USTA to Renovate US Open’s Flushing Meadows

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) is undertaking a massive renovation of the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center, viagra sale one that will rebuild two aging show courts, anesthetist open up the practice courts for viewing, add parking and work to create a better “flow throughout the complex.” 

The $500 million in renovations announced Thursday, however, do not include plans for a roof to cover 23,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows.

A cover for the main show court has been widely called for with the men’s final having been pushed back a day because of rain in each of the last four years.

With the French Open scheduled to debut a retractable roof by 2017, the U.S. Open will be the only one of the four majors without such shelter. USTA chief operating officer Gordon Smith admitted that a roof is a necessity, but conceded that because of the size of the stadium and the unstable land under it a feasible plan to build one has not yet been found.

“It’s five times larger than the span that covers Wimbledon,” Smith said.

Daniel Zausner, managing director of the National Tennis Center, said that architects and engineers from all over the world have come in to look for a lightweight, cost-effective technology to retro-fit the 15-year-old Ashe with a roof, but so far there has been no solution.

“It’s very important long-term to us,” Smith said, “and we will continue to look for a solution as we go forward with these plans.”

Smith said that replacing Ashe would not be cost-effective, as the stadium as at least 30 years of viability left. Instead, the plans, which the USTA hopes to have ready to go in the fall of 2013, included the 10,000-seat Louis Armstrong Stadium being torn down and replaced with a new 15,000 seat arena on the same spot. The new stadium would be built with the capability to retro-fit a roof, but one would not be added until there is one over Ashe.

The plans, which call for six to eight years of construction, also include the Grandstand court being relocated to unused land across from the main grounds. The main walkway through the field courts is set to be widened with four practice courts and three tournament courts to be linked on a two-level viewing platform.