Midland Community Tennis Center to receive $1.2 million upgrade

After 35 years in business, the Midland Community Tennis Center -- ground-zero for the Best Tennis Town in the country -- is getting a $1.2 million upgrade.

The center, which nets more than $1.4 million a year in economic impact for the community, draws more than 10,000 tennis players for tournaments each year. And after more than three decades, the outdoor courts need to be rebuilt, says Mike Woody, executive director. The upgrade also will mean the addition of seven more courts, bringing the total up to 39.

The project, due to start in the next couple of weeks, likely will be completed by late September, he says. Much of the project funding is coming from The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation, The Dow Chemical Company, and Dow Corning Corporation.

Last year, Midland was named the "Best Tennis Town" in America by the United States Tennis Association (USTA), Woody says. So with that kind of billing, the renovation is especially timely -- and needed.

"The interest in tennis is very high," he says. "This is Tennis Promised Land in Michigan."

The center holds about 15 outdoor tournaments every year, Woody says. The center also hosts the USTA National Open, along with other high-profile championships.

While the center brings thousands of tennis players to town every year, and that attracts a lot of spectators who eat in area restaurants, stay in local hotels, and spend money in the community, Woody says.

The center has a significant economic impact on the region, he says, and many area companies use it as an attraction tool during recruitment efforts.

"We're used as a magnet to attract more people to the region," Woody says. "We're one of the many great assets that we have in this region."

Writer: Jenny Cromie
Source: Midland Community Tennis Center