City moves forward on larger Leftwich Tennis Center

Tom Bailey
Daily Memphian

The City of Memphis this week applied for a permit to start building a much larger Leftwich Tennis Center that will be shared by the men’s and women’s Tiger tennis teams of University of Memphis.

The estimated $19 million project will provide for 12 indoor courts and 24 outdoor courts, for 36 courts total, architect Steve Landwehr of Fleming Architects told The Daily Memphian by email on Thursday afternoon. The firm is designing the project.

That is four more outdoor courts than officials had announced last August when the plans were unveiled in a ceremony at Leftwich. 

“We had two building permit packages submitted to Code Enforcement,” Landwehr said. “The first was for the site package which includes 24 outdoor courts...   The second permit package was for the indoor facility which will house 12 indoor courts (for a total of 36 courts).”

While the online permit information reflects a $6 million construction estimate for at least part of the work, Landwehr said the total project cost is still estimated to be $19 million. 

“... But at this time (general contractor) Grinder Taber Grinder is pricing the drawings.  The final number will not be realized for several weeks,” he said.

The permit that became public on Thursday involves the part of the project that includes the indoor courts, administrative offices, locker rooms and mezzanine viewing platform.

Leftwich Tennis Center, 4145 Southern Ave., is a just a mile due east of the U of M campus.

The impetus for the joint project was the closing of the Racquet Club of Memphis, where the Tiger tennis teams played and practiced despite it being a private club.

City and college officials said last August that construction would start as early as last fall. Reasons for the delays have included the COVID-19 pandemic, city officials have said.

Leftwich, which is now closed for construction, has eight outdoor courts and four indoor courts.

The proposed Leftwich Tennis Center that will be shared by the men’s and women’s Tiger tennis teams of University of Memphis