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Indoor tennis courts were becoming increasingly rare in Switzerland.
Milena KalinEditor Economics
Tennis is a popular sport. However, the search for a tennis hall is becoming increasingly difficult for juniors and amateur athletes. At the end of April, the Vitis in Schlieren ZH will also close its doors, writes the “NZZ am Sonntag”. The largest racket sports facility in Switzerland will soon be history. In addition to tennis, you can also play badminton and squash there.
130,000 visitors play their balls on the 28 courts of the facility every year. Over 500 juniors train at Vitis every week. April is the end.
The land value for the 13,000 square meters is 50 to 60 million francs – a treasure worth millions. The sports center is scheduled to be demolished in the summer. Construction work on the Lymhof settlement with 350 apartments is scheduled to start in the autumn.
Better apartments than a sports center
But why does the tennis hall have to give way when the demand is so great? Tennis halls are usually operated and financed by private owners and clubs. There are practically no subsidies. “A single tennis court for two to four players requires around 600 square meters of space,” says Vitis manager Beat Künzler. With the expansion of cities and rising real estate prices, such systems can no longer be operated cost-effectively.
Sports and tennis centers have also been sold in Kehrsatz and Herrenschwanden near Bern. The center in Herrenschwanden can at least continue to be operated for the time being, as it has been leased from the former professional player Romina Oprandi.
In Belp BE, the profitability of the tennis hall was also poor. First it became a go-kart track. In the meantime there is a tennis and a trampoline hall in Belp.
In the cantons of Schwyz and Aargau, the tennis centers are also dying, as the “NZZ am Sonntag” continues to write. In Oberentfelden AG – as on the Vitis site – people prefer to build apartments rather than continue to focus on sport.
The tennis hall in Wädenswil ZH, on the other hand, fell victim to Landi, as reported by the “Zürichsee-Zeitung”. Tennis was played in the Neubühl hall behind the Zürisee Center for 40 years.
Alternative location wanted for Vitis
The operators of the Vitis racket sports facility are now looking for a replacement location. This is only possible if the city of Zurich gives in. This has land reserves in Schlieren.
A turnkey project is available, but the building permit is a long time coming. The new Vitis would have an area of 10,000 square meters. The number of halls would be reduced, but the construction would be a signal against decline.