Success Stories

Riverside Clay Tennis Association

Category: Government Relations

Subcategory: City Budget / Not-for-Profit Funding

Problem: As a result of a major upgrade to the walking and biking trails at Riverside Park, the five-acre area featuring the historic public clay tennis courts at 95th Street in the Park, which are operated by the Riverside Clay Tennis Association (“RCTA”) had a severe lack of appropriate infrastructure and public amenities (e.g., restrooms). In response, RCTA formulated a design plan that would:

  • Construct the City’s first public building that would meet the Living Building Challenge – a 100% carbon-neutral facility that will harness solar energy and rainwater, feature self-composting toilets and use recycled materials – to provide much-needed maintenance, storage, administrative and programming space for the public red clay tennis courts.
  • Transform the dilapidated southern parking lot into a native wildflower meadow.
  • Provide a scenic rest area with benches, bike racks and Riverside Park’s only elevated river views west of the West Side Highway for runners, bikers and visitors along the Hudson Greenway.

The cost of the project is estimated at $4.4 million; significant public funding was desired by RCTA.

Strategy: Capalino+Company identified that the best way to secure public funding for the project was through the City’s capital budget. Quickly identifying the key people in the funding process in the New York City Council and Bloomberg Administration, Capalino sought to advocate on behalf of the client by creating influential presentation materials and arranging meetings with key decision-makers.

Result: Despite the difficult economic challenges, Capalino helped RCTA secure $1.2 million in capital funds from the City for this project. This significant investment in the project helped launch a major private capital campaign and provides the funding necessary to complete all architectural drawings and pre-construction work. The project is now currently on track to be initiated in the Spring/Fall of 2012.

Press/Additional Information: Here are some links to press and additional information about the project: