| Portland Tennis & Education (formerly St. Johns Racquet Center) | |
| Former Names: | St. Johns Racquet Center |
| Alternate Names: | PT&E, Portland Tennis & Education |
| Building Type: | indoor tennis and racquetball courts |
| Structural System: | prefabricated |
| Cost: | US$883,537 (US$ adjusted for inflation) |
| Owner: | City of Portland |
| Current Tenants: | Portland Tennis & Education (PT&E) |
| Location: | Portland, Oregon |
| Address: | 7519 N Burlington Ave |
| Location Country: | United States |
| Groundbreaking Date: | 1976 |
| Opened Date: | 1979 |
| Known For: | Public tennis & pickleball. Nonprofit after school programming. |
| Architecture Firm: | Richard L. Glassford and Associations |
| Structural Engineer: | Hess Building Company |
| Rooms: | 3 tennis courts, 4 classrooms. |
| Website: | St Johns Racquet Center — PortlandOregon.gov |
Portland Tennis & Education (formally St. Johns Racquet Center) offers a variety of classes, drills, mixers, & private lessons for tennis & pickleball players of all levels. As a public facility, we welcome everyone. Our court fees are a flat rate that include ball machine access & racquet rental at no extra cost! Racquet stringing service is also offered at affordable prices. Every dollar earned on our public courts is poured directly back into our nonprofit program that offers academic support, tennis & athletic enrichment, life skills, family resources & mental health support to K-12 students enrolled in our after school & summer programs. Every time you play tennis or pickleball, you 'play a point' for PT&E students & families
Since our founding in 1996, 100% of 12th grade PT&E program graduates have graduated from high school on-time and gone on to pursue the post-secondary path of their choosing!
The St. Johns Racquet Center was planned in 1976 but delayed until 1979 after problems with shipment from the manufacturer Hess Building Company. The 27,500 ft. prefabricated building cost US$648,000 (US$ adjusted for inflation) was designed by Richard L. Glassford and Associations and manufactured in the Midwest United States.[1] The total construction cost reached US$883,537 (US$ adjusted for inflation), most of which came from Economic Development Administration, when the building was erected.[2] A failed plan in 1981 called for part of the racquet center be made a roller rink.[3]
In October 1981, a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) round robin tournament was held at the racquet center.[4] The maximum capacity of the building in accordance to the fire code is 20 people.[5] Threats to close the center came in 1983 from Portland Parks & Recreation commissioner Charles Jordan.[6] Instead the hours of operations were cut.[7] [8]
A racquetball club known as the "Smashers" was organized at the center in 1984.[9] The center held a table tennis tournament in 1987 and 1988.[10] [11] Plans to allow a private company operate the center were drawn up in 1994 but were quickly abandoned.[12] A similar plan came up in 2006 and also failed.[13] A plan to tear the center down to construct an apartment building was proposed in 2007 but was shelved and it was never recommended again.[14] The center hosts several Portland Interscholastic League tennis matches.[15] It is currently operated by Portland After-School Tennis & Education (PASTE).[16]