Though a project for new tennis courts near Lincoln University is moving forward, several details have yet to be worked out, including what can truly be afforded.
Earlier this month, the Jefferson City Parks and Recreation Commission discussed a draft memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the commission and Lincoln University for construction and maintenance of a new tennis court complex near the campus.
The project has been discussed since last summer, when university officials approached the Parks and Recreation Commission to see if the commission would be interested in partnering to create an eight-court, outdoor tennis complex at Dunklin and Lafayette streets. Commissioners then unanimously approved a motion to have staff explore the tennis project and a potential partnership, along with allocating $200,000-$300,000 contingent upon finding other community partners.
The university had received a $75,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, with $125,000 in university matching funds, to help build five new tennis courts on the site of the existing three courts. To create something that would attract outside tournaments, the area likely would need close to eight courts, which at that time was said to likely cost approximately $1.2 million with amenities.
The draft MOU presented earlier this month included a $300,000 allocation from parks, the $200,000 from Lincoln University and $62,500 from the Jefferson City Public Schools, though that amount has not been approved by the Jefferson City Board of Education.
However, even if the school board approves that amount, that only comes to $565,000 total for the project.
Misty Young, LU spokesperson, said the university is still pursuing further grant options, including a second grant from DNR for $150,000, possibly a grant from the United States Tennis Association and "potential private funds." The project also has been scaled back to a budget of $800,000, which Young said the university hopes will still afford eight tennis courts, with additional parking and amenities to be phased in later.
If the school district opts not to help fund the project, Young said the university and parks would develop next steps together, noting the construction would need to start no later than spring 2017 for the university to comply with the extension it received for the original grant to complete the project by June 30, 2017.
"We do need to move forward with the design phase to make this happen," Young said. "If no additional funding comes available once the bids are received, we will see how many courts are possible with the combined funding."
JCPS Superintendent Larry Linthacum said the issue will be taken to the board, and he would consider recommending the $62,500 identified in the MOU. However, he said, it's not the most pressing issue facing the district.
"With everything else that we've had going on, it's not been at the top of our priority list," he said.
Linthacum said the district has received no proposal and hasn't really had conversations with the university or parks in the last four months, so the board would need to hear more information on the project first.
"We want to work together, and we'll consider that," Linthacum said.
The draft MOU presented to the commission at its May meeting was not acted on, as commission members requested more specifics spelled out in the document, including use of the courts.
Correction, posted June 1, 2016: The original version of this article should have stated the Yvonne Walker Hoard Tennis Courts have three existing courts and a planned project would seek to add five more courts. The text above has since been corrected to reflect that.