11/7/2003 - Community center scoring with $1M in sports additions
Birmingham Business Journal - November 7, 2003 by Gilbert Nicholson Staff
One of Birmingham's oldest cultural, sports fitness, and recreational organizations is investing $1 million in a new soccer field, track and tennis courts.
The Levite Jewish Community Center, on Montclair Road near the Birmingham-Mountain Brook city limit, is plowing over an existing soccer field and four tennis courts to create a regulation soccer field, 65-by-120-yards, according to operations director Richard Whisenant.
A new 1,285-foot walking track that is four yards wide will encircle the field. While two existing tennis courts were saved, four that were demolished will be relocated to the back of the facility and topped with a synthetic Premier Court cushioned surface.
The project also includes a 600-square-foot sports building with bathrooms, vending machines and storage space.
"It will be a fabulous soccer facility. It's a great way to showcase the JCC," says Dan Tourtellotte, sports and fitness director.
Work began last month and will conclude in mid-March, Whisenant says. The contractor for the field, track and sports building is Hallmark Builders Inc. The architect is John Holmes. The Welch Tennis Group of Sun City, Fla., is building the new tennis courts.
Known by members and locals merely as "The Center," the 127,000-square-foot facility houses a gym, exercise area and equipment, indoor and outdoor pools, meeting rooms, arts and crafts rooms, and an auditorium.
"We hope to play our spring soccer season on the new field," Whisenant says.
"In the past," Tourtellotte says, "our field has not been large enough to play the older age groups, and we've had to play all our games away. Now, we will have a full-sized field where we can play the older age groups as well as line it off for a shorter field and can accommodate all age groups."
Boon to soccer program
Youth sports director John Besse predicts that the new facilities will expand the soccer program from 170 to 250 players.
A cooperative agreement with Altamont School, directly opposite the Center across Red Mountain, will help boost soccer participation, Besse says.
The Jewish Community Center was founded in 1887 as the Young Men's Hebrew Association and incorporated in Jefferson County in 1906.
Its first home, purchased in 1908, was located at Sixth Avenue and 17th Street North. In 1924, it moved to a new home a block away, according to the organization's Web site (www.bhamjcc.org).
Construction on the current Jewish Community Center on Montclair Road began in 1957 to serve its 4,000-plus members.
A major renovation took place in 1995, and in 1998 the facility was renamed the Levite Jewish Community Center after donor Ted Levite.
Half of the 2,600 families who are current members are not Jewish.
Contact BBJ senior reporter Gilbert Nicholson at (205) 443-5632 or gnicholson@bizjournals.com.