Elings Park Reopens Las Positas Tennis Center After 16-Month, $2.7 Million Renovation
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Santa Barbara, CA, April 2, 2024) The 50-year-old Las Positas Tennis Center has reopened after a 16-month, $2.7 million renovation by Elings Park, which has managed the facility since 2011. The renovation was made possible by donations to the Elings Park Infrastructure Campaign (EPIC), which has also funded an additional $4.8 million in park improvements since 2020. More improvements are still to come, as funds are raised to complete the project. For more information, visit https://elingspark.org/sports-recreation/las-positas-tennis-center.
“We knew that this beloved tennis facility was in need of attention when Santa Barbara’s Parks & Recreation Department asked Eling Park to take over management a dozen years ago,” said Elings Park Foundation Board Member Bruce Giffin, EPIC co-chair with Board member Lauren Katz. “Though its 1970s design was iconic, the restrooms’ framing had started rotting away, and the asphalt parking lot had turned to gravel. This renovation is a testament to the patience and generosity of the Center’s members and local tennis lovers over the years.”
The Tennis Center improvements begin in the parking lot, which is freshly leveled, resurfaced, and striped, and features upgraded lighting. A new metal gateway, which echoes the design of the original circa 1985 entry gate on Jerry Harwin Parkway, marks the entrance to the improved pathway to the courts. Paved in permeable brick, it now meets ADA guidelines for people with disabilities.
The Centers’ six courts have newly installed LED lighting for night play, the stadium-style viewing areas have been improved, retaining walls built, and all pathways regraded and repaved for ADA compliance to be accessible for people with disabilities.
The architect for the renovation is Elings Park Foundation board member Joe Andrulaitis. The contractor is Evans Construction Company. Landscape architecture was designed by a local design firm, Arcadia Studio.
The two restrooms were rebuilt on the footprints of the original circa 1972 buildings, as was the tennis pros’ office. All the Center’s mechanical systems have been upgraded.
Additional improvements are in the works to complete the final phase of renovations, such as extensive landscaping with California-native plants, purchasing office equipment, and more. That completes the Tennis Center renovation for $3.2 million total.
“I may be biased, but it’s the most charming tennis center in Southern California,” said Elings Park Executive Director Dean Noble. “It is a real community center and open to everyone. We look forward to hosting more programs, more clinics, and more opportunities for youth.”
The Center is home to seven US Tennis Association (USTA) teams, both men’s and women’s, and eight teams that play in local interclub tournaments. It runs a popular summer Tennis Camp for ages six to 14, with eight week-long sessions beginning June 17, 2024. For information, visit https://elingspark.org/summer-camp/tennis/.
Brothers Adam and Daniel Webster are Elings Park’s tennis pros and lead the summer Tennis Camp. They grew up on the Mesa and as children rode their bikes to play at the original Tennis Center. They are also available to members for clinics and lessons.
New Tennis Center Fees
Annual memberships to the Tennis Center are currently available but will be capped at 300 total. Members play seven days a week, have access to online court reservations up to a week in advance, and can schedule lessons and clinics with the resident pros, Adam and Daniel Webster.
The public can reserve courts by reservation only, up to a week in advance, by calling (805) 698-5442 or by visiting the Tennis Center Office. The day rate to play is $20.
The new fee for monthly memberships are $89 for adults (ages 18 to 64), $65 for seniors (ages 65+), and $25 for youth (up to age 17). Discounts are available for annual memberships. Purchase by phone at (805) 698-5442 or in person at the Tennis Center or the park’s Administration Building.
Other EPIC! Improvements at Elings Park
Other Park improvements funded by EPIC! include renovated restrooms at the softball and soccer fields, new sidewalks, hand-built sandstone walls, directional signage, renovated batting cage, paving of entry roads and parking lots, planting of more than 500 native oaks and 3,000+ native plants, upgrades to more than three miles of hiking and biking trails, disc golf course and installation of a warm-water dog washing station, among other projects.
A new entry kiosk off Las Positas is now open, and construction is currently underway at Godric Gove, the park’s special events site, slated to reopen in time for wedding season in May. Future projects funded by EPIC will include two new playgrounds, new trails and more trail improvements, LED softball field lighting, and new entry gates from neighborhoods adjacent to the South Park area.
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