announced by city

By MICHELLE WILSON

A proposed sports complex would add 12 tennis courts and a softball field for residents of Troy and students at Troy State University if funds become available.

The City of Troy is applying for a $25,000 Community Development Block Grant to build a sports complex on the campus of Troy State University.

The application process was approved Tuesday by the Troy City Council.

Troy Mayor Jimmy Lunsford said the sports complex would be located on Elm Street between Academy and Gibbs streets in Troy.

"It would be built at Troy State University but would be for public use," he said. "The city of Troy, Troy City School System and TSU would each pay one-third of any of the project’s remaining cost not funded by the grant."

The grant application should be mailed to South Central Alabama Development Commission in Montgomery this week, Lunsford said. Construction on the project will begin as soon as grant funding is awarded. Lunsford said he did not know when that would be.

The proposed facility would include 12 tennis courts and a softball field, he said. The tennis courts would be arranged in tiers so spectators could see action on multiple courts at the same time.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to bring the school system, the university and the public together," Lunsford said. "It would be foolish for any of us to build and maintain this on our own when we can do it together."

Plans for the project have not been completely developed, but a rough drawing to scale shows where the facility will be located and what the proposed plans are.

The site would be located across Elm Street from Charles Henderson Middle School, and near the Troy State University’s sorority dormitories.

The location was selected based on the availability of land for development and for funding purposes so that it would represent a collaborative agreement between the city school system, the city government and Troy State itself.

The project is one that Forrest Lee, athletic director of Charles Henderson Middle School, thinks will benefit the students of the school system, the college students and faculty and the people of the city of Troy.

Lee said he would like to see the facility offer parents of students the opportunities to enjoy sports next to the places where their children were practicing or playing.

"It would be a terrific thing," he said.

The total cost of the proposed project has not been finalized.

Nov.13, 1999, 10 PM