A private recreation center built for the youths of Lawrence is set for conversion into a tennis complex designed for retirees, working adults, college athletes and anyone else looking for indoor tennis courts.

Mike Elwell, long active in Lawrence tennis circles, has signed a contract to buy Sport 2 Sport’s 30,000-square-foot building and adjacent parking lot in southwest Lawrence.

He plans to turn the multipurpose building – previously used for basketball, indoor soccer, volleyball and other youth sports – into a tennis-only center, with four hard courts and the potential for adding two more in the future.

Elwell’s pending purchase culminates his lengthy effort to bring indoor tennis back to town.

Alvamar Country Club sold its indoor tennis center in 2002, after having lost an average of $100,000 a year on it for 25 years, Alvamar officials have said. Bishop Seabury Academy bought the center and turned it into a school.

Since then, Elwell and others have found themselves driving to Topeka or the Kansas City area to play indoor tennis. The Kansas University women’s tennis team also has gone without a home court.

The new courts should be in place soon after Jan. 1, Elwell said, and KU’s tennis team could be practicing in the tennis center by Feb. 1.

The Sport 2 Sport building, 5200 Clinton Parkway, and its 140-space parking lot, is under contract to be sold to Mike Elwell, who plans to turn the building into an indoor tennis center.

“This puts us online a lot faster than trying to start from scratch and build one,” Elwell said.

The purchase, set to close Jan. 3, will end Sport 2 Sport’s indoor programs after nine years.

Roger Morningstar, Sport 2 Sport founder and managing general partner, said the complex would follow through with its upcoming eight-week programs for youth basketball, indoor soccer, Fred Roll weight training and Dave Bingham Baseball Academy.

After that, Sport 2 Sport will be left with its two outdoor fields for baseball, softball and T-ball. Those programs will endure, with sessions in the spring, summer and fall.

Difficult decision

“We have a little bit of a heavy heart,” said Morningstar, a former Converse executive and former KU basketball player whose fellow investors in the project include current KU assistant coach and former star player Danny Manning and former head coach Roy Williams. “It’s something we put up in the community : as a community service to provide kids with opportunities that otherwise weren’t there.

“To not be able to create those opportunities anymore gives us a heavy heart, but you can’t stand in the way of progress.”

• 6News video: Rec center to be turned into tennis complex (10-20-05)

Elwell already has started meeting with architects about adding onto the multipurpose building at 5200 Clinton Parkway, but has yet to settle on firm plans.

What’s ahead

He wants to add two hard courts so the KU team can accommodate full-scale competitions – six singles matches at a time, followed by three doubles matches – in Lawrence. Elwell said he had been in discussion with KU officials, but he had yet to sign a definitive agreement with them.

KU officials were unavailable for comment Thursday, but back in July, as Elwell was pursuing plans to buy an open lot and build a tennis center, associate athletics director Jim Marchiony said that officials would be willing to enter discussions for using the courts.

“An indoor facility would help us develop our program to where we want it to be,” Marchiony said at the time.

Elwell said an arrangement with KU would give the center a much-needed and steady stream of financing. Center memberships also would play an important role, followed by public access that could give anyone in town the ability to book a court within 24 hours of playing time.

The center likely will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

As the project’s lone investor, now he just hopes it pays off.

“I’m not sure it will,” Elwell said Thursday. “I’ll be quite honest: I know how much people have told me Alvamar lost. I know what the history’s been, which hasn’t been real good. But I’m anticipating we can build a successful program.

“Otherwise, it will probably turn into a warehouse.”