Slidell Mayor Greg Cromer was joined by members of the Slidell City Council, Slidell Tennis Association and the public on Monday, Oct. 2, to officially open the new Henry J. Calamari Tennis Center in Slidell.
The new tennis facility now includes eight tennis courts, a small pavilion, and new walkways that allow easy access to restroom facilities and Veterans Memorial Park. The City broke ground in February of 2023 and construction was completed in September 2023. The tennis courts were designed by Kyle Associates, LLC, and built by Cobalt Construction, Inc. for a cost of $2.4 million.
“This is one of the premier tennis facilities in our area. We wanted to make sure that this was a first class facility for our community and we fortunately had some surplus money and grant opportunities to make this project a reality,” said Mayor Cromer. “These new tennis courts, along with the planned outdoor pickleball courts and skate park at John Slidell Park, shows that we listen to what the public asks for. We heard you and we delivered!”
The original tennis courts were built in the 1960s. Over the years, the old courts were repaired and resurfaced numerous times, but the crumbling concrete slabs eventually needed to be replaced. When the orginal courts opened, it cost $1 an hour to play, and players had to go to Slidell City Hall to reserve a court and purchase the ticket. Over the years, Mr. Henry Calamari and his wife Gayle organized many family fun play days, tournaments, and United States Tennis Association events on the courts. They were both instrumental in forming the Slidell Tennis Association in 1977. Their daughter, Julie Calamari Champagne, taught junior tennis camps during the summers and has been teaching those camps for the last 29 years. She has also been the tennis coach for Pope John Paul II High School for the last 29 years, and Pope students have been practicing on the courts for 40 years.
In 1995, Mr. Calamari tragically passed in a boating accident. Former Mayor Sam Caruso and the Slidell City Council voted to rename the tennis courts in his honor. On Sept. 24, 1995, the Sidell Tennis Courts were officially named the Henry J. Calamari Memorial Tennis Center.
The tennis courts are located at 2600 Second Street in Olde Towne Slidell. The courts are open to the public from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and admission is free.
For more information about the Slidell Tennis Association, please visit their website at SlidellTennis.com.
