A partnership between Augustana College and the City of Rock Island will bring a $1 million tennis court complex to the city’s Lincoln Park.
Construction will begin this spring on six National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regulation tennis courts adjacent to campus at 38th Street and 11th Avenue, according to a news release posted on Augustana’s website.
The complex, which is being funded by the private college, will include lighted courts, 17 parking stalls, restrooms and bleachers. The project is being designed by Bettendorf-based Shive-Hattery Inc. and bids are now being requested to determine the court material.
The new complex will replace the existing tennis and basketball courts at the century-old park and is expected to open by Labor Day for college and public use.
Under the agreement, the city will lease that area of the park to the college for 10 years with an option to renew, Augustana said. The public also will have access to the complex for both tennis and pickleball use when the courts are not in use by Augustana’s men’s and women’s tennis teams.
The project means top-notch facilities for both Augustana students and the community, and added that the investment is meaningful to both Augustana and the city, Augustana President Andrea Talentino said in the news release.
“This project continues the college’s vision of being an exceptional partner and neighbor to the City of Rock Island,” she said. “Partnerships like this add to what makes studying, living and working in the Quad-Cities an enriching and vibrant experience.”
Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms said he’s proud to see the city’s relationship with the college continue to grow. “Construction of the tennis courts and lease agreement with Augustana College is an example of partnerships that benefit the community,” Mr. Thoms said. “I look forward to the addition of another great amenity in Rock Island.”
Augustana’s Vikings tennis teams will move from their current facilities near the Roy J. Carver Physical Education Center on campus to the new complex when construction is completed.
About 30 students representing five states and six countries are on the tennis teams’ roster. Combined, Augustana’s tennis teams have claimed four Collegiate Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin championships in the past five years. In the 2021-22 school year, seven women and seven men were named Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athletes.
The project continues a long tradition of tennis at Lincoln Park, which was established in 1909. Long-term plans announced in 1928 included creating spaces for tennis, playgrounds, horseshoes and croquet. A $350,000 renovation plan in the 1980s included improvements to the tennis courts and softball diamonds.
