A new state-of-the-art tennis training facility, named USTA National Campus, the New Home of American Tennis, is coming to Lake Nona. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new 63-acre complex took place in southeast Orlando only a few days ago. This officially marked the start of construction of the $60 million facility which will be built between Nautica Drive and James Bay drive in Lake Nona.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs joined executives from Lake Nona parent company Tavistock Group and United States Tennis Association to celebrate the start of the construction of the new USTA regional training center which will feature more than 100 tennis courts, including red and green clay courts, hard courts, and youth tennis courts, as well as offices and a lodge for players to stay while in training.
That lodge will feature a new $3 million Crystal Lagoon, an 11-acre man-made recreational lake with crystal clear waters and a Caribbean-style beachfront, all designed by Miami-based Crystal Lagoons US Corp.
The new complex, slated for a late 2016 opening, will house the USTA’s two divisions: Player Development division, moving from Boca Raton, and Community Tennis division, relocating from White Plains, N.Y. In addition, it will be home court for the varsity tennis teams at the University of Central Florida.
Tavistock Development Company is the project developer, DPR Construction is the general contractor and HKS Architects is the lead architect.
The project is expected to bring hundreds of temporary construction jobs, as well as 155 permanent high-wage positions with an average annual salary of $100,000.
Along with the jobs it will create in the region, the new complex is also slated to bring a bigger boost to the local tourism industry, which welcomed 59 million visitors last year.