UDC opens its tennis courts to members of its public use pilot program

by Marlene Berlin

UDC has closed registration for a pilot program offering the use of its newly renovated tennis courts to the public.

Forest Hills Connection reported on the three-month pilot earlier this month. I wanted to get back into playing tennis, so I signed up. Getting no response as to my status after a week, I contacted Patricia Thomas, the director of UDC’s director of athletics. She told me that there had been a problem with how my email address had been entered, but I was in.

I contacted a friend who had also applied, but she had not gotten a response either. According to Juanita Gray, the director of community relations at UDC, registration for the pilot was closed after 100 applications were received. Those included applications for family memberships.

Prior to this year’s $2.3 million renovation, the tennis courts between Yuma Street and Windom Place were closed to all users. A heavy freeze damaged the playing surface in 2018. Before that, public access to the courts was hit or miss. Even those who were members of UDC’s Firebirds Tennis Club had trouble gaining access and getting information.

A group of community members headed by John Young began pushing for access before the completion of the renovation in August. And in talks with them and Council member Mary Cheh, UDC agreed to a free three-month trial membership. The group, which calls itself Firebirds Tennis Community, is posting information about the pilot and collecting people’s experiences at firebirdstennis.org.

The pilot begins on Friday, September 24th and those who have been accepted into the program should have received an email that explains the process of reserving times on the court and the hours of availability in September.