The Salmon Arm Tennis Club is looking into the feasibility of an indoor tennis facility.
The ball began rolling last fall, explains Ken Hecker, a member of the committee investigating the idea's feasibility. Hecker sits on the board of directors for Tennis BC and discovered grant money was available from Tennis Canada and Tennis BC for doing such a study.
When the idea drew favour from the club and other community members, an application was prepared. The club was successful in getting a $5,000 grant.
"Mostly because of the history of the club," says Hecker. "We've been quite successful in terms of membership – it's certainly growing, and in terms of the juniors involved now, and some of our results have been really quite good."
However, Tennis Canada and Tennis BC were focusing on large urban centres which need four indoor courts or more. So rather than looking at just Salmon Arm, the committee is considering a market region from Vernon to Revelstoke to Chase encompassing about 90,000 people, given that no other indoor tennis facilities exist in the area.
Currently, geotechnical and engineering studies are underway, and a business plan is being prepared. As well, the public is invited to fill out a survey that can be accessed on the website of the Salmon Arm Tennis Club at: www.salmonarmtennis.org/.
"We'd be interested in what people have to say," Hecker says.
The committee hopes to have the studies done by the end of this month, and finances will be a prime factor in any decision.
"We're making really good process and the response has been positive. The only issue is, it may be too costly for the size of our market."
He emphasizes that the club wants to keep costs down so using the courts would be affordable. An indoor facility would be public, but the club would run it.
"So if people wish to use the tennis club courts, they can pay a court fee."
The plan would be to build a three-court, steel-frame permanent facility next to the club's existing four outdoor courts, all on land leased from the City of Salmon Arm.
Hecker said three indoor courts are being considered rather than four because of initial building costs and because they would fit on the existing leased land.
He said a collapsable bubble facility isn't being looked at because they last only about 15 years, making a long-term loan difficult to secure. They're also difficult to heat.
Overall, he said an indoor facility could have far-reaching benefits.
"It would provide us with the opportunity to look at hosting larger tournaments, maybe down the road, the Summer Games; it would certainly be a benefit to the community."