Geneva park board to reconsider closing racquetball court

The only place to play racquetball in the Tri-Cities wants to eliminate one of its two courts.

But players have convinced the Geneva park board to consider rescinding its approval.

The park board will meet to discuss the issue at 6 p.m. Monday at 710 N. Western Ave.

In June, the board approved a plan to turn one of the courts in to a space for members of the Sunset Racquetball and Fitness Center, 710 Western Ave., to exercise with machines, weights and a TRX suspension-system rack.

Racquetball players then protested the idea, said Sheavoun Lambillotte, executive director of the park district.

According to a staff memo sent to the park board in mid-August, use of the courts has dropped considerably. The memo said that:

• There are 48 people using the courts regularly to play racquetball, and eight people to play handball. That compares to 1,310 fitness-center members.

• From December 2012 until now, the courts were used about 23 percent of the time the Sunset Racquetball and Fitness Center is open. In 2015 during prime playing months (January through March), the courts were occupied 51 percent of the time.

• The 2010 community survey showed respondents gave a low priority to racquetball and a high priority to having more room in the fitness center.

"While we have a very passionate group of racquetball players, they are a great minority compared to our fitness center members," Lambillotte said.

The district maintains it can sufficiently accommodate the players with just one court.

Racquetball was a popular pastime in the 1970s and 1980s. But participation began declining in the 1990s.

The Norris Recreational Center in St. Charles has racquetball courts, but they are closed. The center closed them to remove a mold infestation in the walls, and wants to remove the courts altogether.

There used to be courts at a tennis club on Kirk Road in Geneva, but that building now houses a youth soccer club.

The next closest club is at a private club, L.A. Fitness in South Elgin. The Centre in downtown Elgin also has courts. To the east, there is the Glass Court Club in Lombard and Wheaton Sports Center in Wheaton. L.A. Fitness in Oswego also has courts.