Tennis: Overhaul planned for home of tennis

Auckland's ageing home of tennis is poised for a radical multimillion-dollar makeover.

Plans to upgrade facilities at the ASB Tennis Centre - once, in its days as Stanley St, tagged the Wimbledon of the South Pacific - have been revealed with the bulldozers ready to roar into action the minute next year's international tournaments are over.

Auckland Tennis chief executive Graham Pearce confirmed that a revamp is on the drawing board with the new-look stadium projected to cost $18-20 million.

"We have been working closely with Next Generation Clubs of Australia, a company with a close association with the David Lloyd operation in the UK," said Pearce.

"Without their support and input, we would not have been in a position to undertake anything like this.

"Interest from them came at a time when we were, as many people know, considering changes here.

"They were looking at coming to New Zealand. The timing has been perfect."

Under the plans, Auckland Tennis would lose four of the present courts but would gain four more on the roof of the proposed new structure.

There would be a permanent stadium court surrounded by stands and upgraded corporate facilities including a media centre overlooking the playing surface.

At present the centre court is created (with the construction of a temporary stand and corporate boxes) only for the December-January period when the ASB Classic and Heineken Open are played.

There will be changes to the other courts in the main arena. The present outer courts will be dug up and rebuilt in an elevated position to make room for under-court carparking.

It is planned to improve lighting on all outer courts to a standard which would allow night matches and extend the playing area to allow for doubles matches.

Seating in existing stands will be enhanced rather than increased and the present 3200-seat capacity will be retained, but there is provision for installing seating for 600 spectators at the main outer court.

Included in the upgrade are plans for a new administration block which will include provision for the four rooftop courts.

In a concerted effort to attract more people to the centre, the new-look facility will include a gym and indoor and outdoor pools. The indoor courts in the back dome will remain.

"Our clubs have been briefed on the plans," said Pearce. "We have been working in close consultation with Auckland City who are very aware of what we are trying to achieve. Obviously we have to go through the consent process but that is not seen as an insurmountable problem.

"Timing is crucial. We would need to be ready to go as soon as our 2007 international tournaments are over. We would have to be ready to play again in January 2008. It will be a very tight time frame."

The concept is loosely based on a similar facility in Adelaide.

While there is no plan at this stage for a retractable roof, Pearce said that could come at a later date if money (about $7.5 million) became available.

Earlier plans for the upgrade included a roof over the stadium court but they were shelved when the new downtown indoor stadium became a reality.

"Our strategy has always been to develop an enhanced summer stadium," said Pearce. "Going to the added cost of adding a roof does not, at this time, make commercial sense."