There have been rumors about an major upgrade for the stadium court at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Those rumors are rumors no more as tournament officials have announced a $10 million expansion and upgrade project that will start immediately following the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in two weeks and be ready in time for next year’s events.
The $10 million project will be funded by the USTA, a majority partner in the tournament, and Cincinnati’s Tennis for Charity. The upgrade will add an additional 890 stadium seats, 6 new luxury suites, major media facility upgrades, and player amenity improvements that will clear the way for the now separate men’s and women’s tournaments to be combined and held simultaneously…all making the biggest summer tennis tournament in the United States, outside of the US Open, even bigger.
The most prominent addition will be the new 52,000 square-foot West Building that will house the new luxury suites, seating capacity, player and media facilities. Tournament officials say that the new West Building will be twice as tall as the existing structure and rise some 97 feet above court level.
Here is a breakdown of the new features:
- A 21,000 square-foot court-level (below grade) player area with two locker rooms (each accommodating more than 100 players), private training rooms, locker rooms for male and female coaches, and a 2,200 square-foot fitness area among other amenities
- An 8,000-square foot space on the ground floor which includes a 5,500 square-foot indoor player lounge and offices for the ATP World Tour and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour
- An 11,000 square-foot second floor for player dining, a warming kitchen and storage
- A 4,800 square-foot outdoor player lounge on the roof of the second floor
- A 6,300 square foot third floor for interview rooms, featuring a main interview room and three additional interview rooms
- A 4,800 square foot Media Center on the fourth floor with more than 100 stations for writers and photographers
- Six new luxury suites overlooking Center Court
- 750 new covered loge-level seats
- The addition of 140 seats in the northwest corner of Center Court
