Who’s Really Benefiting from Newton Hill Tennis Court Deal?
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Recent reports have brought this agreement between the club and the city to light in the past two weeks. However, according to some this deal has been in the works for months. A letter to the members of the WTC from Allan Robinson in early February suggests that the City had already approached him to keep the WTC in Worcester.
On April 14, members of the WTC met at Holy Cross to vote on whether to merge with the Holden Towers Tennis Club or agree to a deal with the City of Worcester and move the club to newly constructed Newton Hill tennis courts in 2016.
The club voted for the deal with the City.
“This group has moved fast. They already knew it was a done deal back in March. It’s been going on for a while,” said Steve Quist, resident of Worcester and one of the more vocal opponents of the WTC deal. “They knew for a while they weren’t going to merge with Holden. These types of cliques don’t like to give up control. Now, with this deal they can do whatever they would like.”
In 2014, WTC sold their courts and clubhouse on Sever Street to Becker College due to “declining membership and consequently financial resources.”
“The city has already engaged a tennis court construction consultant and they already have proposed a blueprint for this project. The bottom line is it takes $1.6 million to complete the renovations,” said Quist.
“Everyone can use the blacktop courts. It’s first come first serve, like it is now and like it is at the basketball courts in the city. What they’re doing is limiting the amount of courts that the public can use - from four courts down to two,” Quist said. “You need special shoes to play on the clay courts. No one is going to be allowed to play on the clay courts except for tennis club members. So we are giving up two courts so that the Worcester Tennis Club can control.”
Worcester Tennis Club is going to donate between $325,000 and $525,000 to the City of Worcester. The club is going to maintain the Worcester Tennis Club Board of Directors and the city of Worcester will have one representative on the board." It’s (Newton Hill tennis courts) a city asset. The board of directors should not have any control over a Worcester park. To me it sounds like they’re going to supervise everything," said Quist.
The City of Worcester is paying $1 million towards the cost of construction of the new tennis courts and club area.
Quist said, “We really don’t know what the Worcester Tennis Club is donating and they’re donating for the purpose of setting up their own club. There’s going to be changing areas that are members only. They’re going to have their own private clubhouse. My concern is that we’ve taken city park, without hearing anything or seeing a presentation, and we are giving away Newton Square. We are public park land to a non-tax paying entity.”
Along with building the six new tennis courts, the City will also take responsibility for adding seating, lighting and a new clubhouse for the WTC members. The City will also assume the cost of utilities and will be responsible for collecting public tennis court permitting fees.
The WTC collect membership fees and dues, supervise court usage and manage the pro shop and tennis lessons. The club will also be responsible for maintaining the tennis courts.
“The courts are filled now. People are waiting to use those courts," said Quist. "They (the city) would know that if they took the time to look into it and I don’t think they have. In the future, if Worcester Tennis Club takes it over, the public would have to go through the city just to get a permit to use our public courts."
For a copy of the agreement between the City and the WTC, click here: Special Meeting Notice.
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