Tennis anyone? Company plans indoor center in Janesville
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This building at 3410 Bell St. in Janesville was once an indoor tennis club. A proposal will bring that use back in the coming months.
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Work has begun on the renovation of the buildings at 3410 Bell St. in Janesville, which were once the home of an indoor tennis club. Most recently used as warehouse space, the facility will be reopened for it's original use.
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Mostly unused for decades, the locker rooms of the former Janesville Indoor Tennis & Racquet Club will be remodeled with upscale surfaces. The new facility is set to open in the spring.
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Much of the equipment for what was the Janesville Indoor Tennis & Racquet Club at 3410 Bell St remains in the buildings. Ball machines, nets, and even the old sign occupy space in what has been a warehouse for years.
JANESVILLE — The owner of a company that plans to develop an indoor tennis club in Janesville is confident the game can thrive again in a community that once was tennis crazy.
Tom VanDixhorn and his family plan to open Premier Tennis & Fitness-Janesville in a 58,000-square-foot facility that was built in 1973 as an indoor tennis facility.
A group of local investors originally started Janesville Indoor Tennis & Racquet Club—JIT as it was commonly known—at 3410 Bell St. as an outlet for players who wanted a year-round game.
"Tennis was very popular at the time, in fact it was at the height of the tennis craze," said Jim Cripe, who started the four-court club with Bob Yahr, Bud Yeomans, Stan Dufrane and Tom Gunderson.
"People were going to other places to play in the winter. We looked at a lot of other clubs and thought it could work in Janesville. It was a nice facility."
The group tired of club management after several years and sold the operation to an Illinois investor. Eventually, tennis faded, and a local manufacturer used the facility as a warehouse.
It's been vacant for nearly two years.
VanDixhorn's company owns several tennis clubs in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, including the Four Lakes Athletic Club in Elkhorn. It bought the Janesville facility a couple of weeks ago.
"The demographics in Janesville are all good, and there are people here who take tennis seriously, so seriously that they are traveling to other places to play," he said. "Our approach will be to sustain and grow the game."
Aggressive renovation work soon will start, and Premier plans to open by March 1 with 10 to 20 employees.
"The place is in rough shape, but it doesn't scare us," VanDixhorn said. "The renovation cost will exceed the purchase price of the building, but when it's done, it will be the state-of-the-art facility that Janesville wants."
Another VanDixhorn family business, Sports Interiors, has done significant renovation work at several tennis facilities, including the lighting and ceiling work at the U.S. Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., the home of the U.S. Open.
Sports Interiors will handle much of the renovation work in Janesville.
Plans call for six tennis courts, locker rooms and nearly 9,000 square feet of space with high-end fitness equipment, he said.
The club will be membership based and offer recreational, league and tournament play, as well as lessons and clinics.
VanDixhorn said Premier will have reciprocity agreements with other clubs, and traveling teams are expected to compete on a circuit that includes the Janesville facility.
Janesville has several outdoor courts at various parks and schools, as well as four indoor courts at the Janesville Athletic Center.
The Janesville Athletic Center also offers recreational, league and tournament play, as well as professional lessons and clinics.
VanDixhorn said Premier's approach would be different, however. With six courts, it will be able to host sanctioned tournaments, and the spacing and layout of the courts will offer playability advantages.
"We see an opportunity for tennis in a community that's not being served," he said. "This community is starved for a true tennis center, where tennis is front and center and not just another amenity.
"Our overall level of programming will be second to none."
A critical component of Premier's approach will involve youth and junior programs, he said.
That excites local tennis icon Camilla Owen, who along with Sharon Terry has been running an outdoor summer program for kids for the last three years.
"I'm really excited about Tom's plans," Owen said. "There's talk of a lot of leagues and fun tennis, which is what people want."
Through the Janesville Tennis Association, Owen and Terry and have been running a U.S. Tennis Association "QuickStart Tennis" program for kids 10 and younger who want to learn the game at an enjoyable level.
Courts are used sideways and equipment is scaled down so 8-year-olds aren't trying to learn and play the game on the same-sized court that Roger Federer roams.
"It's a great program, and we've had more kids each year we've done it," Owen said. "When we move it to Tom's facility, we can run it rain or shine."
VanDixhorn said community involvement is critical to the club's success.
"We've been connecting with the people in Janesville, and these are some serious tennis people," he said. "The only way for us to do well is to do programming well, and that includes kids.
"We feel that if we serve the community well, the community will come back to tennis."
Jan 13, 2013 at 9:48 p.m.
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It looks like the Mouse log-in name is gone. The Gazette must have deleted it? Now there is only 3 more profiles left for the same person.
Jan 8, 2013 at 10:55 a.m.
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Mouse,
Which "americans" are insulted? North AMericans? South Americans?, Latin Americans?, central Americans, Native americans? I am not familiar with "grunting" Americans-so I have no idea whom mongo is referring to. Sounds like a fringe group - perhaps I am unfamiliar with their cause and victim status....
Jan 7, 2013 at 1:03 p.m.
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dustyd, as for the car repair, I found a gem of a guy at Lilly Auto Repair. I've taken two of my kid's cars there and he has the lowest rates I've seen anywhere. He is honest and barely marks up the price of parts from what he pays from his mechanic price. The last repair I had done he charged me less for the part than if I would have purchased it myself. He has a clean shop and does great work.
Jan 7, 2013 at 12:20 p.m.
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Dustyd,
Your list is based on exhaustive research? Or are you simply guessing? I may tend to disagree with your #3 worst idea.....sex always sells.
Why wouldnt drive through fondue work? Seems like and easy convenient method for fondue? I prefer ishiyaki to fondue..but I do not plan on offering a restaurant to cater to this cooking trend.
Jan 7, 2013 at 12:06 p.m.
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Right you are! Numbers 2,3 and 4 worst ideas for the Janesville market might be:
2. drive-through fondue
3. erotic baked goods shop
4. polo center
Best ideas for Janesville:
1. job placement and financial consulting services
2. discount car repair shop
3. in-home health care services
Jan 7, 2013 at 11:51 a.m.
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janesvillean: yes, I was sarcastically kidding.
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I'm no fortune teller, but I do believe this is a good idea and it will succeed. I am close to the tennis community (although myself I am great at hitting the ball over the fence)and I know there are many people in Janesville very interested in tennis. You might be surprised at how many young people in Janesville drive to Four Lakes in Elkhorn for lessons. Also because of the number of courts and layout, this place will also pull in tournaments and even college tennis meets. For example, if Beloit College has a tennis meet and it rains, they relocate the meet to Rockford. Instead I would think it would be easier to relocate to this facility in Janesville.
Jan 7, 2013 at 11:15 a.m.
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Dustyd,
What are the top 3 worst business ideas you've heard. Obviously a tennis center is the worst idea. What are number 2 and 3?
I assume you are a commercial banker lending money to fund these frivolous ventures?
More importantly, what is the best idea? Solar? (i.e. Solyndra?).....
Jan 7, 2013 at 11:01 a.m.
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TCB: Private investors have the right to lose as much money as they want starting unprofitable businesses that sell unpopular products or services.
Jan 7, 2013 at 3:05 a.m.
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I do miss seeing the Palmer Park courts packed all day long at times back in the 80s. It's a bit weird looking at old photos and movies and seeing how much thinner most people were. Best of luck to the business!
Jan 6, 2013 at 2:46 p.m.
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woody, as far as I know this property is not in a TIF district. I am also pretty sure that frusion was kidding.
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I have to concur with dustyd that tennis does not appear to be a recreational sport on the upswing. That said, I admire their, uh, tennis balls....
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A little googling turns up a number of indoor tennis facilities being built or considered (note, some by *gasp* municipalities), with Madison noted as a place with a good supply per capita.
Jan 6, 2013 at 2:17 p.m.
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dustyd,
So you base "popularity" as the reason that private equity should not risk their own capital to build a tennis club?
Jan 6, 2013 at 1:24 p.m.
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The worst business idea I've heard in years. Tennis is less popular in the U.S. every year since its peak years in the 70's and 80's. Hardly anyone in Janesville plays tennis on the beautiful FREE outdoor courts in the summer. While it's not expensive, tennis is generally an upper-crust sport, and the economy and incomes of people in Janesville are in steady decline.
Jan 6, 2013 at 12:18 p.m.
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hopefully it will be affordable enough for everyone to take advantage of the new facility, and not just the wealthy...
Jan 6, 2013 at 11:49 a.m.
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The YMCA actually has indoor soccer on the weekends for middle school through adults. There are currently 22 teams playing in those leagues.
Jan 6, 2013 at 11:48 a.m.
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We don't know if the city gave a deal to them or not. Sometimes a city will forgive future tax costs in a deal to get the business to move in.
Jan 6, 2013 at 11:31 a.m.
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Ow there is I agree, an indoor soccer facility would be better. The article seems to say there are plenty tennis facilities. There are no indoor soccer venues in this town.
Jan 6, 2013 at 9:45 a.m.
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I had to read this twice but I must haves missed something? Tennis is something a lot of people like to do so how is this happening without a government handout? This is wrong for someone to invest their own resources to start a business. I think tax payers should be contributing to this.
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In all seriousness though I wish this endeavor the best.
Jan 5, 2013 at 7:26 p.m.
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Now just to bring back an indoor soccer facility, and no one would have to travel out of town to practice year round!
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