Tennisport is history

From NY Post:

For Tennisport -- one of the city's best-known public recreation facilities -- it's game, set, match.

After 33 years in Hunters Point, Queens, the center that has hosted celebs and tennis stars will be shutting its doors July 31 as the city begins work on a massive housing complex overlooking the East River.

For the past 20 years, the Boturs have known match point was near.

First, the state had eyed it as part of its enormous Queens West development. In 2002, the state forced the family to sell the property through eminent domain.

The Boturs negotiated several two-year extensions while development plans went bust.

Finally, the city bought the property from the state in 2006.

Mayor Bloomberg has proposed building 5,000 units of middle-income housing and a school for the 24-acre site.

City officials said they would begin work preparing the land, which has little infrastructure, by the end of the year.

"It was a garbage dump when my father found it," said Andrea Botur, whose dad is now 87 and still works at the club.

"It seemed courageous at the time. He built the club and thought he was safe here."

Now the Boturs are busy finding new jobs for their 30 employees and 15 tennis pros.

Is this part of Bloomberg's 400,000 jobs program?

P.S. If you bought at the Powerhouse for "the view", you'll soon be S.O.L.