Teton County/Jackson, Park and Recreation Department Tennis Center, Jackson, WY
Goal: Build a joint-use complex funded by the town and county through a one-cent sales tax
Project Size: Five-court tennis complex; part of a larger sports complex
Location: Jackson, Wyo. (Western Wyoming, below Yellowstone National Park)
City Size: Town Population: 8,500; Total County Population: 18,500
Lead Advocate Organization: Teton County/Jackson Park and Recreation
Length of Project: 5 years
Budget: $700,000 (Part of a $4 million project)
Funding Source: City special sales tax, in-kind donation, USTA construction grant, local contributors
Introduction: Until recently, most of the tennis played in Jackson was at private clubs. The reason? There were only three public tennis courts in all of Jackson, and those courts were more than 25 years old and falling into disrepair. Even the high school didn't have its own courts; the boys and girls teams practiced at private clubs whenever court time was available. Usually, this meant in the early hours of the morning.
History: The project began in 1999, when the Teton County/Jackson Park and Recreation Board of Directors polled the community to see what types of public park facilities residents wanted. Tennis courts were high on the list. After some additional research and debate, the Park and Recreation Board recommended purchasing two plots of land: a 36-acre area to be set aside for future park space and wetlands preservation, and an 8-acre parcel (located adjacent to the new high school site) where five tennis courts and two synthetic turf fields (able to accommodate soccer and football) would be built. The price tag for the entire project was $4 million. To help offset the cost, the Teton County/Jackson Park and Recreation came up with the following: Persuade voters to approve a Specific Purpose Tax (an additional one-cent sales tax) that would help fund the building of the tennis courts and athletic fields. But in order to do this, Teton Park and Rec Board needed to develop a question for the official ballot that would win voter approval. Realizing the need to build a coalition, the Park and Recreation Board teamed with other like-minded organizations (including the Wyoming Wetlands Society and the local high school) to craft a ballot question that would gain widespread public acceptance-in this case, appealing to the lack of high school facilities and emphasizing the need to preserve wildlife habitat. Voters approved the ballot question and, with it, the additional sales tax, in 2001. Fundraising began soon thereafter. It took four years to raise the money. But the hard work and patience were rewarded in May 2005, when the Park and Recreation Department broke ground on the new tennis courts. Four months later, the courts were completed and Jackson's tennis enthusiasts had a new home.
Funding:
- $500,000 from a local soccer club to pay for the costs of converting the athletic fields from natural grass to synthetic turf. Said Steve Ashworth, a landscape architect and park planner for Teton County/Jackson Park and Recreation, "Having synthetic turf fields is very important because we have long snowy winters here. With synthetic turf, it's much easier to plow and clear the fields quickly. Remember, it snows here in October."
- $126,000 USTA Construction Grant (for building new tennis facilities and refurbishing existing ones). Said Jana Rankin, a member of the Teton County/Jackson Park and Recreation Board, "Steve Foster and Steve Ashworth were incredibly committed to doing things right. We wanted the best amenities, including bleachers for spectators, a multi-purpose pavilion and the proper bathroom facilities. When the one-cent sales tax was approved in 2001, the cost for everything was projected as $4 million. But it took four years to raise the money, and during that time costs went up and we found ourselves $126,000 short. Fortunately, the USTA stepped in and saved the day with a Construction Grant. It helped ensure that no compromises were made with these courts.",/li>
- The general contractor who worked on the facility reduced his fee as part of his donation. This helped shave $75,000 off the final cost of the project. Steve Foster, director of Teton County/Jackson Park and Recreation: "When you're building a facility with tennis courts, it's incredibly important to hire professional tennis court builders. Because building tennis courts is their specialty, they can offer all kinds of valuable advice and insight. We worked closely with the builders and, after listening to their expertise and conducting extensive amounts of research, we decided to build post-tension concrete courts. Yes, it costs more than other types of courts, but it's money well spent. Its technology prevents cracking, and the quality and aesthetics of the courts are superior." Steve Ashworth, a landscape architect and park planner for Teton County/Jackson Park and Recreation: "When tennis courts are being built, oftentimes all the funds are spent on the actual playing surface, not the peripheral areas, such as bleachers or plaza spaces between the courts. We felt it was very important to build a complete space where you can gather and feel completely comfortable while playing and socializing. The community has really responded to this thinking, and we've received overwhelmingly positive feedback on the design. Therefore, my advice to others would be: Don't think of a tennis facility as just tennis courts; think of it as a village square where people can congregate and do more than just play tennis. It's a place where they can socialize, watch others play and have a lot of fun."
Lesson: Work together to achieve a common aim. In this case, the Park and Recreation board teamed with other, non-tennis organizations (the Wetlands Society, the local high school, the local soccer club) so they could all achieve their goals-both common and individual.
Contact Information:
Steve Ashworth, Park Planner, Landscape Architect
Teton County/Jackson Park and Recreation • Box 811, Jackson, Wyoming, 83001
E-mail: sashworth@tetonwyo.org
