Avon Lake, Ohio
Tennis anyone?
The City of Avon Lake and the Avon Lake City Schools recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), effective Oct. 1, as construction continues on the tennis facility at Avon Lake High School, 175 Avon Belden Road.
Construction continues on the new tennis facility at Avon Lake High School. Pickleball courts are also being added.Julie A. Short
Discussions concerning the courts began about three years ago as school officials noticed cracking on the courts, footers that held in the fence posts were heaving out of the ground, as well as other issues.
The courts are estimated to be around 25-years-old. The average life space is between 15-25 years.
Dr. Ned Lauver, operations director for the Avon Lake City Schools, explained that the courts were becoming a safety and liability concern. District officials brought out their insurance company to look over the courts and were told they were at an increased risk in terms of liability for injury. The courts were deemed unsafe.
A series of videos are being posted on the district’s Facebook page explaining the need to refurbish the courts for use not only by the school district, but the community.
“The courts could be completed by the end of November, but given the soil stabilization work we had to do out there (this was budgeted into the cost due to the studies conducted during the design), it could be spring,” said Lauver.
The new facility will consist of eight tennis courts, four of which will be lined for pickleball (two on each court), and two standalone pickleball courts (funded by the city). The high school currently has an active Pickleball Club.
The total cost of the tennis facility is approximately $1.3 million, which includes the base bid ($1,213.857), trench drains ($24,645), standalone pickleball courts ($77,830), and electrical work ($33,533).
In exchange for the school district granting access to the tennis facility, the city will pay $109,363 in five annual installments of $21,872.60.
“The City of Avon Lake is also using some NOPEC (Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council) grant money to run electrical to the courts so we are flexible for the future,” said Lauver.
A full copy of the MOU is available in the district’s Sept. 17 Board of Education meeting agenda. Go to go.boarddocs.com/oh/avonlake/Board.nsf/public.
