levels. As a public facility, we welcome everyone. Our court fees are a flat rate that include ball machine access & racquet rental at no extra cost! Racquet stringing service is also offered at affordable prices. Every dollar earned on our public courts is poured directly back into our nonprofit program that offers academic support, tennis & athletic enrichment, life skills, family resources & mental health support to K-12 students enrolled in our after school & summer programs. Every time you play tennis or pickleball, you 'play a point' for PT&E students & families
Since our founding in 1996, 100% of 12th grade PT&E program graduates have graduated from high school on-time and gone on to pursue the post-secondary path of their choosing!
History
[edit]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$2,720,352 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$3,709,154 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 a 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
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Gozette, Janet (27 November 1979). "St. Johns sports court". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 52.
- ^ "St. Johns housing: a severe loss". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. 29 May 1981. p. 40.
- ^ Sinovic, Steve (28 April 1981). "Community pushes roller rink idea". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 42.
- ^ "Briefly ...". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. 16 October 1981. p. 67.
- ^ Sinovic, Steve (5 May 1981). "Fair Share, Ivance discusses issue". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 32.
- ^ Williams, Linda (26 June 1963). "Lack of use may close St. Johns indoor tennis center". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 32.
- ^ "Briefly ...". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. 9 July 1983. p. 16.
- ^ Jeffries, Pat (19 July 1983). "Groups explore ideas to improve court use". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 65.
- ^ Falk, Susan (2 March 1984). "Group has 'smashing' time using racquet facility". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 83.
- ^ Hauser, Susan (30 March 1987). "OMSI offers championship ping pong". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 25.
- ^ Schneiderman, Floyd (28 February 1988). "Table tennis club keeps right on pinging". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. F12.
- ^ Pickett, Nelson (3 February 1994). "Private operator sought for city tennis center". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 4.
- ^ Beaven, Stephen (7 December 2006). "Will tennis center become elites clubs". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 12.
- ^ "Ideas for St. Johns sites". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. 8 February 2007. p. 10.
- ^ Ulmer, Jerry (22 May 2010). "Another year, another win from the title". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon.
- ^ "History". Portland After-School Tennis & Education. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
External links
[edit]- St Johns Racquet Center — PortlandOregon.gov
- [./Http://www.ptande.org Portland Tennis & Education]
- St Johns Racquet Club — TennisPoint.com
