Lord Mayor officially names Roy Emerson Tennis Centre

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk will pay homage to the rich sporting history of the former Milton Tennis Centre, with a new tennis facility on the site to be named in honour of former world number one, Roy Emerson.

The Lord Mayor said during yesterday’s council session (March 12) the name ‘Roy Emerson Tennis Centre’ was officially voted in.

“It’s with great pleasure that we are able to secure the name of one of the greatest tennis players of all time for the six courts and office space being incorporated as part of the development for the park,” Cr Quirk said.

“His haul of 28 Grand Slam titles is a record for men’s tennis, so this centre will be a tribute to all Roy achieved in the game, which can be shared with the community for future generations.”

Cr Quirk said the name Roy Emerson Tennis Centre was agreed upon by Council following a campaign by Tennis Queensland to honour the sporting hero.

In March last year, Council released the final concept plan for the 3.5 hectare Frew Park, which included the six tennis courts, a tennis office facility as well as a play area and open parkland.

Cr Quirk said the next steps for the project would be the start of construction, expected to begin in October this year.

“We’ve been very busy working behind the scenes to ensure this park is another exciting destination for residents and visitors when it opens to the public in late 2014,” he said.

“As the Milton area continues to grow in popularity as a business and residential hub, it’s essential we cater for this growth with green space and facilities for people to use and this inner city park will go a long way to achieving this goal.

“Detailed design is nearly complete and provides a number of different features in the park, including free Wi-Fi, all abilities play features and a playground designed for older kids.”

The tennis facility will be managed by a lessee and may include a small café area for park users. Council will be seeking proposals from interested parties closer to completion of the park.

Council is investing over $12 million to develop Frew Park, which was once the site of the Milton Tennis Centre and Milton Bowl.

The name Frew Park is in honour of Mr Robert Frew who was the ‘driving force’ behind the creation of the former Milton Tennis Centre.