Furtive Glimpse of Proposed Indoor Tennis Facility Shows Earth Tones, Disturbing Lack of Juicery

No, this isn't an aerial view of a new earth-toned mini mall, but a rendering of what the awesome proposed indoor tennis complex at Lake Newport might look like. We were hoping for the plexiglass dome, but beggars can't be choosers. In this fancy "news paper" article, it says the plan is to go from six outdoor courts to five indoor ones.

"One of the nicest things is it doesn't really change the use of the site," said Larry Butler, director of Parks and Recreation for the Reston Association.

Though still in the early stages of design, Butler said the footprint of the facility would likely fall in line with what is currently at Lake Newport. The six outdoor courts there -- about 36,000 square feet -- will be replaced with five courts at 46,000 square feet, he said.

"We're really just taking a seasonal facility and making it year-round. It makes the most sense to put it at the Lake Newport site," Butler said.

Previous plans for an indoor tennis facility lost momentum because of location and scale. In July 2009, the Reston Association voted to eliminate the choice of Brown's Chapel -- a 22-acre park with walking trails, baseball fields, basketball courts, tot lot, picnic pavilion and historic chapel. The 500,000-square-foot facility carried a $65 million price tag. The size of the project sparked debate in the community, including a campaign to "Save Brown's Chapel," which opposed having a large complex on a historic site.

"Brown's Chapel was an integrated complex. It had aquatics, tennis, fitness, community meeting areas," Butler said. "What we're talking about now is a different animal."

We're guessing that means no juicery. Nuts.

Some 48 outdoor courts serve 15,000 players a year, according to the RA. After the well-deserved debacle of the Brown's Chapel Rec Center, it would be nice, if finances permit and the planets align, for them to -- wait for it -- be served. (Get it?)