UDM Breaks Ground On New Tennis Complex And Playing Field

July 9, 2008

The University of Detroit Mercy broke ground in June on a new varsity tennis complex which will include eight hard courts and a viewing pavilion. The complex is being constructed directly south of Calihan Hall, on the east side of UDM's McNichols campus.

Construction is scheduled to be completed this fall, in time for use by the Detroit Titans men's and women's tennis teams. A blue and green color scheme will be used for the courts, similar to the new official hard court colors adopted by the U.S. Open in 2005.

The 4,000-square-foot covered pavilion will be located at the north end of the facility, and an auxiliary natural grass playing field for soccer and lacrosse will be put in adjacent to the courts along Fairfield Street.

TMP Architecture (Bloomfield Hills) served as the lead architect for the project, while The Monahan Company (Eastpointe) will serve as general contractor.

A formal dedication of the new tennis courts and pavilion is scheduled for Sept. 11 at 6:00 p.m. The dedication will be part of an afternoon and evening in "Titan Territory" during which several of UDM's varsity squads will conduct practices and scrimmages for alumni, family and friends.

"The construction of our new tennis complex and an additional playing field is just another remarkable step forward for the Detroit Titans athletics program. I am excited that our student-athletes and coaches will have the on-campus facility they need to practice and play home matches outdoors," athletic director Keri Gaither said.

"In addition to several major donations made during the 2008 fiscal year that will help fund this project, the University's substantial commitment for new facilities was a critical component to get construction underway. This continues to be such an exciting time for Titan Athletics."

The Titan women's tennis team, which has finished third in the Horizon League for two consecutive years, will share the tennis facility with the newly reinstated varsity men's team. The venue will also serve as home for the University of Detroit Jesuit High School & Academy boy's tennis team, as U of D Jesuit was a major financial contributor to the overall project. The multi-purpose playing field will serve as a practice site for UDM's soccer and lacrosse programs.

--Story provided by the Detroit office of sports information