Tennis is one of those sports that is considered more individual than team oriented unless of course you’re part of a doubles tandem. In the case of the new Paramount Tennis Club located in Medina, it was a team of architects and construction management experts that helped make the new USTA state-of-the-art tennis facility a reality.
The 62,400 square foot structure sits on 3.9 acres, and includes 52,000 square feet of court area divided into a total of eight courts. “This was a great team effort (design and construction) accomplished in a short time frame to create one of the finest tennis facilities in Northeast Ohio,” said owner, Jim Balzarini.
The climate controlled environment provides comfort, while the designed layout provides the best spectator viewing possible from the mezzanine. Also included are fully appointed locker rooms with wood lockers, a second floor member’s lounge, a child care room, and a tennis pro shop that offers tennis clothing, accessories, shoes, racquets and stringing.
The Fast Track project took a mere eight months to complete from earthwork operations that began in January, through completion of the project and its scheduled grand opening on September 9th. “We couldn’t be happier with the outcome of the facility,” said Balzarini.
Construction Costs Affect All Involved
According to McGraw-Hill, the average construction cost for a new office building is $142 per square foot – up almost 11% from 2005 when the cost was $129 per square foot. This construction cost increase is reflective of spikes in the cost of some key building materials as shown in the chart below. Another construction source, BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), has recently issued a new index for school construction which has climbed 5.3% in the first seven months of 2006. Long term, school officials are being urged to figure on an annual inflation rate of nine percent for construction costs in 2007.
Not all the news is bleak, however. Harris/Day’s construction management division can help with estimating current construction costs for your next project. By performing detailed material cost estimates, we can analyze the impact on construction costs that each of these material increases mean, and can value engineer alternative design solutions to keep your project in line and UNDER budget. Owners should NOT assume that construction material inflation is going away based on these recent trends with higher energy costs and construction demands in India and China. If you’re in need of assistance with regard to construction, turn to Harris/Day for both your design AND construction needs.